Paying for Child Care

Early Learning Scholarships, a program of the MN Department of Education, provides financial support for children to attend a high-quality early learning or child care program as rated through Parent Aware. Scholarships of up to $15,000 are available for children who are under the age of 5 and whose family meets income requirements. CAPLP administers the Early Learning Scholarships program for families that reside in the following counties: Clay, Becker, Otter Tail, Grant, Douglas, Traverse, Stevens, Pope, and Wilkin.

As of January 30, 2024, the Pathway I Early Learning Scholarship application can be completed online! Starting January 30, CLICK HERE to visit the Early Learning Scholarships Hub or copy and paste the link below into a new browser window to go to the Early Learning Scholarship Hub, where you can create an account and apply for a scholarship. By creating an account, you will be able to easily complete the application and upload required documents, receive email updates, and check the status of your application, apply for other children in your household, and renew when it’s time. Notices of award, renewal, and status updates will now be managed primarily via email. 

While we encourage everyone to use the online portal, it is not a requirement to create an account. You can still receive email updates without creating an account, and you can contact your Area Administrator at any time with questions or if you prefer to apply via paper and receive standard paper mail. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office at 218-512-1592. CLICK HERE for a PDF version of the Early Learning Scholarship application (to be downloaded and/or printed). Completed paper applications can be emailed to els@caplp.org or mailed or dropped off in person at: CAPLP 891 Belsly Boulevard, Moorhead, MN  56560.

To learn more about the Scholarship program, please visit the MN Department of Education website. For specific case questions and information within the counties listed above please call 218-512-1592 or email.