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How the guarantee works →Montana child care assistance.
The program that helps Montana families pay for child care, who can apply, how to apply, and how providers take part. Last checked November 3, 2026.
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The program in Montana
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Program | Best Beginnings Child Care ScholarshipSource: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026. |
| Run by | Montana DPHHS Early Childhood and Family Support DivisionSource: Child Care Agencies and Regions, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026. |
For families: who can apply
- Families earning less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Level, with children in licensed care, are eligible.Source: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Two-parent families must work at least 120 hours a month, and single-parent families at least 60 hours a month.Source: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Parents who all attend school or training full time do not have to meet a work requirement.Source: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Teen parents must be attending high school or a high school equivalency program.Source: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
For families: how to apply
- Families apply online through the Parent Portal, after creating a State Okta account. The application goes to the child care agency for their county.Source: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.Apply for the Best Beginnings Scholarship
For providers: how to take part
- A provider must first become licensed with the state of Montana to accept scholarship children.Source: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- A licensed provider creates a State Okta account to reach the Provider Portal.Source: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- The provider then completes the Rights and Responsibilities Agreement in the Provider Portal.Source: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
Limits Montana publishes
Each figure as the program publishes it, with the date the source gives.
| What | Figure | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Smallest monthly family co-payment | $10Source: Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship: Child Care Sliding Fee Scale, Effective 07-01-2025, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026. | 07-01-2025 |
Questions about child care assistance in Montana
What is the child care assistance program in Montana called?
Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship. It is run by the Montana DPHHS Early Childhood and Family Support Division.
Who can apply for child care assistance in Montana?
Families earning less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Level, with children in licensed care, are eligible. Two-parent families must work at least 120 hours a month, and single-parent families at least 60 hours a month. Parents who all attend school or training full time do not have to meet a work requirement. Teen parents must be attending high school or a high school equivalency program.
How do families apply in Montana?
Families apply online through the Parent Portal, after creating a State Okta account. The application goes to the child care agency for their county. Official page: https://dphhs.mt.gov/ecfsd/childcare/BestBeginningsScholarships
How does a child care provider take part in Montana?
A provider must first become licensed with the state of Montana to accept scholarship children. A licensed provider creates a State Okta account to reach the Provider Portal. The provider then completes the Rights and Responsibilities Agreement in the Provider Portal.
Sources
Every source is an official government page.
- Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship ProgramMontana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Child Care Agencies and RegionsMontana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship: Child Care Sliding Fee Scale, Effective 07-01-2025Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
About this page
We read each source above on an official government site on November 3, 2026. Each fact links to the page it came from.
If a fact is not here, we could not read it on an official page, so we left it out.
Programs change their rules, limits and forms. Confirm with the agency before you apply or enroll as a provider.
This page is a summary of public information. Bloomily does not run these programs or decide who qualifies.
More about child care in Montana
- Montana child care licensing
Ratios, required training and official rules for programs.
- Child care assistance in every state
Each page links every fact to the official page it came from.
Child care assistance in other states
- Alabama
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
- Alaska
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Alaska Department of Health.
- Arizona
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
- Arkansas
School Readiness Assistance, run by the Arkansas Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood.
- California
CalWORKs Child Care, run by the California Department of Social Services.
- Colorado
Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.
- Connecticut
Care 4 Kids, run by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.
- Delaware
Purchase of Care, run by the Delaware Division of Social Services.
- District of Columbia
DC Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
- Florida
School readiness program, run by the Florida Department of Education.
- Georgia
Childcare and Parent Services, run by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.
- Hawaii
Child Care Subsidy, run by the Hawaii Department of Human Services.
- Idaho
Idaho Child Care Program, run by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
- Illinois
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood.
- Indiana
Child Care and Development Fund, run by the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.
- Iowa
Child Care Assistance, run by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
- Kansas
Child Care Assistance, run by the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
- Kentucky
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Division of Child Care.
- Louisiana
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Louisiana Department of Education.
- Maine
Child Care Affordability Program, run by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
- Massachusetts
Child Care Financial Assistance, run by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.
- Michigan
Child Development and Care, run by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential.
- Minnesota
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
- Mississippi
Child Care Payment Program, run by the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
- Missouri
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood.
- Nebraska
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
- Nevada
Child Care and Development Program, run by the Nevada Division of Social Services.
- New Hampshire
NH Child Care Scholarship Program, run by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration.
- New Jersey
New Jersey Child Care Assistance Program, run by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development.
- New Mexico
Child Care Assistance, run by the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department.
- New York
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
- North Carolina
Subsidized Child Care Assistance Program, run by the NC DHHS Division of Child Development and Early Education.
- North Dakota
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the North Dakota Health and Human Services.
- Ohio
Publicly Funded Child Care, run by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth.
- Oklahoma
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Oklahoma Human Services.
- Oregon
Employment Related Day Care, run by the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care.
- Pennsylvania
Child Care Works, run by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
- Rhode Island
Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), run by the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.
- South Dakota
Child Care Assistance, run by the South Dakota Department of Social Services.
- Tennessee
Child Care Payment Assistance, run by the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
- Texas
Child Care Services, run by the Texas Workforce Commission.
- Utah
Employment Support Child Care, run by the Department of Workforce Services.
- Vermont
Child Care Financial Assistance Program, run by the Vermont Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division.
- Virginia
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Virginia Department of Education.
- Washington
Working Connections Child Care, run by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
- West Virginia
Child Care Assistance, run by the West Virginia Department of Human Services, Bureau for Family Assistance.
- Wisconsin
Wisconsin Shares, run by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
- Wyoming
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Wyoming Department of Family Services.
Billing a family with a subsidy
- See billing in Bloomily
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