Maryland State Department of Education issued the following announcement on Aug. 1.
Governor Larry Hogan today announced that Maryland’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Program will now allow more children across the state to access quality child care and educational programs due to historic changes to the program.
Effective today, August 1, 2018, annual income eligibility limits for the CCS Program will double from $35,702 to $71,525 for a family of four. This increase and additional programmatic changes to the CCS Program this year will result in more Maryland children arriving at elementary school with the educational foundation needed for success during their school years, and in life.
“This program is critically important to expanding educational opportunities for Maryland’s low-income working families who depend on this assistance,” said Governor Hogan. “Doubling this funding allows us to provide more families with much-needed relief and ensure that more of our kids have access to quality child care and educational programs, providing the foundation for success in the classroom.”
The CCS Program is funded through a combination of state and federal sources, which provide financial assistance to help eligible families working or attending educational/training programs to afford child care costs by issuing vouchers.
“High-quality care and education programs at a young age translate to a better start in kindergarten,” said Dr. Karen Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools. “We want families to take advantage of this important expansion in eligibility.”
In February, Governor Hogan approved the funding needed to lift the CCS Program waitlist that was established in March 2011. In addition, the governor provided much needed funding to increase the CCS Program provider reimbursement rate by 8 percent. During this past legislative session, the governor signed into law legislation which increases provider reimbursement rates over the next three years to not less than the 60th percentile of the cost of child care market rate by 2022. These actions, combined with improved federal funding through the Child Care Development Block Grant, means that Maryland will reach more eligible families.
The revision of the CCS Program income eligibility guidelines to 65 percent of State Median Income, and the increase in provider reimbursement rates, means more children will be able to access high-quality early care and education programs while their parents work or participate in school/training programs across Maryland.
For those who want to apply to the program, the Child Care Subsidy application can be found here. The Child Care Subsidy Income guidelines effective August 1 can be found here.
Original source can be found here.
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