Subsidized child care in California (CalWORKs Stages One, Two and Three and Alternative Payment vouchers): who qualifies, what you get, how to apply, and what happens next
California pays for child care for families on or recently off CalWORKs (Stages One, Two and Three) and for other working low-income families through Alternative Payment Program vouchers, at or below 85 percent of the state median income ($9,636 a month for a family of four in 2026-27). Families below 75 percent of the median pay no fee, and no fee exceeds 1 percent of income. Apply through the county welfare department if on CalWORKs, otherwise through the local Alternative Payment Program or Resource and Referral agency.
What subsidized child care is, in one paragraph
California pays all or part of the cost of child care for low-income families who need care to work, train or look for work. Families on CalWORKs cash aid get Stage One care through the county welfare department. When the county finds the family stable, or the family leaves aid, care continues in Stage Two through a local Alternative Payment Program for up to 24 months after aid ends, then in Stage Three while funds last. Families who were never on CalWORKs can get a California Alternative Payment Program (CAPP) voucher from the same agencies, by priority and funding. The voucher pays the provider the family chooses, including a relative or friend.
$7,119 to $14,455
the 2026-27 monthly income ceiling for families of 1-2 up to 12, 85 percent of state median income (California Department of Social Services, rule:income_85_smi)
Who may qualify
On or recently off CalWORKs. Stage One while on cash aid (rule:stage_one); Stage Two up to 24 months after aid ends (rule:stage_two_24, rule:stage_two_85); Stage Three after that while funds last, until income passes 85 percent of the state median income (rule:stage_three). Stages One and Two are an entitlement (rule:entitlement).
Not on CalWORKs. CAPP vouchers for low-income families with a need for care, by priority: child protective services or at risk first, then lowest income (rule:capp, rule:priority).
Income. At or below 85 percent of state median income, 2026-27 (rule:income_85_smi):
Family size
Monthly
Yearly
1-2
$7,119
$85,434
3
$8,054
$96,652
4
$9,636
$115,637
5
$11,178
$134,139
6
$12,720
$152,641
7
$13,009
$156,110
8
$13,298
$159,580
9
$13,587
$163,049
10
$13,876
$166,518
11
$14,166
$169,987
12
$14,455
$173,456
Fees. No fee below 75 percent of state median income (rule:no_fee_below_75); never more than 1 percent of income (rule:fee_cap); none on CalWORKs cash aid (rule:fee_exempt).
How to apply, and what happens after
On CalWORKs: ask the county welfare department for Stage One. Not on CalWORKs: contact the local Alternative Payment Program, or the Resource and Referral agency at rrnetwork.org or 1-800-KIDS-7933 (rule:find_care), and ask to be placed on the eligibility list.
Stage
What happens
Deadline
What loses people their care
Apply
County (Stage One) or APP (CAPP)
None stated
Never getting on the list
Certify
Income, family size and need checked
At certification
Missing documents
Choose care
Licensed center, family child care home, or a relative or friend (rule:voucher_choice)
Before care starts
License-exempt provider without TrustLine
Notice of Action
Approval, denial, change of hours, or termination
Read on arrival
Not reading the NOA
Appeal
Local hearing request (rule:appeal_local)
14 calendar days from receiving the NOA
Missing the 14 days ends continued services (rule:appeal_continue)
State review
CDSS review of the local decision (rule:appeal_state)
14 calendar days from the decision letter; CDSS decides in 30
Not including the NOA and decision letter
The procedure, stage by stage, as data
JSONThe procedure, stage by stage, as data
[14 items
{10 keys
"id": "stage:discover",
"order": 1,
"name": "Discover",
"what_happens": "Family learns care can be paid for while working, training or on CalWORKs, and that relatives can be paid providers",
"who_acts": "Family / county / R&R",
"timeline": "Before care is needed",
"evidence": "None",
"failure_mode": "Paying out of pocket while eligible",
"model_role": "Sort the family into Stage One, Two, Three or CAPP",
"automation_class": "A"
},{10 keys
"id": "stage:screen_eligibility",
"order": 2,
"name": "Screen eligibility",
"what_happens": "CalWORKs status, months off aid, income against 85% SMI, need for care",
Those connections are not written here by hand. They are read from the California benefits graph, the object that holds all 80 programs, the life events that trigger them and the facts they share. A model screening you for subsidized child care sees the same edges.
