10-148 C.M.R. Ch. 6; Child Care Affordability Program Rules

Date posted:

Attachment(s):

The Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP) is funded by the State of Maine and the United States. This routine technical rulemaking is necessary to comply with updates to the federal rules governing the block grant that funds CCAP at  45  C.F.R. Pt. 98, which require multiple changes to the payment structure of the Child Care Affordability Program, including:

  • Changing the payment structure for paying child care providers from paying for services after they are complete to paying for services prospectively.
  • Changing the payment structure for paying child care providers from paying by enrollment of a child in child care versus paying by attendance of that child in child care.
  • Changing cap of parent co-payments within the program so that eligible families who make below 85% of State Median Income pay 7% or less of their eligibility income to child care. Families who make between 85% to 125% of State Median Income pay 10% or less of their income to child care.

 

In addition, changes are being made that are not federally required, but are strongly encouraged and/or are being made to support access to the program including:

  • Changing the rates at which the Child Care Affordability Program will pay providers, which will now be set at the State’s market rate, formerly set as the market rate or the private pay rate, whichever was less expensive.
  • Simplifying hours of care to part or full time care only, formerly full time, part time, half time and quarter time care.
  • Expanding the definition of At-Risk Children to support expanded eligibility under the Federal Rules, which allows the State to define who falls under the Child Protective Services definition.

 

These changes were made to the current rule by emergency rulemaking, effective May 19, 2025, to align with changes built into the new online childcare management system for the Office of Child and Family Services, Baxter. The emergency rule expires August 17, 2025. This rulemaking adopts those changes permanently.

 

Additionally, P.L 2025, c. 135 will change the definition of “Family Child Care Provider” to allow a person to care for up to four (4) children in their home without a license, effective September 24, 2025. The adopted rule thus changes the description of a License-Exempt Provider to align with the new statutory definition, effective September 24, as described in subsection 8(A)(1)(b)(i)-(ii).

Office: Child and Family Services

Public hearing: -

Meeting location:

A public hearing was held on Monday, June 16th, 2025 at 1pm Eastern Standard Time (U.S. and Canada) via Zoom.

Meeting link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/82633519819?pwd=jbbNXwiF03xMxUcSmAPMDJM5nzYO78.1

Comment deadline:

Effective date:

Comments for this rule have been closed.