Detroit Child Care Help: Getting Michigan CDC Approved and Actually Paid
Michigan's Child Development and Care program, now called the CDC Scholarship, helps Detroit families pay for child care while parents work, study or get training. Getting approved is only half the job. Your provider can't be paid until a separate verification form reaches MDHHS, and missing that step is one of the most common reasons families end up with a surprise bill.
AT A GLANCE
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The three pieces of paper that make CDC work
Families often think "approved" means "paid." In Michigan, there are three separate steps, and your provider is paid only after all three are done:
Step | What it is | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
1. Eligibility decision | MDHHS approves your CDC Scholarship and sends a decision letter | You apply; MDHHS decides |
2. MDHHS-4025 Provider Verification | Tells MDHHS which provider you chose and the date care began | You submit it, usually alongside the application |
3. DHS-198 authorization notice | Mailed to you and the provider. It shows the begin date, hours per pay period, family contribution and end date. | MDHHS sends it once the 4025 is processed |
The state's parent handbook puts it plainly: your provider will not receive payment until the 4025 is completed and submitted to your local MDHHS office. Payments also can't be authorized for care before the care began, or for more than 60 days back from the date MDHHS receives the 4025. The parents page flags one more trap. The 4025 was revised in June 2025, and older versions aren't accepted. The current form no longer needs the provider's signature.
If your DHS-198 shows "0" hours and no start or end date, child care is not authorized yet, no matter what anyone told you on the phone.
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Who qualifies
Need reason. The parent or guardian must be unable to provide care because of one of these:
employment or self-employment
college or university undergraduate education up to a bachelor's degree, including online programs (graduate, medical and law school don't count)
employment preparation or training
GED, adult basic education or English as a second language
family preservation, meaning an approved counseling or treatment program for a physical, emotional or mental condition
Child's age. Children under 13 qualify. A child who turns 13 during the 12-month eligibility period stays eligible until that period ends. Children 13 to 17, and some 18-year-olds, can qualify if a doctor (D.O. or M.D.) or a court order verifies they need constant care or supervision.
Citizenship. Only the citizenship status of each child who needs care is checked. Other family members' status isn't.
Child support. Since February 25, 2024, parents no longer have to help the state collect child support from the other parent to qualify.
Grandparents and guardians. If you're a grandparent or guardian acting as the substitute parent, your income is excluded. You still have to report it so the case can be processed.
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The 2026 income scale and what you'll pay
MDHHS updated the scale to the 2026 federal poverty levels, effective October 1, 2026. The family contribution is charged per child, per two-week pay period, up to a family cap.
Family size | $0 contribution (pre-entry) | Entry limit ($15/child) | Exit limit ($78/child) |
|---|---|---|---|
2 | up to $1,803 | $3,606 | $5,637 |
3 | up to $2,277 | $4,554 | $6,964 |
4 | up to $2,750 | $5,500 | $8,290 |
5 | up to $3,223 | $6,446 | $9,617 |
6 | up to $3,697 | $7,394 | $10,943 |
Between the entry and exit limits, the contribution rises in steps: $30, $45, $60, $69 and then $78 per child. The family caps are $45, $83, $121, $143, $164 and $186 per pay period. Once you're approved, you stay eligible as long as your income doesn't exceed the exit limit, unless MDHHS decides an increase is temporary.
When you pay nothing
The family contribution is waived in these cases:
the child attends a program with a quality level of Enhancing Quality (3 Star) or higher
the family receives FIP/TANF
the child is in foster care, is homeless or migrant, or has an open CPS case
The first item is the one most families can act on. The state's Great Start to Quality search shows each program's rating.
What the contribution isn't
The handbook warns that the family contribution is not the same as the gap between what your provider charges and what the scholarship pays. Providers can bill you for rates and fees above the CDC payment. You're also responsible for any care before you were authorized and any care after the last day. Put these terms in writing with your provider: how and when payment is due, hours of care, notice to end care, and the absence policy.
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How to apply from Detroit
Check the numbers. Compare your gross monthly income with the table above, or use the eligibility calculator on Great Start to Quality.
Choose a provider. Search "Find Child Care Programs in Michigan" on Great Start to Quality. If you want a relative, friend or neighbor to provide care, they must apply and be enrolled as a license-exempt provider first.
Apply in MI Bridges. You can check your application status, upload documents and report changes there. If you'd rather use paper, take the application to your local MDHHS office. The Wayne County page on michigan.gov has a find your office by ZIP code tool for Detroit's many district offices.
Submit the current MDHHS-4025 with or right after your application.
Watch for the DHS-198. Check the begin date and authorized hours.
If someone is helping you apply, give your caseworker a signed, dated written release. It should name the person or agency, say what information they can see, and say when the permission ends.
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Keeping the scholarship
Twelve months of eligibility. Your case is reviewed after 12 months. MDHHS starts the process at the beginning of the 11th month with the MDHHS-1010 or the "Renew my Benefits" form in MI Bridges. Return it with any requested documents before the date on the form, or the case closes automatically.
Changing providers? Submit a new 4025, tell MDHHS the date care ended with the old provider, and tell the old provider your last day. A new 4025 is also required when your provider changes location or license type.
Two providers? Both share the same authorized hours, including absence hours. If they bill more than the authorized total, one or both may get less than full payment, and you could owe the difference.
Absences. Providers can bill up to 10 consecutive absence days. Each fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), absence hours are capped at 20% of approved hours or 360, whichever is less. That works out to 157, 313 or 360 hours depending on your authorization. Beyond that, you may owe tuition for absent days unless the CDC Office approves an exception for chronic illness, hospitalization or a declared emergency.
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Before you call
☐ MI Bridges login or MDHHS case number
☐ Pay stubs or self-employment records for the household
☐ Work schedule or class/training schedule showing your need hours
☐ Each child's citizenship documents
☐ Your provider's name, address and license or enrollment status
☐ A copy of the current MDHHS-4025 (revised June 2025) and your DHS-198, if you have one
Questions about your child's authorization go to MDHHS at 844-464-3447.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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More help in Detroit
Related guides
Official sources
Last checked: October 23, 2026. Income limits and contributions are from MDHHS RFT 270 (bulletin RFB 2026-009, effective October 1, 2026). Program rules are from the MiLEAP CDC Parent Handbook and parents page.
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