What this article shares with the graph
JSONWhat this article shares with the graph
{6 keys
"program_id": "B060",
"graph": "california-benefits-graph",
"related_program_ids": [8 items
"B021",
"B059",
"B058",
"B001",
"B002",
"B003",
"B011",
"B031"
],"related_programs": {8 keys
"B021": "CalWORKs (California TANF)",
"B059": "CA State Preschool Program (CSPP)",
"B058": "Head Start / Early Head Start",
"B001": "CalFresh (SNAP)",
"B002": "California Food Assistance Program (CFAP)",
"B003": "WIC (Women, Infants & Children)",
"B011": "Medi-Cal (Medicaid)",
"B031": "Foster care, Adoption Assistance (AAP), Kin-GAP"
Appeals: Parent Appeals; CDSS review requests to Child Care and Development Division, 744 P Street M.S. 9-8-371, Sacramento, CA 95814, CCDDAppeals@dss.ca.gov
CalWORKs Child Care: Stage One — California Department of Social Services“Stage One is administered by the county welfare departments (CWD) or their contractors.”
CalWORKs Child Care: 24 months — California Department of Social Services“for a total of no more than 24 months after they leave cash aid”
CalWORKs Child Care: entitlement — California Department of Social Services“Stages One and Two services are an entitlement; however, Stage Three services are dependent on fund availability.”
Parent Information: CAPP — California Department of Social Services“APPs provide CAPP vouchers for eligible low-income families who are not on CalWORKs.”
Parent Information: Stage Two — California Department of Social Services“their income does not exceed 85% of the state median income”
Parent Appeals: local hearing — California Department of Social Services“you must notify the agency within 14 calendar days of the date the NOA was received”
Parent Appeals: CDSS review — California Department of Social Services“The CDSS must receive your request within 14 calendar days from the date on the local agency”
Parent Appeals: CDSS decision — California Department of Social Services“The CDSS has up to 30 calendar days to make a decision”
Parent Appeals: services continue — California Department of Social Services“you will continue to receive services in accordance with your last service agreement”
CCB 26-16: fee exemptions — California Department of Social Services“Families receiving CalWORKs cash aid pursuant to WIC Section 10291(b).”
the whole object this page is drawn from, as JSON
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{
"id":"stage:interview_verification",
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"model_role":"Explain the NOA",
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{
"id":"stage:provider_enrollment",
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"who_acts":"Family / provider",
"timeline":"Before care starts",
"evidence":"Provider paperwork",
"failure_mode":"Provider paperwork not completed",
"model_role":"State rule:voucher_choice",
"automation_class":"C - the provider's paperwork"
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{
"id":"stage:issuance_use",
"order":9,
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"model_role":"None",
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{
"id":"stage:report_changes",
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{
"id":"stage:renew_recertify",
"order":11,
"name":"Renew / recertify",
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"who_acts":"County / APP",
"timeline":"At recertification (interval not on the pages read: UNKNOWN)",
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"id":"stage:overpayment_exit",
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"id":"rule:stage_one",
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"text":"CalWORKs Stage One child care is administered by the county welfare departments and begins when a family starts receiving CalWORKs cash aid; a family on cash aid with age-eligible children is entitled to it.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"source":"s_cdss_cwcc_stage1",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09 (CDSS CalWORKs Child Care); quote found in the page text"
},
{
"id":"rule:stage_two_24",
"kind":"categorical",
"text":"Former CalWORKs families can receive child care in Stage One and/or Stage Two for no more than 24 months after they leave cash aid. Stage Two is run by Alternative Payment Programs (APPs) under contract with CDSS.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_months_after_aid":24,
"source":"s_cdss_cwcc_24",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:stage_two_85",
"kind":"income_test",
"text":"A family is eligible for Stage Two if a parent received cash aid within the past 24 months and income does not exceed 85% of the state median income.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_percent_smi":85,
