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Accepts assistance

Affordable Daycare in Fort Smith, AR

Families who qualify can get help paying through School Readiness Assistance, and the daycares listed here accept it.

daycares that accept child care assistance in Fort Smith
22
daycare centers
21
in-home daycare
1
take infants
8
State license records

All daycares that accept child care assistance in Fort Smith

Showing 1 to 22 of 22

Providers on paid plans are listed first, then those that post their tuition, then A to Z by name. We do not rank daycares.

  1. Child care centerAccepts assistance

    A Smart Start Academy

    5.0· 4 reviews

    3101 N 32nd St, Fort Smith, AR

    Infants to preschoolAccepts subsidy
    12 state visits · 5 rules cited (3 yrs)
    CallDirections
  4. Child care centerAccepts assistance

    Childrens Paradise

    3.6· 11 reviews

    4400 Kelley Hwy, Fort Smith, AR

    Infants to preschoolOpens before 7 AMAccepts subsidy
    33 state visits · 15 rules cited (3 yrs)
    CallDirections
  9. Child care centerAccepts assistance

    Hobson Preschool

    116 N 12th St, Fort Smith, AR

    Infants to preschoolAccepts subsidy
    14 state visits · 1 rule cited (3 yrs)
    CallDirections
  15. Child care centerAccepts assistance

    Princeton Prep Academy, LLP

    4.4· 14 reviews

    7917 Us-271 S, Fort Smith, AR

    Infants to preschoolOpens before 7 AMAccepts subsidy
    12 state visits · 2 rules cited (3 yrs)
    CallDirections
  16. Child care centerAccepts assistance

    Quality Child Care

    4.5· 26 reviews

    2015 Savannah St, Fort Smith, AR

    Infants to preschoolOpens before 7 AMAccepts subsidy
    17 state visits · 0 rules cited (3 yrs)
    CallDirections
  17. Home daycareAccepts assistance

    St Anne's Childcare

    Fort Smith, AR 72901 · address shared with families

    Accepts subsidy
    7 state visits · 0 rules cited (3 yrs)
    Call
  20. Child care centerAccepts assistance

    The Sandbox Child Care

    1812 S P St, Fort Smith, AR

    Infants to preschoolOpens before 7 AMAccepts subsidy
    9 state visits · 12 rules cited (3 yrs)
    CallDirections
How this list is made: Fort Smith daycares whose Arkansas record says they accept child care subsidies, plus those that say they accept assistance. Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

Cost and help paying

What daycare costs in Fort Smith, and help paying for it

Head Start or Early Head Start centers in Fort Smith
3
Free for children from birth to 5 in families who qualify, by income or because they receive public assistance.
take part in Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) / Arkansas Better Chance for School Success (ABCSS)
14
It is for 3- and 4-year-olds.
How to apply: School Readiness AssistanceHead Start in Fort Smith

Before you enroll

Paying for daycare in Fort Smith

  1. 1

    Apply for assistance first

    Your state decides who qualifies and how much it pays. Apply through the state's child care assistance office before you choose a daycare.

  2. 2

    Ask about the copayment

    Most families pay a share of the cost. Ask the daycare whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much.

  3. 3

    Ask about open subsidy spots

    Some daycares cap how many children on assistance they take. Ask whether a spot is open now.

  4. 4

    Check the license record

    Open a listing for its state license and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.

Nearby

Affordable daycare in nearby towns

Van Buren3 · 7 miAlma4 · 14 miGreenwood3 · 14 miWaldron3 · 37 miPrairie Grove3 · 43 miFarmington6 · 47 miElkins3 · 50 miFayetteville33 · 52 miClarksville3 · 52 mi

More in this area

More daycare in Fort Smith

All daycares in Fort Smith55Affordable Daycare in ArkansasPreschools & Pre-K in Fort Smith42Head Start in Fort Smith3Infant Daycare in Fort Smith27Christian Preschools & Church Daycares in Fort Smith10Early Morning Daycare in Fort Smith12Part-Time Daycare in Fort Smith4After-School Care in Fort Smith10

Questions

Questions

How many daycares that accept child care assistance are in Fort Smith?

22 daycares that accept child care assistance are listed in Fort Smith. Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

How do I apply for child care assistance in Arkansas?

Apply through School Readiness Assistance, run by the Arkansas Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood. It is for low-income families where each adult works or attends school or training full time, with children from birth through age 12. Funds are limited and there is a waitlist, with priority for TANF, homeless and special-needs families. Income limits change each year, so check the current limits on the state's site.

Is there free daycare?

Some families can get it. Head Start and Early Head Start are free for children from families who qualify, and some states waive the family's share of the cost for the lowest incomes. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Does a daycare that accepts assistance cost more?

Not by itself. Accepting assistance means the daycare takes payments from the state program; its own prices vary like any daycare's. Ask whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much you would pay.

How does child care assistance work?

Each state runs a child care assistance program, paid for in part by the federal Child Care and Development Fund. Families who qualify by income, and usually by working, looking for work or going to school, get help paying a daycare that accepts it; the help is often called a voucher or subsidy. Most families pay a share called a copayment, set by the state. Apply through the Arkansas child care assistance office.

Can I get free daycare?

Some families can. States may waive the copayment for families with the lowest incomes, and Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Are these daycares licensed in Arkansas?

Every listing here comes from the Arkansas child care license records.