How much CCRC pays for child care depends on a state-set ceiling called the Regional Market Rate, and the actual check almost always comes in below that ceiling. The Child Care Resource Center reimburses providers up to a maximum that varies by provider type, the child’s age, the hours of care, and the county where care is delivered.1Child Care Resource Center. Subsidized Child Care From that maximum, CCRC subtracts the family fee before paying the provider, and if the provider charges more than the ceiling, the family owes the difference out of pocket.
Where the Ceiling Comes From
CCRC does not set its own rates. The maximum comes from the Regional Market Rate (RMR) system, which the California Department of Social Services builds from a statewide survey of what non-subsidized parents actually pay in each of California’s 58 counties. The tables break rates down by county, provider type, age group, and time increment.2Department of Social Services. Regional Market Rate Survey
Under Welfare and Institutions Code Section 10374.5, the legislature has stated an intent to reimburse at the 85th percentile of the most recent survey. In practice, current ceilings sit at the 75th percentile of the 2016 survey or at the region’s December 31, 2017 ceiling, whichever is greater.3California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 10374.5 Los Angeles County, where most CCRC families receive services, uses the 75th percentile of the 2016 survey.4LA County DPSS. 1210.8 Regional Market Rate Ceilings Because the numbers are anchored to an older survey, they often trail what providers currently charge, which is the main reason many families end up owing a co-payment.
One important caveat: if a provider’s private rate is lower than the RMR ceiling, CCRC pays the provider’s actual rate. The ceiling is a cap, not a guarantee.
How Provider Type Changes the Payment
The single biggest lever on your reimbursement is the kind of provider you pick. Three tiers, three different ceilings.
Licensed Child Care Centers
Licensed centers sit at the top of the ceiling structure. They operate under state health, safety, and staffing rules, including required teacher-to-child ratios, and their ceilings reflect the overhead of a commercial facility with paid staff, dedicated space, and regulatory compliance.
Licensed Family Child Care Homes
Licensed family child care homes run out of a residence but hold a state license. Their RMR ceilings are lower than those for centers and higher than those for exempt providers. CCRC verifies licensing through state databases before approving payment.
License-Exempt Providers
License-exempt providers, typically relatives or close family friends caring for a small number of children, receive the lowest rate. California caps their reimbursement at 70 percent of the RMR ceiling for a licensed family child care home in the same county and care category.4LA County DPSS. 1210.8 Regional Market Rate Ceilings The 70 percent cap has been in place since at least January 2022 and continues through the most recent rate schedules.
Age and Hours
Younger children carry higher ceilings. Infants and toddlers need lower caregiver-to-child ratios and more individualized attention, so the RMR tables assign them higher maximums than preschool-age or school-age children.2Department of Social Services. Regional Market Rate Survey A family with an infant will see a noticeably higher maximum than a family with a four-year-old at the same provider.
Hours matter too. California draws the line between full-time and part-time at 30 hours per week. Care at or above 30 hours qualifies for full-time ceilings; anything less falls into a lower part-time cap.5California Department of Education. Title 5 Regulations – Eligibility and Need The tables further split payments into hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly increments. CCRC picks the increment that matches your certified schedule. A steady Monday-through-Friday schedule usually lands on a weekly or monthly rate; irregular shifts are usually calculated hourly or daily.
What CCRC Actually Sends the Provider
The check the provider receives is normally less than the RMR ceiling because of two deductions.
The Family Fee
Most families receiving subsidized care owe a family fee paid directly to the provider. The fee runs on a sliding scale tied to adjusted monthly income, household size, and the certified care schedule.6LII / Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 5, 17734 – Family Fee Assessment Explanation to Families CCRC sets the fee during eligibility determination, notifies both the family and the provider, and then subtracts the fee from the reimbursement it sends. If the total monthly reimbursement would be $1,000 and the family fee is $100, CCRC sends the provider $900 and the family pays the remaining $100 directly. Providers track whether families pay their share, and nonpayment can jeopardize continued enrollment.
Co-Payments Above the Ceiling
The second deduction hits when the provider charges more than the state ceiling. CCRC pays up to the RMR maximum and no further. Any gap between the provider’s tuition and that maximum is a co-payment the parent owes out of pocket. This is common in higher-cost neighborhoods where market prices have moved past the 2016-based ceilings. Providers are allowed to collect that difference and stay in the subsidy program, so picking a provider whose rate is at or below the ceiling is what keeps families from paying twice.
Quality Ratings Can Shift the Number
California runs a Quality Rating and Improvement System called Quality Counts California. Providers who reach higher ratings may receive financial incentives beyond the standard RMR ceiling.7California Department of Education. Quality Rating and Improvement System The specifics vary and have changed over time. For families, a QRIS-rated provider is somewhat less likely to charge a co-payment above the ceiling, since the quality bonus helps close the gap between the state rate and the provider’s actual costs.
Keeping the Payment Amount Correct
The payment CCRC calculates is only as accurate as the information on file. Families are expected to report changes in income, employment, household size, and care needs. California does not publish one statewide deadline for these reports, but CCRC reaches out during recertification, and material changes that go unreported between cycles can create overpayments the family has to repay or can end eligibility outright. The safer approach is to contact CCRC as soon as a change occurs.
Changes that commonly shift the reimbursement or the family fee include a new job or job loss, a significant income change, a shift in work schedule that alters certified care hours, and the addition or departure of a household member. Even a raise that keeps you under the income ceiling can move you up the sliding scale and raise your family fee, which lowers the amount CCRC sends the provider.