Purchase of Child Care Subsidy Program (POC)

PURPOSE OF SUBSIDY PROGRAM

The purpose of the Purchase of Child Care Subsidy Program (POC) is to provide financial assistance with child care costs to eligible working families through each local department of social services. The POC Program issues vouchers to eligible families in need of help with the cost of child care. To receive this assistance, families must meet certain requirements. In addition to help with the cost of child care, families can receive help locating a licensed child care provider.

REQUIREMENTS

The applicant must be:

• A Maryland resident who is working, in an approved training program, or in public school.
  
• A recipient of Temporary Cash Assistance or Supplemental Security Income or within POC income guidelines.
  
• Willing to have your child immunized by Maryland State standards.
  
• Pursuing child support.
  

NOTE: For teen parents and non-parent custodians $5,000 is disregarded from their gross annual income

To Apply, a family must submit the following information to their Local Department of Social Services:

• The Purchase of Care (POC) Application
• Verifications of work activity and income

The contact information for the Local Departments of Social Services may be found on the Department of Human Resources website: www.dhr.state.md.us


HOW DOES POC WORK?

Eligible families receive a voucher from the local department of social services to take to the provider of their choice either a regulated (licensed center or home) or informal (self arranged) provider. Families that need assistance in finding a regulated provider are directed to the statewide LOCATE: Child Care service that is available through the Maryland Child Care Resource Network. The voucher indicates the local departments subsidy rate and the parental assigned copayment. The subsidy is paid bi-weekly by the local department to the providers. The family must pay the copayment directly to the providers.

THE APPLICANT MUST SUBMIT:

• Photo identification ( driver license, Maryland ID, or employment ID)
  
• Proof of address (apartment or house lease; electric, gas, water or phone bill)
  
• Proof of income (most recent 4 weeks of pay stubs or a letter from the employer stating gross salary)
  
• If you are a student, you must provide proof of enrollment .
  
• Proof that your child(ren) has met the Maryland State Immunization requirement.
  
• If you are a single parent, you must provide proof that you have met child support requirements by reporting information about the absent parent.
  
• Proof of social security number for everyone whom you are requesting services.
  

• Temporary Cash Assistance applicants or recipients who are working, in job training, or in public school receive top priority.
  
• Families who have received TCA for 3 of the last 6 months.
  
• Income eligible families, not receiving Temporary Cash Assistance who are in public school, working or in training to lead to employment.
  

A voucher is a coupon given to a customer by the local department for use in purchasing child care from a provider.
The voucher is valid for a maximum of 12 months from the effective date.
There are two types of vouchers:

FORMAL VOUCHER :
Care may be provided by:

• Maryland registered family home; or
  
• Maryland licensed child care center.

• A relative in the relative’s home or in the child’s home;
  
• A non-relative in the child’s home;
  
• A non relative in the non relative’s home for less than 20 hours per month.
  

A voucher co-payment is the amount that the customer is assigned to pay to the provider towards the cost of child care by the local department of social services.

• The youngest child in care is considered the first child in the household and is assessed the highest co-payment.
  
• The second child in care, who is the next oldest, is assessed a lower co-payment.
  
• The third child in care, who is the next oldest to the second, will have the same co-payment as the second child.
  
• No co-payment is assigned for the fourth and subsequent child.

Temporary Cash Assistance and Supplemental Security Income eligible famlies have a $0 assigned co-payment for all children.