For the child and dependent care credit,
Care must be provided so that you, and your spouse if married, can work, or go to school, or look for work.
The child must live in your home more than half the year (usually your dependent) and must be under age 13.
School tuition is not eligible, but before and after school care (to extend the hours so you can work) is eligible if it is billed separately.
If you are a stay at home parent and pay for enrichment programs or to get a break, but you aren't working, looking for work, or a full time student, then the expenses are not eligible for the credit.
@Opus 17 I hadn't even thought of qualifying for this deduction until a friend found out I wasn't taking it & implied that I should be. Would this deduction apply where one parents works full time & the other parent is disabled? I'm not a "stay at home Mom" but I am not able to work. My Mom & Mother-in-Law help out a couple days a week then we send her to a Mother's Day Out program 3 days a week/4 hrs each day. Under these circumstances, would the cost of her child care be deductible? I do spend that time taking care of doctor appointments, handling any disability related business, and tending to anything medical related. Thank you for any advice/information you can offer!
Read the income calculation for disabled parents on the Day Care Credit starting on page 4 : https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i2441.pdf