child care certificate
The term “child care certificate” means a certificate (that may be a check or other disbursement) that is issued by a State or local government under this subchapter directly to a parent who may use such certificate only as payment for child care services or as a deposit for child care services if such a deposit is required of other children being cared for by the provider. Nothing in this subchapter shall preclude the use of such certificates for sectarian child care services if freely chosen by the parent. For purposes of this subchapter, child care certificates shall not be considered to be grants or contracts.