Great question. Dependent care dollars that are withheld from your pay must not exceed $5,000 in a given calendar year and your total reimbursement through your Dependent care account must not exceed $5,000 in a given calendar year.

You may use the funds at any point during your plan year but be careful to not exceed the $5,000 limit on a calendar year basis (this usually takes some careful planning when making your elections and when getting reimbursed for expenses).