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Childcare, LEAP, & MAGI

Childcare

The Department of Human Services administers the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) which provides financial assistance to low income families who are working and families that are enrolled in the Colorado Works Program that need child care services to support their efforts toward self-sufficiency.

        Eligibility

Effective October 1, 2023 the eligibility level for Alamosa County is set at 200% of the federal poverty level show on the table below.

Family SizeIncome Max
2$3,286.66
3$4,143.34
4$5,000.00
5$5,856.66
6$6,713.34
7$7,570.00
8$8,426.66
9$9,283.33
Additional Household Members$428.33
        Getting Started

Contact the Alamosa Department of Human Services to apply for child care assistance. You must submit an application with information about income, work, or other authorized program. Participation in Child Support is required if a one parent household is applying for assistance.

        Finding a childcare provider

Parents can choose one of three options:

Licensed child care center. Licensed child care home. Non-licensed relative, friend, or neighbor
"Non-licensed Provider Requirements"] If a parent selects a non-licensed provider, this provider and anyone in the home over the age of 18 years of age MUST submit to a fingerprint based criminal background check.

  • The cost of the background check is the responsibility of the provider.
  • Each household member is required to pass the background check and also pass the State administered database check for child abuse and neglect.
  • Alamosa County cannot contract with a provider if the fingerprint-based background check and the State administered database check do not come back clear.
  • This process may take up to 90 days, no payments will be made until all information is cleared through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

If all information comes back clear, payments to provider will start the day CBI reviews the completed fingerprint packet.

 

        Fees

Parents are required to pay a portion of their child care costs, called the Parent Fee. This fee is set based on family income and the number of people in the household. This fee is paid directly to the provider each month.

Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)

LEAP is designed to help low-income households with winter home heating costs. The program operates from November 1st through April 30th each year. Eligible households receive one benefit per program year. Since LEAP is not intended to pay the entire costs of home heating, it is important to keep current with payment of your heating bill.

  • Download the current guide to LEAP here.
MAGI Adult (Family Medicaid Programs)

The Affordable Care Act provides a simplified method for calculating income eligibility for Health First Colorado and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) based on what is called Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). The MAGI rules apply to eligibility determinations for CHP+ and most Health First Colorado programs, except for those programs for individuals over 65 years old and/or for people who have a disability. The use of MAGI standardizes income eligibility rules across all states.