You don't have to figure this out alone! Here are several places you can get free help:

By phone Call the Eligibility Contact Center at 1-844-640-OHIO (6446), Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM. You can apply over the phone and get help with your case.

Online You can apply anytime at benefits.ohio.gov. The website also has step-by-step how-to videos if you want to complete the application on your own.

Note: Many preschool providers are available to help families complete the enrollment application in person. We encourage you to contact the programs where you are seeking enrollment to ask about available in-person application support and assistance throughout the process.

OPP (Ohio Preschool Program) The Ohio Preschool Program provides free, high-quality preschool for children ages 3–5 who aren't yet in kindergarten — including children with IEPs, those in kinship or foster care, and children exiting early intervention, often with no income requirements.

PFCC (Publicly Funded Child Care) Publicly Funded Child Care helps working families and those in job training afford quality child care, available to families earning under 145% of the Federal Poverty Level.

CCCV (Child Care Choice Voucher) The Child Care Choice Voucher is a great option for families who earn just a little too much to qualify for standard assistance — if your household income falls between 146–200% of the Federal Poverty Level, this voucher can help make quality child care possible.

After you submit your application, Cuyahoga County will contact you in several ways to let you know if anything is missing or to share a decision about your eligibility.

By mail You will receive letters at the address you listed on your application. One important letter to watch for is the Verification Request Checklist (Form JFS 07105). This letter lists any documents the county still needs from you to complete your application. You must provide those documents within 30 days of submitting your application, or your application may be denied.

By email If you provided an email address, you will receive email alerts when there is an update or action needed on your case. The email will ask you to log into the Ohio Benefits portal to see the details.

Through the Ohio Benefits online portal If you have an account at ssp.benefits.ohio.gov, you will see alerts and updates about your case when you log in. You can also upload documents, report changes, and check your application status through your account.

By text You can sign up to receive text message alerts about your case through the Ohio Benefits portal.

A few important tips:

• Make sure the address and email on your application are correct and up to date
• Check your email and your Ohio Benefits account regularly so you don't miss anything
• If you move or your contact information changes, report it to the county right away
• If you are unsure whether the county received your documents, call 1-844-640-OHIO (6446) to follow up

After you submit your application, Cuyahoga County has up to 30 days to determine whether your child is eligible. Here is what to expect during that time:

Within a few days, the county will review your application and send you a Verification Request Checklist (Form JFS 07105) if any documents are missing. This checklist will tell you exactly what you still need to provide and by when. It is important to submit everything on that list as quickly as possible — if you do not provide all required documents within 30 days of submitting your application, your application may be denied.

Once the county has everything they need, they will make a decision and notify you by mail, email, or through your Ohio Benefits online account. If you are approved, your child's preschool program will be notified and your child will be authorized to begin attending.

If you have questions at any point during this process, call 1-844-640-OHIO (6446) or contact your preschool program for support.

You do not have to use the online portal — but it is strongly recommended if you can. Here's why:

The Ohio Benefits Self-Service Portal (ssp.benefits.ohio.gov) is the fastest and most transparent way to apply. When you apply online, you can track your application status, upload documents, and receive alerts when something is needed — all in one place. Your preschool program may also be able to see updates on your application, which helps them support you.

If you prefer not to apply online, you can also:

• Complete a paper application (JFS 07200) and submit it to Cuyahoga County by mail, fax, or in person
• Apply by phone by calling 1-844-640-OHIO (6446), Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
• Apply in person at a Cuyahoga County JFS office

If you do not have a Social Security Number, or if you are experiencing homelessness, the paper application is recommended.

No matter how you apply, you will need to create an OHID account if you want to access your case online later. OHID is a free, secure login used for many Ohio government services. You will need an email address to create one.

Yes! You can sign a form called the Early Care and Education Services Release of Information (DCY-01115). This form gives Cuyahoga County permission to share information about your application with your child's preschool program, including:

• Whether your application is pending, approved, or denied
• What documents are still needed
• Your eligibility start and end dates
• Your authorization information

This form is completely optional — you are not required to sign it, and your preschool program cannot make you sign it as a condition of enrollment. But many families find it helpful because it allows their preschool program to help follow up on their behalf and stay informed about the status of the application.

You can submit this form by uploading it to your Ohio Benefits account or by bringing it to your county JFS office. The form stays in effect for up to 18 months and can be cancelled at any time by notifying the county in writing.

Your child's preschool program may allow your child to start attending before the county has finished reviewing your application — but this is the program's decision to make, not a requirement. Ask your program about their policy.

