Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care — Employment Related Day Care
ERDC may help Oregon families whose members work, attend school, receive TANF, take medical leave, or participate in certain child-welfare programs, subject to income, child-care need, and approved provider rules. ERDC and the Oregon Student Child Care Grant cannot be received at the same time.
About Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care — Employment Related Day Care
Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) is Oregon’s program helping eligible families pay part of child-care and registration costs. The Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) administers it, while eligibility is assessed through the Oregon Department of Human Services and its ONE application. For students it may be an alternative to OSAC’s college grant, but the programs are not identical: ERDC has income limits, copays, provider rules, and a possible waitlist.
The agency says families may initially qualify if they work, attend school, receive TANF cash assistance, are on medical leave from work or school, or participate in certain child-welfare programs. They must live in Oregon, need care to support that activity, meet income limits, and have a child under 13 or a 13–17-year-old with special circumstances. Additional rules apply in two-parent households; read the state page rather than extending the single-parent rule to every family.
The provider must be approved to receive ERDC payments; a licensed child-care centre may not automatically have completed the subsidy-payment steps. DELC advises families to check approval before care begins. The program may pay part of the bill directly to the provider, but many families have a monthly copay based on income and household size, plus any cost above the authorised rate ceiling.
Apply through Oregon ONE online, by phone, or at a local office. The agency conducts an interview and tells the family whether it will join or skip the waitlist; applying does not guarantee immediate access to a funded slot. As of October 12, 2026, the state site lists 800-699-9075, Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Pacific Time, for phone applications. Call 211 or text “children” to 898211 if you need help locating an office.
For students, ERDC can cover hours related to classes, meal time during the qualifying activity, and travel between care and school, plus study hours under current rules. The state page says students may qualify without being employed if they meet the other ERDC requirements. This does not remove income, need, residency, or provider checks, nor does it mean all study time or all costs will be covered.
The key difference from the Oregon Student Child Care Grant is coordination: a person cannot receive both programs at the same time. OSAC sends its grant to the college account and the student pays the provider; ERDC pays its share directly to the provider and may require a copay. Before accepting aid, ask both offices to state in writing which months, child, and costs each program covers, and which one must close to avoid overpayments.
<a data-profile="oregon-osac">OSAC explains the college grant and confirms that it cannot overlap with ERDC</a>; <a data-profile="oregon-erdc">DELC details subsidy eligibility, copays, and the application route</a>. Check Oregon ONE and call 800-699-9075 about your file; 211 can help locate a local office and waitlist access.
Who it serves and what it can cover: ERDC may help Oregon families whose members work, attend school, receive TANF, take medical leave, or participate in certain child-welfare programs, subject to income, child-care need, and approved provider rules. ERDC and the Oregon Student Child Care Grant cannot be received at the same time.
How to apply or get help: Apply for ERDC through Oregon ONE, by phone at 800-699-9075 (Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Pacific), or at a local office. For help finding an office, call 211 or text “children” to 898211. For case-specific questions, contact the program or financial-aid office named on its official page.
State department administering ERDC child-care assistance