"source":"s_cdss_par_stage2",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:stage_three",
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"text":"After 24 months off cash aid families move to Stage Three, which depends on funding; they stay until income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income or the children are over the eligibility age.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_percent_smi":85,
"source":"s_cdss_cwcc_85",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:entitlement",
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"text":"Stages One and Two are an entitlement; Stage Three depends on fund availability.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"source":"s_cdss_cwcc_ent",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:capp",
"kind":"categorical",
"text":"APPs give California Alternative Payment Program (CAPP) vouchers to eligible low-income families not on CalWORKs, prioritizing families in or at risk of child welfare involvement, then the lowest gross income.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"source":"s_cdss_par_capp",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:income_85_smi",
"kind":"income_test",
"text":"A family is income eligible when its adjusted monthly income is at or below 85 percent of the state median income for its size. Schedule for state fiscal year 2026-27, for families certified or recertified on or after July 1, 2026.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"effective":"2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30",
"values_usd_monthly": {
"3":8054,
"4":9636,
"5":11178,
"6":12720,
"7":13009,
"8":13298,
"9":13587,
"10":13876,
"11":14166,
"12":14455,
"1-2":7119
},
"values_usd_annual": {
"3":96652,
"4":115637,
"5":134139,
"6":152641,
"7":156110,
"8":159580,
"9":163049,
"10":166518,
"11":169987,
"12":173456,
"1-2":85434
},
"source":"s_cdss_ccb2617",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:priority",
"kind":"procedure",
"text":"Enrollment priority: first, neglected or abused children receiving child protective services or at risk, on written referral; second, income-eligible families, lowest gross monthly income for family size first. A family eligible through a household member certified for Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CFAP, WIC, FDPIR, Head Start, Early Head Start or CalWORKs is prioritized by the income declared for that program. The ranking table does not apply to CalWORKs Stages One, Two and Three.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"source":"s_cdss_ccb2617_pri",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:voucher_choice",
"kind":"benefit",
"text":"Vouchers pay for care in licensed centers, licensed family child care homes, or license-exempt family, friend and neighbor care chosen by the parent; a license-exempt provider may need a background check (TrustLine).",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"source":"s_cdss_par_voucher",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:fee_cap",
"kind":"benefit",
"text":"Since October 1, 2023 a family fee may not exceed 1 percent of the family's adjusted monthly income.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_percent_income_max":1,
"source":"s_cdss_ccb2616",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:no_fee_below_75",
"kind":"benefit",
"text":"A family with adjusted monthly income below 75 percent of the state median income is not charged a family fee.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_percent_smi":75,
"source":"s_cdss_ccb2616_75",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:fee_exempt",
"kind":"benefit",
"text":"Families receiving CalWORKs cash aid are exempt from family fees; child protective services families may be exempt for up to 24 months.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_months_cps_exemption":24,
"source":"s_cdss_ccb2616_exempt",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:find_care",
"kind":"procedure",
"text":"Resource and Referral (R&R) agencies in every county list providers and help families; toll-free 1-800-KIDS-7933.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"source":"s_cdss_par_rr",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:appeal_local",
"kind":"appeal",
"text":"A parent who disagrees with a Notice of Action may request a local hearing by notifying the agency within 14 calendar days of receiving the NOA; services continue during the appeal if the request is on time. The agency sets the hearing within 10 calendar days of the request.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_days_calendar_request":14,