If your child starts attending before your application is approved and the county later approves your application, your child will be fully authorized and the program will receive payment from the start of your eligibility.

If your child starts attending before your application is approved and the county later denies your application, the program may be eligible to receive a Payment After Denial (PAD) — a limited payment that covers the time period from when you applied to the date of denial plus five days. This helps protect programs that enrolled your child in good faith while waiting for a decision.

If your application is denied and you believe the decision was wrong, you have the right to request a county conference or a state hearing to appeal the decision. Information about how to do this will be included in your denial notice.

If your application is approved, your benefit may start as early as the date your application was received by Cuyahoga County — not the date the decision was made. This means that if your child was already attending the program while the county was reviewing your application, you may be covered from the start.

For the Ohio Preschool Program (OPP), eligibility continues until your child becomes age-eligible to start kindergarten in your school district — or until June 30 of the program year in which they turn five, whichever comes later. You generally do not need to reapply each year as long as nothing significant changes.

For Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) and the Child Care Choice Voucher Program (CCVP), eligibility is reviewed every 12 months. About 45 days before your certification period ends, you will receive a recertification form (JFS 07204) in the mail. You must complete and return it on time to avoid a gap in benefits.

You will need to report the change to Cuyahoga County so that your child's benefits can be transferred to the new program. Here is how:

• Online: Log into your Ohio Benefits account at ssp.benefits.ohio.gov and use the "report a change" option
• By phone: Call 1-844-640-OHIO (6446)
• In person or by mail/fax: Complete the Childcare Provider Change Request Form and submit it to your county JFS office

It is a good idea to report the change the same week your child leaves the old program and starts the new one. This helps avoid billing issues and makes sure the new program can be authorized to receive payment on your child's behalf.

The new program will also need to have a Provider Agreement with the state in order to receive funding on your child's behalf. Make sure the new program is approved before making the switch.

Applying for child care or preschool benefits through the Ohio Benefits portal will not automatically affect your SNAP or Medicaid benefits. These are separate programs with separate eligibility rules.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• If you already have an active SNAP or Medicaid case, any information you provide in your child care or preschool application may be visible to your caseworker and could affect your other benefits if your circumstances have changed
• If you report a change in income or household size as part of your child care application, it may trigger a review of your other benefits as well
• You are required to report major changes — like a significant increase in income or a move — within 10 days, and this applies across all your benefit cases

If you have concerns about how applying might affect your other benefits, you can call 1844-640-OHIO (6446) to ask before you apply, or speak with a Benefits Navigator at your local library.

This is a completely understandable concern, and you are not alone in feeling this way.

Ohio's preschool funding — called the Ohio Preschool Program (OPP) — is a state grant that goes directly to high-quality preschool programs to help cover the cost of your child's education. In order for your child's program to receive that funding on your child's behalf, the state requires that your family's eligibility be verified through the Ohio Benefits system. This is how the state makes sure that funding reaches the children it is intended to serve.

Applying for OPP does not mean you are applying for cash assistance, food stamps, or Medicaid — unless you choose to. You can apply for preschool funding only. There is even a form — the Early Care and Education Services Selection Form — that allows you to indicate that you only want to be considered for preschool funding and nothing else.

Your information is protected by state and federal privacy laws. Applying for preschool funding will not affect your immigration status, your employment, or your eligibility for other programs you are not applying for.

The bottom line: this process exists to unlock funding that helps pay for your child's preschool seat. Without it, your family may be responsible for the full cost of tuition.

You are right that the process takes some time and effort — and we hear that. On average it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete, and we know that is a lot to ask of a busy family. But here is why it is worth it:

It can save your family thousands of dollars. High-quality preschool can cost hundreds of dollars a month. The Ohio Preschool Program covers the cost of your child's preschool seat so that you do not have to pay for it — or pay much less through a sliding fee scale based on your income.

It gives your child a strong start. Research consistently shows that children who attend high-quality preschool are more likely to enter kindergarten ready to learn, more likely to read at grade level, and more likely to succeed in school long-term. In Cleveland, we know that too many children are starting kindergarten without that foundation. This program exists to change that.

You only have to do it once (for now). Once your child is approved for OPP, their eligibility continues until they are old enough to start kindergarten — you do not need to reapply each year as long as nothing major changes.

You don't have to do it alone. Your preschool program, your local library, and Cuyahoga County JFS can all help you through the process for free.

Your child deserves a great start. We are here to help make that happen.