Maryland · Child Care Scholarship Program (CCS)
Child care help in Maryland: the income line, the co-pay, and the wait
Maryland's program is Child Care Scholarship Program (CCS), run by Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Here is its entry line, its exit line, its co-pay machine, its rule on the second bill, and whether it is funding new families right now.
Run the free check for Maryland
The lines, for a family of 4
75% of state median income (raised from 65%).
85% of state median income at redetermination.
Maryland's exit is best read in dollars: the redetermination scale is the entry scale plus about $15,000 for a family of 4.
Who skips the income test
These lanes waive or shortcut parts of the income test in Maryland — if one is you, say so on page one of the application:
- Families receiving Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA/TANF) — also waitlist-exempt
- SSI recipients — also waitlist-exempt
- Families experiencing homelessness — also waitlist-exempt
- Siblings of enrolled children — waitlist-exempt
The co-pay
No dollar fee chart is published here for this state. The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Roadmap 2025 reports copayments of up to 1% of family income — that is a maximum burden, not a typical fee. Confirm your exact copay on the state chart before you budget.
Fee scale: 2025 (PN3 Roadmap 2025; state chart not opened).
The gap: not confirmed for Maryland
Maryland's rule on charging above the state rate was not confirmed in the sources checked in October 2026.
Nationally, 40 states allow providers to bill families the difference above the state rate and 11 prohibit it (PN3, December 2025) — but the per-state list was not published in a form we could verify for Maryland, so this page does not guess. Ask the agency before you sign.
Maryland reimburses at the 75th percentile of the 2021 market rate survey; no single maximum was opened.
The funding reality
MSDE froze new-family enrollment from May 1, 2025. TCA, SSI, homeless and sibling cases are exempt from the freeze — if one of those is you, apply now anyway.
How to apply
Apply through MSDE's Child Care Scholarship intake (Maryland EXCELS lists local contacts). The redetermination scale runs about $15,000 above the entry scale for a family of 4 ($111,936 in, $126,861 at renewal). State program page.
Limits checked October 2026 · Fee scale checked 2025 (PN3 Roadmap 2025; state chart not opened) · Ceiling checked Not published · Waitlist checked October 2026
Sources: source · cross-checked against the state's CCDF plan. If a figure here disagrees with the agency's current chart, the agency's chart wins — tell us at help@doogex.com.
The Daycare Help Kit — $29, one-time
The check gives you the answer. The kit walks the whole road after it: the application packet in the agency's own order, the denial translator, the real-bill worksheet, the redetermination calendar, and the tour-and-judge checklists — for all 50 states and DC.
See what's inside the kit $29 · one-time payment