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Tiered Reimbursement pays quality differential payments to providers who accept Child Care Scholarship and have a Maryland EXCELS published Quality Rating of level 3, 4, or 5. Tier payments range from 10 percent (10%) to 44 percent (44%), depending upon the age of the child, the type of care, and the Quality Rating of the program. The chart below shows the percentage of tiered reimbursement payments to programs. On the Invoice Detail Report, tiered reimbursement payments are shown as EXCELS payments for each child.
| EXCELS Payments | Maryland EXCELS Quality Rating | ||
| Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | |
| Family Child Care | |||
|
Under 2 years of age |
11% | 22% | 29% |
|
2 years of age and over |
10% | 21% | 28% |
| Child Care Center | |||
|
Under 2 years of age |
22% | 37% | 44% |
|
2 years of age and over |
10% | 19% | 26% |
Purpose and Use of Tier Payment
The purpose of the Tier Payment is to provide recognition and incentive to the program for participating and achieving a Maryland EXCELS rating at the highest levels. Programs and providers have choices regarding the use of the tier payment. For example, tier payments may be utilized to:
- Offset the cost of child care for families receiving Child Care Scholarship
- Provide salary and benefits enhancements for staff
- Make quality improvements to the program
As part of the continuous quality improvement process, providers and programs are encouraged to reflect and assess the needs of their program, with input from staff and families, when making decisions regarding the use of the tier payment.
