Section 643 of Public Law 106-58, the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act of 2000, allows Federal agencies to use appropriated funds that are otherwise available for salaries to assist employees with lower incomes in paying for child care provided by licensed providers

The NIH launched the NIH Child Care Subsidy program as a pilot in May 2005.

The following explains the program and provides applications, forms, and contact information.

Mary Ellen Savarese
Child Care Programs Manager
savaresm@mail.nih.gov
(301) 402-8180

Tonya Lee
Quality Assurance Specialist
leet2@mail.nih.gov
(301) 402-8180

To qualify for a subsidy you must:

• Be an NIH civil service employee or member of the Commissioned Officers Corps with dependent children 12 and under, and/or disabled children 18 and under.
• Work a full or part-time schedule.
• Use care that is licensed and/or regulated by state and/or local authorities.
• Have a total family income of $60,000 per year or less.
  
  NIH Contractors, Visiting Fellows and Title 42 Visiting Scientists are not eligible for this program by Federal law.

Child care subsidy benefits are limited to $5,000.00 per year, per family.

Applications will be accepted in the order they are received and will be effective at the beginning of the month in which they are received.

The NIH has chosen the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) to administer the agency's Child Care Subsidy Program. The FEEA will receive the completed applications, make the subsidy determinations based on eligibility and funding, and notify the applicants and the child care provider of the decision.

Questions about the application process should be addressed to FEEA at the following telephone numbers:
1-800-323-4140, 1-800-338-0755, or (303) 933-7580.

NIH Employees can apply at any time.

NIH employees interested in participating in this program should carefully review all of the information and requirements and follow these procedures:

• If the employee's child(ren) is/are not yet enrolled in child care, employees should identify a licensed and/or regulated center-based or family child care provider, and ensure there is a space for their child before applying for the subsidy. Once space is verified, employees can complete the subsidy application forms.
• If employees already have their child(ren) enrolled in licensed and/or regulated child care (center-based or family child care), and they wish to receive a subsidy, they should fill out the subsidy application forms.

The complete subsidy application package consists of:

• NIH Subsidy Application Form
  Click here to obtain a copy of this form: http://does.ors.od.nih.gov/pdf/SubsidyForm2008.pdf
• HHS Form 698 - Child Care Subsidy Application
  Click here to obtain a copy of this form: www.psc.gov/forms/HHS/HHS-698.pdf
• OPM Form 1644 - Child Care Provider Information
  Click here to obtain a copy of this form: www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/opm1644.pdf

  NOTE - If more than one child care provider provides care, a completed OPM Form 1644 and accompanying documentation must be submitted for each provider.

• These required supporting documents:
  - Form SF-50 (Verification of NIH Employment)
  - Two most recent pay statements for each parent or guardian.
  - A copy of the most recent Federal income tax returns for each parent or guardian.
  - A copy of the child care provider's current license or statement of compliance with State and/or local child care regulations.

Request Subsidy Application Forms:

If you are unable to open the links above and would like to have copies of the subsidy application forms mailed/faxed to you, please contact the the NIH Child Care Coordination Team at (301) 402-8180.

The completed application package must be MAILED to:

Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA)
NIH Child Care Program
8441 West Bowles Avenue
Suite 200
Littleton, Colorado 80123-9501

Electronic or fax applications will NOT be accepted.

The FEEA will review applications, make subsidy decisions, and notify the applicant and child care provider of approval or disapproval within 10 business days upon receipt of a complete application and supporting documents. Tuition assistance reimbursements will be made to the provider, not to the NIH employee. The employee will receive the subsidy in the form of reduced fees from the provider.

Applications will be processed in the order they are received.

This is an NIH sponsored program with a spending limit of $300,000 in Fiscal Year 2008. When maximum expenditure of funds occurs, applications will be placed on a waiting list. Currently, there is no waiting list for this program.

Participants are required to re-apply annually.

Questions about the application process should be addressed to:
FEEA
1-800-323-4140
1-800-338-0755
(303) 933-7580

If you have additional questions or need more information, please call the NIH Child Care Program at 301-402-8180.