APPROVED CHAPTER
JUNE 10, 2025 247
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 961 - L.D. 1469
An Act to Clarify the Quality Rating System for Child Care Services in
Maine
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3737, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2021, c. 138, §1, is further
amended to read:
3. Quality differential. To the extent permitted by federal law, the department shall
pay a differential rate for child care services that meet or that make substantial progress
toward meeting 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, and shall do so from the Child Care Development Fund 25%
Quality Set-aside funds or by other acceptable federal practices. Rules adopted pursuant
to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter
2‑A. The rules must establish a child care quality rating system with a minimum of 3 steps
and must provide for graduated quality differential rates for steps that demonstrate that a
child care provider meets or makes substantial progress toward meeting nationally
recognized quality standards. The rules must provide that child care providers accredited
by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the American Montessori
Society, the National Association for Family Child Care or the Council on Accreditation,
or any of their successor organizations, or a Head Start program that meets national Head
Start standards, receive the highest rating under the child care quality rating system.
Nothing in this subsection requires This subsection does not require the department to pay
a quality differential rate for child care services provided through the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families block grant.
Page 1 - 132LR2051(03)


Statutes affected:
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 247: 22.3737