2024 Edition: Account Creation and Identity Proofing in Online Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Applications

On this page, we share data and observations about account creation, authentication, and identity proofing steps for online Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) applications (referred to as Child Care in the rest of the text for clarity and simplicity).

The DBN has been researching digital identity for the past two years, and our interest in this topic is based on our belief that all applicants deserve application processes that help them receive essential, life-saving benefits in a timely, dignified way. The way state agencies structure online account creation processes and requirements for applicants and beneficiaries to prove who they are may impact whether and how quickly individuals can apply for and start receiving benefits. We believe that successful identity management for public benefits requires risk-based, human-centered evaluation of when identity proofing and authentication are necessary, thoughtful selection of methods, and integration of identity management into overall service design.

Because some states combine or integrate applications for multiple programs, this page includes data collected from standalone Child Care applications and integrated applications. For entries that include combined or integrated applications, our data demonstrates a claimant’s experiences if they are applying for all available benefits such as Child Care, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF), and MAGI Medicaid together. We took this approach to data collection for practicality and also to document the most comprehensive experience possible for each application flow. 

The dataset and details below demonstrate our current understanding of online authentication and identity proofing requirements and practices for this benefit program. You can also view the Digital Benefits Network’s data on account creation and identity proofing practices across core benefits programs.

High-level Findings

Integrated Applications

• As in 2023, just over a third of applications for Child Care are standalone applications. 15 of the Child Care applications reviewed (38%) were Child Care-specific (meaning a person can only apply for Child Care).

Account Requirements

As in 2023, most applications that include Child Care require users to create an account to apply.

• 31 out of 39 applications (79%) require users to create an account or sign-in to submit online.
• Of the 37 Child Care applications that require or use optional accounts, 23 require email addresses during account set up.
• At least 36 sign in processes for applications that include Child Care use additional authentication measures. These most often included security questions and email validation links.

This map shows authentication requirements in online applications that include Child Care across states. The color-coding on this map details whether applicants are required to have an account to submit an application. If you hover over an individual state on the map, you can also see whether the application’s account creation process incorporates additional authentication security measures, whether an email address is required to create an account if applicable, what type of account login is used (e.g., state single sign on), and what benefits programs are included on the application. A pattern overlay indicates which states’ accounts integrate with a state single sign-on or other external credentials.

Identity Proofing Requirements

Applications that include Child Care still rarely require or prompt users to take active identity proofing steps to apply online.

• Two applications that now include Child Care require identity proofing (Oregon and Kentucky). Both require identity proofing before a user can initiate an application.
• Five other applications that include Child Care prompt optional identity proofing, also using knowledge-based verification (KBV), with Michigan being the only state among these that also includes a specified in-person option. Four of these applications prompt identity proofing before a user begins an application.

This map shows active identity proofing requirements in online applications that include Child Care across states. The color-coding on this map details whether applicants are required to take active steps to prove their identities as part of an online application process. When you mouse over an individual state on the map, you can also see what identity proofing methods are being used if applicable or known, when during the application process identity proofing is used, and what benefits programs are included on the application.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Requested

We did not find major changes in how Child Care applications require or ask for individuals’ social security numbers between 2023 and 2024. Some Child Care applications make providing a Social Security number (SSN) explicitly optional and many others make it possible to submit online without disclosing SSN.

• Based on program instructions from the Administration for Children and Families, first issued in 2000 and current as of May 2024, “no federal statute requires applicants to disclose Social Security numbers for the receipt of CCDF child care.” The guidance also details that when a field for SSN is included on an application, it should be made clear that providing an SSN is optional.
• For 23 out of 39 (58%) applications that include Child Care, it appears possible to submit online without having to provide a Social Security number. Eight applications explicitly describe SSN as an optional field and four do not request an SSN at all. Only one stand-alone online application for Child Care (Mississippi) requires users to provide an SSN, while three applications (Delaware, New Jersey, Nebraska) require SSNs if a user indicates they have one, up from one application in 2023.

Dataset

Account Creation and Identity Proofing in Online Child Care Applications

Gallery View: Account Creation and Identity Proofing in Online Child Care Applications

Questions?

As always, we’re eager for your feedback! Did we miss something when reviewing a state’s application? Do you have research questions you’d like us to try and answer using the information in this dataset? If so, email us at digID@georgetown.edu.

Data Collection: SNAP, WIC, TANF, Medicaid, and Child Care Applications

‍We collected data on SNAP, WIC, TANF, Medicaid, and child care applications between June 10 and October 15, 2024. After initial data collection, we conducted an internal review of each application entry to ensure accuracy and consistency. Our team spent approximately 75 to 90 minutes working with each application. We have also used the “Public notes” column in the dataset to document nuances and open questions. Read more about our research process on this page.

Citation

​​Cite as: Elizabeth Bynum Sorrell, Ariel Kennan, Anvitha Reddy, Isabelle Granger, Miranda Xiong, Olivia Zhao, and Quinny Sanchez Lopez, “Account Creation and Identity Proofing in Online Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Applications: 2024 Dataset + Analysis” Digital Benefits Network, March 1, 2025.

Data Licensing

We’ve invested in making great data that’s open to use under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

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