"value_days_calendar_hearing_notice":10,
"source":"s_cdss_appeal_14",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:appeal_continue",
"kind":"appeal",
"text":"Services continue under the last service agreement until the appeal is completed or abandoned, when the local hearing is requested within 14 calendar days.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_days_calendar":14,
"source":"s_cdss_appeal_cont",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:appeal_decision",
"kind":"appeal",
"text":"The hearing officer mails or delivers a written decision within 10 calendar days after the local hearing.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_days_calendar":10,
"source":"s_cdss_appeal_10",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
},
{
"id":"rule:appeal_state",
"kind":"appeal",
"text":"A parent who disagrees with the local decision may request a CDSS review; CDSS must receive it within 14 calendar days of the date on the local decision letter, and has up to 30 calendar days to decide.",
"jurisdiction":"US-CA",
"value_days_calendar_request":14,
"value_days_calendar_decision":30,
"source":"s_cdss_appeal_review",
"status":"verified 2026-10-09"
}
],
"fiscal_year": {
"fiscal_year":"State fiscal year 2026-27",
"effective":"2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30",
"source":"s_cdss_ccb2617",
"area":"California"
},
"fields": [
{
"field_id":"f:household_size",
"canonical_fact":"household.size",
"label":"How many people are in the family",
"data_type":"integer",
"required":true,
"sensitivity":"personal",
"used_by_rules": [
"rule:income_85_smi",
"rule:priority"
]
},
{
"field_id":"f:monthly_income",
"canonical_fact":"household.income.monthly_gross",
"label":"Family income each month",
"data_type":"money",
"required":true,
"sensitivity":"personal",
"used_by_rules": [
"rule:income_85_smi",
"rule:stage_two_85",
"rule:no_fee_below_75",
"rule:fee_cap",
"rule:priority"
]
},
{
"field_id":"f:calworks",
"canonical_fact":"benefits.currently_receiving[]",
"label":"Is the family on CalWORKs cash aid now, or when did it last receive it",
"data_type":"list",
"required":true,
"sensitivity":"personal",
"used_by_rules": [
"rule:stage_one",
"rule:stage_two_24",
"rule:stage_three",
"rule:fee_exempt",
"rule:priority"
]
},
{
"field_id":"f:need",
"canonical_fact":"employment.status",
"label":"Why care is needed: work, school or training, looking for work, or another reason",
"data_type":"enum",
"required":true,
"sensitivity":"personal",
"used_by_rules": [
"rule:capp",
"rule:stage_one"
]
},
{
"field_id":"f:children",
"canonical_fact":"household.composition.members[]",
"label":"The children who need care and their ages",
"data_type":"list",
"required":true,
"sensitivity":"personal",
"used_by_rules": [
"rule:stage_three",
"rule:income_85_smi"
]
},
{
"field_id":"f:cps",
"canonical_fact":"household.child_welfare.involved",
"label":"Is the family involved with or at risk of child welfare services",
"data_type":"boolean",
"required":false,
"sensitivity":"sensitive",
"used_by_rules": [
"rule:priority",
"rule:capp",
"rule:fee_exempt"
]
},
{
"field_id":"f:zip",
"canonical_fact":"person.address.residential.postal_code",
"label":"ZIP code, to find the local APP and R&R",
"data_type":"text",
"required":true,
"sensitivity":"personal",
"used_by_rules": [
"rule:find_care"
]
}
],
"ontology": {
"program_id":"B060",
"graph":"california-benefits-graph",
"related_program_ids": [
"B021",
"B059",
"B058",
"B001",
"B002",
"B003",
"B011",
"B031"
],
"related_programs": {
"B021":"CalWORKs (California TANF)",
"B059":"CA State Preschool Program (CSPP)",
"B058":"Head Start / Early Head Start",
"B001":"CalFresh (SNAP)",
"B002":"California Food Assistance Program (CFAP)",
"B003":"WIC (Women, Infants & Children)",
"B011":"Medi-Cal (Medicaid)",
"B031":"Foster care, Adoption Assistance (AAP), Kin-GAP"
},
"triggered_by_events": [
"event:hours_cut_income_drop_still_employed",
"event:pregnancy_new_baby",
"event:child_starts_school_turns_5"
],
"shares_facts_with": {
"household.size": [
"B001",
"B003",
"B011",
"B021",
"B045",
"B049"
],
"household.income.monthly_gross": [
"B001",
"B003",
"B011",
"B021",
"B043",
"B044",
"B045"
],
"benefits.currently_receiving[]": [
"B001",
"B009",
"B043",
"B047"
],
"employment.status": [
"B001",
"B027",
"B028"
],
"household.composition.members[]": [
"B001",
"B011",
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"id":"text_for_help",
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"body":"Hi, I’m looking at your subsidized child care article and want help checking my eligibility and finding other benefits."
