Bill > LD346

This bill allows child care providers who receive state subsidies to require recipients of those subsidies to pay the difference between the amount reimbursed by the state and the full amount charged by the provider. Specifically, the bill applies to child care services provided under two primary assistance programs: the child care subsidy program and the ASPIRE-TANF (Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) program. For ASPIRE-TANF recipients, the bill establishes that when child care assistance is paid directly to a provider, the recipient may be required to cover the remaining balance between the total benefit package and the provider's actual charges. This change aims to provide more financial flexibility for child care providers and potentially help them better manage their costs, while giving assistance recipients more choice in selecting child care services. The bill modifies existing Maine state law to explicitly permit these cost differential payments, which were previously not clearly defined in the statute.

Health and Social Services

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=346&snum=132