Division 5. Early Start Child Care Scholarship Program
Codified through Bill No. CB-018-2026, adopted May 12, 2026, effective July 24, 2026. Source: Municode, Supplement 2026 Update 2. Editorial notes and legislative history omitted.
Division 5. Early Start Child Care Scholarship Program
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 5C-112 (2026)
Sec. 5C-112. Prince George's County Early Start Child Care Scholarship ProgramLinkCopy Citation
(a)
Early Start Child Care Scholarship Program Established. Subject to the allocation of funding, families who qualify and are approved in accordance with the requirements of Subsection (b), below, shall receive a child care scholarship as prescribed in Subsection (c), below, for eligible child care expenses.
(b)
Program Requirements.
(1)
Income eligibility. A family shall only be eligible to receive a child care scholarship authorized by this Division to compensate for eligible child care expenses if the family has a household income of less than 30% of the median family income for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Area, as published annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(2)
Child eligibility. A child for which a family receives a child care scholarship shall be no older than 3 years of age. A family is only eligible to receive a child care scholarship for a maximum of two children per household.
(3)
Application and approval. A family shall only be eligible to receive a child care scholarship to compensate for eligible child care expenses if the family successfully completes an application process prescribed by the Department for a child care scholarship for the child for which the family is incurring or will incur eligible child care expenses.
(4)
Administration. The Early Start Child Care Scholarship Program shall be administered by the Department and disbursements shall be made by the Office of Finance in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Department and approved by the County Council as set forth in Subsection (d), below.
(c)
Early Start Child Care Scholarship.
(1)
The Prince George's County Early Start Child Care Scholarship Fund is hereby established as a nonlapsing fund that shall not revert to the County fund balance at the end of each fiscal year and shall solely be used for the purpose of awarding child care scholarships to eligible families for eligible child care expenses pursuant to this Division.
(2)
Scholarship amount determination and duration. Each child care scholarship award shall be for the duration of a 12-month period and must be applied for annually. The maximum 12-month amount per child that the Department is authorized to award for a child care scholarship authorized by this Division is $3000 per child. The precise amount of each award shall be determined in accordance with a formula established by the Department and prescribed in regulations authorized and mandated pursuant to Subsection (d), below. The award determination of child care scholarships shall be based on a need-based scale of higher amounts awarded to families with lower proportionate median household income levels.
(d)
Regulations Authorized, Mandatory. The Department shall propose regulations that implement this Division no later than September 1, 2026 for approval or modification by resolution of the County Council, provided such regulations are not inconsistent with this Division. Such regulations may be modified from time to time by proposal of the Department subject to approval or modification by Council resolution.
(e)
Reporting. By August 31 of each year, the Department, in coordination with the Office of Finance, shall provide an annual written summary to the County Executive and County Council on the progress of the Early Start Child Care Scholarship Program for the previous fiscal year, including, but not limited to including, non-individual aggregate data on scholarship expenditures, administrative costs, and recommended policy improvements.