Navigating the Maryland Child Care Scholarship: Requirements and Application Process
The Maryland Child Care Scholarship (CCS) program, previously known as the Child Care Subsidy, offers financial aid to eligible working families in Maryland to help with the costs of child care. This article provides a detailed overview of the CCS program, including eligibility requirements, the application process, and important updates.
What is the Child Care Scholarship Program?
The Maryland Child Care Scholarship (CCS) Program helps families afford child care for children younger than 13 years old, or younger than 19 years old if the child is disabled. The scholarship amount is paid directly to the childcare provider, reducing the financial burden on eligible families. The scholarship is a signed agreement between the State, provider, and parent. The scholarship is returned to CCS Central for processing. The family is responsible for paying the State assigned co-payment directly to their child care provider.
LOCATE Child Care is a free referral service that offers detailed information on all regulated childcare programs in Maryland, including those participating in Maryland EXCELS. You can search for a Childcare provider or facility via program name, county, zip code, distance radius, miles from the applicant’s location. Once you submit your response, the system will generate a list of childcare facilities and providers. Maryland EXCELS awards quality ratings to child care and public prekindergarten programs.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for the Child Care Scholarship, caregivers must meet specific criteria related to work, education, income, and residency.
- Work, School, or Training: Caregivers-both parents if they live in the same household-must be working, enrolled in an approved job training program, or attending school.
- Income: As a family of four, caregivers must earn less than $112,000 a year to qualify. Families receiving Temporary Cash Assistance or Supplemental Security Income automatically qualify.
- Residency: Applicants must live in Maryland.
- Child's Status: Each child needing child care must be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien. Undocumented children are not eligible for scholarships, according to the education department.
- Vaccination: You also must be willing to vaccinate your child or provide exemption documentation.
Required Documentation
To complete the application, you MUST send in the information listed for all household members. This includes you, and your spouse or your child’s other parent living in your household. Be prepared to gather the following key documents:
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- Proof of Identity: Provide proof of identity for all members within the household composition. This includes a passport, birth certificate, driver’s license, or government-issued identification. The proof of identify provided by the Head of Household must have a photo.
- Proof of Address: Documentation of where you live, like a utility bill or a lease agreement.
- Income Verification: Most recent four (4) weeks of consecutive pay stubs. For working parents, your most recent pay stubs for four weeks of consecutive work and an employment verification statement that your boss fills out. You’ll also need to provide proof of all other income, like alimony.
- Activity Verification: Proof of approved activity (i.e. work, school, or job training). For parents in school or training, you’ll need your class schedule.
- Child Support: Proof of child support payment or cooperation.
The online portal has a full list of what you’ll need under “application requirements,” which will also include necessary documents for parents in certain circumstances, such as those experiencing homelessness or migrant workers.
Application Process
Here are the steps to apply for the Maryland Child Care Scholarship:
- Create an Account: Go to the Child Care Scholarship Family Portal and create an account. Click on “Register for a New Account” and enter your information.
- Submit Initial Application: Submit your initial application through the Child Care Scholarship Family Portal. This “fast-track” application will be processed within three business days.
- Temporary Scholarship: If you are eligible, a temporary, 60-day Scholarship will be issued to assist with the cost of child care while we process your full application.
- Provide Additional Documentation: Submitting an application starts a 15-day clock to provide the additional information and documentation the department requires before giving out full 52-week scholarships. We will ask for additional information and documentation to see if you are eligible for a 52-week Scholarship.
Do you need personal assistance completing the applications, gathering the documents, scanning the material?
Important Updates and Changes
Starting May 1, 2025, the Child Care Scholarship (CCS) Program will temporarily stop issuing scholarships to new families.
In a March 15 letter, State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright told legislators that the department will completely freeze enrollment between May 1 and Sept. 1 because there’s not enough funding to sustain the program at its current pace. Over that time, the education department expects enrollment to fall from 43,645 kids today to about 40,633 kids as they age out of the program or their parents no longer qualify.
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After that, the department will keep enrollment at about 40,000 children, “based on budget limitations,” with a wait list that prioritizes the lowest-income families. The letter also says that the list will be periodically purged if it’s around for more than a year. Families will be periodically asked if they want to remain on the wait list and to update their information to ensure they’re still eligible for a scholarship. They’ll have 30 days to respond.
Families can still apply after May 1, but they’ll be moved to a wait list until at least September.
Families who already have a scholarship get a 45-day warning when it’s about to expire, requiring them to basically reapply within that window. But even if that happens after May 1, families will be able to renew their scholarship without getting kicked to the wait list, the education department said.
Scholarship Payment and Provider Information
Eligible families receive Scholarships from CCS Central 2 to cover all or part of their child care costs. Families take the Scholarship to a child care provider that participates in the Maryland EXCELS program.
CCS Central 2 processes Child Care Scholarship applications and Provider Payments. The Child Care Scholarship Program has established a timely appeal and resolution process for any payment inaccuracies or disputes.
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Additional Resources
- LOCATE Child Care: A free referral service with detailed information on all regulated childcare in Maryland, including programs participating in Maryland EXCELS.
- Child Care Scholarship Family Portal: The online portal to apply for the Child Care Scholarship.
- Maryland EXCELS: A program that awards quality ratings to child care and public prekindergarten programs.
- Prekindergarten Programs: Prekindergarten is a program for 4-year-old children who are from families that are economically disadvantaged or homeless. Contact your neighborhood school to ask questions or enroll your child. Prince George’s Co. The AW Registry is a list of individuals interested in AW services.
tags: #maryland #childcare #scholarship #requirements
