Action Alert! Public Comment Open: Proposed Changes to Working Parents Assistance Program Regulation
Montgomery County is accepting written comments through November 5, 2026, on proposed updates to the Working Parents Assistance (WPA) Program regulation - and your voice is needed!
The Children’s Opportunity Alliance served on the County’s WPA Modernization Workgroup and support these long overdue changes. The rules have not been substantively updated since the 1980’s, and this proposal is an important step toward creating a program that better reflects the realities facing families today.
This is progress. It is not the finish line. We believe the proposed changes should be adopted, and that the County should continue working to address the gaps that still exist. WPA is a critical local program that can be improved upon to improve accessibility and affordability and be more responsive to the full range of families who need help affording and accessing child care.
Read on to learn what would change, what future changes still need to be addressed, and how to comment.
What is the Working Parents Assistance Program?
Montgomery County’s Working Parents Assistance (WPA) Program helps eligible County residents pay for child care. It complements Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship (CCS) Program, by serving families whose incomes exceed CCS eligibility limits as well as children that are not citizens. Notably, families that are currently on the CCS waitlist can apply for WPA while they wait for CCS approval.
What are the Proposed Changes to the Working Parents Assistance Program?
There are several changes included in this update. Check out the draft here to see the full language. Key changes include:
Adds a new 6-month Employment Deferral Period: families who are job seeking, or facing job loss, reduced hours, or other employment interruptions could keep assistance for up to six months, with income limits waived during that time.
Remove the immigration status requirement, in alignment with the County’s TRUST Act
Shifting and raising income limits: eligibility will be at 450% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) at enrollment, about $148,5000 for a family of four. Families could earn up to 500% FPL, about $165,000, stay enrolled at renewal, which softens the benefit cliff.
Prioritize families with the greatest need: families experiencing homelessness and parents under 18 would move to the top of the waitlist.
Update definitions for household composition, child care, and program type to reflect Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) licensing definitions
Require child care programs, beginning July 1, 2027, to participate in Maryland EXCELS, the state’s quality rating improvement system, or hold accreditation recognized by EXCELS.
Remove the requirement for pursuit of child support as a condition of eligibility, and stop counting child support as income.
Lower activity requirements from 30 hours to 20 hours per week and open eligibility to parents pursing any higher education degree, not just a first undergraduate degree.
Extend certification periods from 6 to 12 months
Update subsidy calculation language to reflect use of the average cost of child care calculations in Montgomery County
How Can I Submit a Comment?
Submit written comments by November 5, 2026 to Leslie Frey, Intergovernmental Relations Legislative Analyst, Department of Health and Human Services, by email at Leslie.Frey@montgomerycountymd.gov or mail to 401 Hungerford Drive, Rockville Maryland, 20850.
Questions: email Laura@mocochildren.org
Short comments count. Say who you are (parent, provider, employer, or advocate), choose a few points below, and add a sentence from your own experience if you can.
Suggested talking points:
What the proposal gets right
Modernization is overdue. Rules written in the 1980’s don’t reflect today’s families or today’s costs. I support updating them.
Eligibility should match the cost of living. Shifting and raising income limits recognizes that child care costs strain families well into the middle class. Allowing families to earn more at renewal keeps a raise from costing them their care.
Stability matters for children. Twelve-month certification and the Employment Deferral Period keep children with the caregivers they know, even when a parent’s job changes.
Remove unnecessary barriers. Dropping the child support and immigration status requirements lets help reach the children who need it.
Where the County should go further
Fund the promise. Expanded eligibility must come with expanded funding. We urge the County to increase WPA funding in the next budget so these improvements don’t simply become a longer waitlist.
Support the child care workforce. Early educators often cannot afford care for their own children. We urge the County to allow child care educators to automatically qualify for WPA (also known as categorical eligibility), which would strengthen the child care workforce, support the stability of child care programs, and recognize the essential role these educators play in our community and economy.
Support providers through the quality transition. We support the Maryland EXCELS requirement and urge the County to fund expanded outreach and technical assistance so child care programs, especially family child care homes, can meet it by July 2027 without reducing supply. Faster payment is a welcome step.
Thank you for speaking up for Montgomery County’s children and families.
Sample Comments
Date
Ms. Lesley Frey
Department of Health and Human Services
401 Hungerford Drive
Rockville, MD 20850
Via email: Leslie.frey@montgomerycountymd.gov
Re: Written Comments on Proposed Regulation 008-26, Requirements for the Working Parents Assistance Program
Dear Ms. Frey:
I am writing in support of the proposed Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Regulation - Requirements for the Working Parents Assistance Program [008-26], published in the October 2026 Montgomery County Register.
Briefly state your organization/role and your primary position on the proposed regulation.
Share why these changes are important to you and what difference they will make
If you’d like, suggest additional changes to WPA you would like to see in the future
If you prefer, you can adapt this copy below
WPA was designed in the 1980's and the official regulation has not been substantively updated since then. The proposed changes will give the program a much needed update to better meet the needs of today’s families. In particular, these updates will protect and help to serve more of our most vulnerable families – families experiencing homelessness, immigrants, and those looking for work.
At the same time, [insert your I/We, org name, or business name] recognizes that there is still more work to be done to create an early childhood system in Montgomery County where every family that wants to enroll in child care can access a program that meets the needs of their family. This is an important initial step to update our current resources to better meet today’s needs, while we continue to work together to design a system that works for everyone. We hope that in the future Montgomery County will continue to update this program to serve more families – by continuing to modify the eligibility requirements and to allocate more funding to WPA year over year.
[I/We] support of the proposed changes to WPA and urge government officials to bring these changes to a Council vote and implement the changes this winter.
Sincerely
Your Name
Org/Affiliation/Company