Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Maryland
Maryland's Child Care Scholarship serves families up to 75% SMI at entry (~$90,000 family of 4), but enrollment froze May 2025 with ~5,000 waitlisted. State CDCC is refundable for low-income filers; refundable $500 Child Tax Credit phases out by $24K AGI.
Data current as of June 17, 2026
See what you'd actually pay
Enter your income and household size to get an instant estimate of your copay, tax credits, and total savings in Maryland.
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Maryland
- Program name
- Child Care Scholarship (CCS) Program
- Administered by
- Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Division of Early Childhood
- Income ceiling
- Initial eligibility up to 75% State Median Income (~$90,033 for a family of four); continuing eligibility up to 85% SMI (~$108,675 for a family of four).
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding-scale family share, reduced under Blueprint for Maryland's Future reforms. Many low-income families pay $0.
- Waitlist status
- Currently closed to new applications — MSDE froze new Child Care Scholarship enrollments effective May 1, 2025. The waitlist had grown to over 3,000 families by late January 2026 and reached roughly 5,000 by April 2026. A FY2027 appropriation of $20 million aims to clear about half. Families receiving Temporary Cash Assistance or SSI, and siblings of currently-enrolled children, bypass the freeze.
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Initial eligibility ceiling (annual, 75% SMI) | Continuing eligibility ceiling (annual, 85% SMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $61,222 | $73,899 |
| 3 | $75,627 | $91,287 |
| 4 | $90,033 | $108,675 |
| 5 | $104,438 | $126,063 |
| 6 | $118,843 | $143,451 |
| 7 | $121,544 | $146,712 |
| 8 | $124,245 | $149,972 |
- Initial eligibility ceiling (annual, 75% SMI): 75% of Maryland State Median Income per MSDE CCS Income Scale (May 2022). Maximum gross income to first qualify for Child Care Scholarship (enrollment frozen since May 1, 2025).
- Continuing eligibility ceiling (annual, 85% SMI): 85% of Maryland State Median Income per MSDE CCS Income Scale (May 2022). Maximum gross income for existing CCS recipients to remain eligible at recertification.
Maryland OneStop — Child Care Scholarship Program income eligibility tables (last updated May 23, 2022 per the OneStop page). These figures are the most recent per-family-size dollar amounts publicly accessible; the MSDE income eligibility scale PDF is not publicly accessible as of this writing. Initial Income Scale applies to new applicants (75% SMI); Continuation Income Scale applies to existing recipients at recertification (85% SMI). No family-of-1 row is published by MSDE. Note: new enrollments have been frozen since May 1, 2025 — the initial eligibility threshold is temporarily moot for new applicants until the freeze lifts. The SMI increment per additional person compresses sharply above family size 6 (from ~$14,405/year for sizes 2–6, to ~$2,701/year for sizes 7+), reflecting the LIHEAP-based SMI methodology for larger households. Verify current amounts with MSDE before applying. Effective May 23, 2022; check the state portal for the latest figures.
Priority groups (served first)
- Siblings of children already enrolled in the scholarship (about 80% of new enrollments since the freeze began)
- Families receiving Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA)
- Families receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Children experiencing homelessness
State pre-K in Maryland
- Program name
- Maryland Prekindergarten Program (Blueprint for Maryland's Future)
- Administered by
- Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE); mixed-delivery via public schools and private providers
- Access
- Income-targeted
- Eligibility
- Free for 3- and 4-year-olds in families at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. For the 2025-2026 school year, the sliding scale only covers 301-360% FPL (family share of 1.3-1.5% of gross income); families above 360% pay full tuition. The full 301-600% FPL sliding scale takes effect in the 2026-2027 school year. 4-year-olds are the universal target; 3-year-olds are income-limited during the phase-in.
- Coverage
- Phasing toward universal pre-K. Full implementation target is fiscal year 2032 under the Blueprint.
State tax credits & extras in Maryland
- State CDCC
- Refundable. Percentage of the federal CDCTC, varies by income of the federal CDCC. Refundable when federal AGI is under $55,750 (single) or $83,650 (married filing jointly). Non-refundable above those thresholds; phases out entirely around $102,600 single / $159,500 MFJ. Filed with the Maryland Comptroller on Form 502CR.
Other state programs and credits
- Maryland Child Tax Credit — refundable $500 per childRefundable state credit of $500 per qualifying child under age 6 (or any child under 17 with a documented disability). Full credit for AGI up to $15,000; phases out to zero by $24,000 AGI under the 2026 expansion. Filed with the Maryland Comptroller.
Where to apply or get help in Maryland
- Find a licensed daycare in MarylandChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Maryland child care portalearlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/child-care-providers/child-care-scholarship-program
- Eligibility screenerfamily.childcareportals.org/
- Combined benefits applicationmymdthink.maryland.gov/
- Maryland 211 (dial 2-1-1)211md.org/
- Money 4 Child Care — Fast Track scholarship intakemoney4childcare.com/
- Child Care Scholarship Enrollment Freeze status (MSDE)earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/ccsenrollmentfreeze
- Blueprint Prekindergarten Expansionblueprint.marylandpublicschools.org/prekindergarten-expansion-and-improvements/
- Maryland Comptroller — tax creditswww.marylandtaxes.gov/tax-credits.php
- Federal childcare.gov — Maryland resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/maryland/financial-assistance-resources-for-families
Find a daycare in Maryland
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Maryland's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Maryland daycaresSources
- MSDE Child Care Scholarship Program
- CCS Enrollment Freeze — MSDE (2025)
- Maryland Matters — Nine months later, CCS freeze remains (February 2026) (2026)
- CCS Income Eligibility Scale (MSDE PDF — currently returns 403)
- Maryland OneStop — Child Care Scholarship income eligibility tables (updated May 2022) (2022)
- Maryland Comptroller — Tax Credits
- Blueprint — Prekindergarten Expansion
- ITEP — State Child Tax Credits 2025 (Maryland CTC) (2025)
- Federal childcare.gov — Maryland resources
- Maryland Comptroller — 2024 Form 502CR Part B (Child and Dependent Care Credit refundability) (2024)
- Maryland Matters — House approves slew of child care bills (March 2026) (2026)
- Maryland Matters — Child care scholarship freeze soon to melt, but not for everyone (April 2026) (2026)
- Maryland State Board of Education — Prekindergarten Sliding Scale Guidance (2025)
Every state layers its own program on top of a federal floor — CCDF (the federal block grant), Head Start, the federal DCFSA (employer pre-tax benefit), and the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit. See the federal overview for what the floor looks like before any state adds.