BEST BEGINNINGS CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP
CHILD CARE IS EXPENSIVE. WE CAN HELP.
WHAT IS THE BEST BEGINNINGS CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP?​
The Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship helps families pay for child care. The scholarship pays child care cost while families are working, attending school, or participate in TANF. Eligibility is based on income and other requirements.
HOW DO I APPLY?
There is an online or paper application available to be filled out. If an online application is submitted, additional documentation is still required for your application to be complete. See below for more information.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO RECIEVE THE SCHOLARSHIP?
-
Families who are working and/or attending school and meet the income requirements. Parents must be participating in eligible activities:
-
Two-parent families shall work at least 120 hours per month.
-
Single-parent families shall work at least 60 hours per month.
-
Single parent or two-parent families in which all of the parents attend school/training full time, do not have to meet a work requirement.
-
Single parent or two-parent families in which one or more of the parents attend school/training part time shall meet a work requirement that takes into account the education/training.
-
Teen parents must be attending high school or a high school equivalency program.
-
​
-
Families receiving TANF Cash assistance.
​
-
Tribal families are dually eligible for child care assistance under both the Tribal CCDF Block Grant program and Montana Child Care Scholarship program. hem before a Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship will be approved.
​
​
APPLYING FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP
Eligibility for the scholarship is determined by your family's income. If your family qualifies for the scholarship, you will be required to pay a co-payment to the child care provider. The co-payment amount is decided based on the sliding fee scale. You can view the sliding fee scale and copayment calculator below.
*Effective Mar 1, 2023, co-payments are capped at 8% of gross income.
ONLINE APPLICATION
Click the button below. You will be redirected to the online application.
*Please note if you submit your application online, you will still need to fill out additional forms and send them to the Butte 4-C's for your application to be complete. Extra forms can be found below.
While the Best Beginnings Scholarship is not currently being changed, the method of logging in to the application and the log in screen is being updated to Okta. [Users] will be required to set up a new Montana Okta account to submit [their] application and [users] will be asked to set up a new username and password. Once that information is entered [users] will be asked for that username and password each time [they] sign into the Best Beginnings Online Application.
​
