Last verified: October 2026
Who qualifies for Smart Steps child care help in Shelby County?
A Shelby County parent can use Smart Steps when the adults in the home put in an average of at least 30 weekly hours on the job or in undergraduate classes and the household earns no more than 85 percent of the state median. Eligible children range from infants of six weeks up to kindergartners.
Graduate classes can supply up to six of those hours. Parents pay an income-based copay, which TDHS sets after approval.
Is Smart Steps taking new families right now?
TDHS is contacting families on its Smart Steps waitlist in groups, and anyone contacted has 14 days to respond with an application. Not everyone on the list will qualify.
Applications and annual renewals go through the One DHS Customer Portal; a paper form can also be mailed, faxed or dropped at a local TDHS office.
How do Smart Steps and private school funding fit together for a Memphis family?
They cover different years. Smart Steps can pay a licensed center for a toddler while an older sibling uses EFS or the ESA at a K-8 school, because neither school-choice program pays for child care.
TDHS's provider search lets families filter for centers that take child care payment assistance.
| Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance is | Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance is not |
|---|---|
| Help paying a licensed provider, 6 weeks through kindergarten | Not tuition help for grades 1-12 |
| Income-tested at 85% of state median income | Not free for most families |
| Linked to 30 hours a week of work or study | Not instant while the waitlist is processed |
| Run by TDHS | Not the same as pre-K |