},
{
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"title":"subsidized child care: ask the article",
"intro":"Ask anything about subsidized child care. The model has read this exact page, cites its sources by id, and can tell you which other programs the same facts open. It cannot apply for you; it tells you the exact next step.",
"starters": [
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"I'm leaving CalWORKs. Do I lose child care?",
"Will I have to pay a family fee?",
"Can grandma be my child care provider?",
"My child care was cut. How do I appeal?",
"Continue where I left off"
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"## What subsidized child care is, in one paragraph\n\nCalifornia pays all or part of the cost of child care for low-income families who need care to work, train or look for work. Families on CalWORKs cash aid get Stage One care through the county welfare department. When the county finds the family stable, or the family leaves aid, care continues in Stage Two through a local Alternative Payment Program for up to 24 months after aid ends, then in Stage Three while funds last. Families who were never on CalWORKs can get a California Alternative Payment Program (CAPP) voucher from the same agencies, by priority and funding. The voucher pays the provider the family chooses, including a relative or friend.",
{
"type":"stat",
"value":"$7,119 to $14,455",
"label":"the 2026-27 monthly income ceiling for families of 1-2 up to 12, 85 percent of state median income (California Department of Social Services, rule:income_85_smi)"
},
"## Who may qualify\n\n**On or recently off CalWORKs.** Stage One while on cash aid (rule:stage_one); Stage Two up to 24 months after aid ends (rule:stage_two_24, rule:stage_two_85); Stage Three after that while funds last, until income passes 85 percent of the state median income (rule:stage_three). Stages One and Two are an entitlement (rule:entitlement).\n\n**Not on CalWORKs.** CAPP vouchers for low-income families with a need for care, by priority: child protective services or at risk first, then lowest income (rule:capp, rule:priority).\n\n**Income.** At or below 85 percent of state median income, 2026-27 (rule:income_85_smi):\n\n| Family size | Monthly | Yearly |\n|---|---|---|\n| 1-2 | $7,119 | $85,434 |\n| 3 | $8,054 | $96,652 |\n| 4 | $9,636 | $115,637 |\n| 5 | $11,178 | $134,139 |\n| 6 | $12,720 | $152,641 |\n| 7 | $13,009 | $156,110 |\n| 8 | $13,298 | $159,580 |\n| 9 | $13,587 | $163,049 |\n| 10 | $13,876 | $166,518 |\n| 11 | $14,166 | $169,987 |\n| 12 | $14,455 | $173,456 |\n\n**Fees.** No fee below 75 percent of state median income (rule:no_fee_below_75); never more than 1 percent of income (rule:fee_cap); none on CalWORKs cash aid (rule:fee_exempt).",
"## What the model on this page can do for you\n\nThis article is also the context of a model you can text or chat with. The buttons under the title open Messages with a note already written, or a chat on this page. The model has read this exact page: the rules above with their source ids, the procedure below, and the other programs the same facts open. It asks for one or two facts at a time, starting with your family size and monthly income, and whether you receive CalWORKs, tells you which rules you pass and which it cannot decide, names the programs you may also qualify for, and gives the exact next step. It has no tools: it cannot apply for you, and it says so. Every message is kept on this build's Ledger.\n\nA screening here is a screening, not a decision. The county welfare department or the Alternative Payment Program decides.",
