Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3737, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 158, §2, is amended to read:

3. Quality differential. To the extent permitted by federal law, the department may pay a differential rate for child care services that meet nationally recognized quality standards, such as those standards required by the Head Start program or required for accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, or that make substantial progress toward accreditation and shall do so from the Child Care and Development Block Grant 25% Quality Set-aside funds or by other acceptable federal practices.

SUMMARY

The provisions of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 3737, subsection 3 allow for a differential rate of compensation for child care services for those providers that meet national standards for quality. This bill allows differential rates also to be paid to providers that make substantial progress toward accreditation.