The Child Care Scholarship (CCS) (formerly known as Child Care Subsidy) Program provides financial assistance with child care costs to eligible working families in Maryland. The program is managed through a centralized vendor -- Child Care Scholarship Central 2 (CCS Central 2).
To be eligible for the CCS Program, you must be:
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A Maryland resident who is working/employed, in an approved training program or attending school. For families where both parents live within the same household, both parents must meet all eligibility requirements.
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A recipient of Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or within CCS income guidelines (see below).
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Willing to have your child immunized to Maryland state standards or provide documentation supporting Exemption from Immunization.
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Willing to provide proof that each child needing child care is a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien. (Provide a Birth Certificate for each child or documentation that certifies the child's status.) NOTE: Parents ARE NOT required to be citizens of the United States.
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Willing to provide proof of identity for all members within the household composition. (Proof of identity for the parent can be any form of a government issued document. The birth certificate or immigration status documentation can serve as proof of identity for each child in the household composition.)
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Willing to provide a Photo I.D. (Only required of the head of households.)
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An individual who is younger than 13 years old, or an individual younger than 19 years old who is disabled.
Families in the following income categories may be eligible for a Child Care Scholarship: (Updated May 23, 2022)
Child Care Scholarship Program | ||
---|---|---|
Family Size |
Initial Income Scale* Maximum Annual Income |
Continuation Income Scale** Maximum Annual Income |
Table used for new applications | Table used for Changes/Redeterminations | |
Family of 2 | $61,222 | $73,899 |
Family of 3 | $75,627 | $91,287 |
Family of 4 | $90,033 | $108,675 |
Family of 5 | $104,438 | $126,063 |
Family of 6 | $118,843 | $143,451 |
Family of 7 | $121,544 | $146,712 |
Family of 8 | $124,245 | $149,972 |
Family of 9 | $126,946 | $153,232 |
Family of 10 | $129,647 | $156,492 |
Family of 11 | $132,348 | |
Family of 12 | $135,049 |
* Initial Income Scale - families without an active child care scholarship - family income must be below Initial Income Scale
**Continuation Income Scale - families with at least one active child care scholarship - family income must be below Continuation Income Scale
To apply, a family must submit the following to CCS Central 2:
- The Child Care Scholarship (CCS) application
- Verification of work/training activity and income
- 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. Most recent four (4) weeks of consecutive pay stubs
- Proof of identity (i.e. driver’s license, birth certificate, government issued identification, etc.)
- Proof of approved activity (i.e. work, school or job training)
- Proof of all other income
- Proof of address (i.e. utility bill, lease, etc.)
Once the CCS application is approved, the following Scholarship Forms may be needed for continued services and to report changes:
- Application Forms
- Change Forms
- Appeal Forms
- Provider Forms
- DHS and other public agency forms
- Informal Provider Forms
Additional Scholarship documents
- Required Documents
- Customer Handout
- Fluctuation of Income
- Provider Handout
- Graduated Income
- Temporary Break in Activity
- Special Needs Rate Request Form
- Scholarship Invoice Payment Timeline
- Scholarship Rates
Child Care Scholarship Invoicing Process
(Click image to enlarge Invoice Processing Chart)
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