"## How to apply, and what happens after\n\nOn CalWORKs: ask the **county welfare department** for Stage One. Not on CalWORKs: contact the local **Alternative Payment Program**, or the **Resource and Referral** agency at [rrnetwork.org](https://rrnetwork.org/family-services/find-child-care) or 1-800-KIDS-7933 (rule:find_care), and ask to be placed on the eligibility list.\n\n| Stage | What happens | Deadline | What loses people their care |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Apply | County (Stage One) or APP (CAPP) | None stated | Never getting on the list |\n| Certify | Income, family size and need checked | At certification | Missing documents |\n| Choose care | Licensed center, family child care home, or a relative or friend (rule:voucher_choice) | Before care starts | License-exempt provider without TrustLine |\n| Notice of Action | Approval, denial, change of hours, or termination | Read on arrival | Not reading the NOA |\n| Appeal | Local hearing request (rule:appeal_local) | 14 calendar days from receiving the NOA | Missing the 14 days ends continued services (rule:appeal_continue) |\n| State review | CDSS review of the local decision (rule:appeal_state) | 14 calendar days from the decision letter; CDSS decides in 30 | Not including the NOA and decision letter |",
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"## The same facts open other programs\n\n- [[california-calworks]] (B021): cash aid is the door to Stage One.\n- [[california-state-preschool]] (B059) and [[california-head-start]] (B058): preschool for three- and four-year-olds; Head Start enrollment is also a categorical route here.\n- [[california-calfresh]] (B001), [[california-cfap]] (B002), [[california-wic]] (B003) and [[california-medi-cal]] (B011): a household member certified for any of them makes the family categorically eligible, prioritized by that program's income (rule:priority).\n- [[california-foster-care-aap-kingap]] (B031): foster families can use the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program where counties offer it.\n\nThose connections are not written here by hand. They are read from [[california-benefits-graph|the California benefits graph]], the object that holds all 80 programs, the life events that trigger them and the facts they share. A model screening you for subsidized child care sees the same edges.",
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"## How this page works\n\nThis page is one JSON object. The page, the Markdown and the machine copy at [/a/california-subsidized-child-care.json](https://miscsubjects.com/a/california-subsidized-child-care.json) are three views of it. Its `facts` carry the article's identity and jurisdiction, the procedure with its stages, every rule with its source id and verification status, the fields with their canonical fact names, the ontology edges into the benefits graph, the declared actions, the model's instructions, and the permissions the model has (none). The model's context is served separately at [/a/california-subsidized-child-care/context](https://miscsubjects.com/a/california-subsidized-child-care/context): the same object, projected for a model, so there is one source of truth for the reader and the machine.\n\nWhat is saved: a thread per phone number that texts, holding which articles it asked about, how many messages, and the facts it stated, so a person who comes back continues rather than restarts. Every message, in either direction, is a row on this build's Ledger.\n\nFigures carry their status in `facts.rules[].status`. Every figure on this page was read from the official pages listed under Official addresses on 9 October 2026. A value no official page states is written UNKNOWN.",
"## Official addresses\n\n- Find care and the local APP: [California Child Care Resource and Referral Network](https://rrnetwork.org/family-services/find-child-care), 1-800-KIDS-7933\n- The program: [CDSS CalWORKs Child Care](https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/calworks-child-care); [Parent information](https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/calworks-child-care/parent-information-and-resources)\n- 2026-27 ceilings and fees: [CCB 26-17 (PDF)](https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/CCBs/2026/CCB_26-17.pdf), [CCB 26-16 (PDF)](https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/CCBs/2026/CCB_26-16.pdf)\n- Appeals: [Parent Appeals](https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child-care-and-development/parent-resources/parent-appeals); CDSS review requests to Child Care and Development Division, 744 P Street M.S. 9-8-371, Sacramento, CA 95814, CCDDAppeals@dss.ca.gov"
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