Child Care Assistance in Maryland: Eligibility Requirements and Benefits

Are you a working parent in Maryland looking for financial assistance to cover the costs of child care? Governor Larry Hogan recently announced an expansion of eligibility for the state's Child Care Subsidy Program (CCS), which means that twice as many families can now access assistance. In this article, we'll discuss the eligibility requirements and benefits of the CCS program in Maryland. The CCS program provides financial aid to eligible working families in Maryland to cover the costs of childcare. To be eligible, applicants must meet certain income, status, and family size criteria.

To apply, you'll need to provide proof of your income, expenses, and other information. The MSDE has raised income requirements for families from 65 percent of the state average income (SMI) to 75 percent of the SMI.Once approved, families receive a voucher for each child in their household who has been approved for care. The family is responsible for paying a co-pay assigned by the State directly to their child care provider. The State then reimburses the portion of the scholarship payment.The Maryland Child Care Resource Network, a program of the Maryland Family Network, is funded in part by the MSDE.

This program provides free resources on coupons for child care and can help you find a participating child care provider in your area. There are currently approximately 2,100 providers accepting scholarships.Governor Hogan's expansion of eligibility for the CCS program means that more low-income parents in Maryland who work, attend school, or attend job training can now receive financial assistance to pay for their children's child care. These actions, combined with the improvement of federal funding through the global grant for child care development, mean that Maryland will reach more eligible families.If you're a working parent in Maryland looking for financial assistance to cover the costs of child care, be sure to check out the CCS program. With its recent expansion of eligibility requirements, more families than ever before can now access quality education and child care programs.