The Child Care Scholarship Program provides financial assistance with child care costs to families that meet applicable State or federal eligibility requirements.
Child Care Scholarship Requirements:
- Parent must be engaged in an approved work, education and/or training activity
- Meet all eligibility requirements
- Pursue court-ordered, voluntary or have “Good Cause” for not pursuing child support
What type of child care provider can I use?
- Licensed child care center or home
- Informal child care, non-relative child provider
- If a non-relative provider is selected, care must be provided in home of the child
- Relative provider must be at least 18 years of age
- The Informal Provider must consent to Criminal Background Check, Out-of-State Criminal Background Check for any residency outside of Maryland within the past 5 years and complete a Child Protective Services (CPS) clearance.
- Provider must successfully pass a Health and Safety exam
- Home of the child must be expected annually and pass the Health and Safety Monitoring
- Payment will not be made until all documentation is received, all clearances are returned without any disqualifying events, and the provider has been approved by the Office of Child Care. Process could take at minimum 60 days. Parents meeting all CCS eligibility requirements have the option of using licensed care until the informal provider is approved.
Informal child care, relative child care provider
- If a non-relative provider is selected, care can be provided in the home of the child or the relative provider
- Maryland defines a relative provider as the following relationship to the child: Grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and older siblings not in the household count of the customer applying for CCS services. Any other relationship, for example, cousin or great-aunt, will be considered as a non-relative information provider and must meet the above criteria
- Everyone residing within the home that is age 18 or older must consent to Criminal Background Check, Out-of-State Criminal Background Check for any residency outside of Maryland within the past 5 years and complete a Child Protective Services (CPS) clearance.
- Informal provider must be at least 18 years of age
- Payment will not be made until all documentation is received, all clearances are returned without any disqualifying events, and the provider has been approved by the Office of Child Care. Process could take at minimum 60 days. Parents meeting all CCS eligibility requirements have the option of using licensed care until the informal provider is approved.
For an application or additional information on the program visit: Money4ChildCare.com
