§ 4–410.02(Perm). Payments to child development facilities for infants and toddlers.

(a) OSSE shall establish payment rates for child development facilities providing care for infants and toddlers. The rate of payment shall be sufficient to provide a child development center and child development home with funding to operate based on a cost modeling analysis that incorporates costs incurred as a result of implementing the salary scale and schedule developed by OSSE pursuant to § 4-410.01(b). Subject to appropriations, the cost of care and teacher salary scale shall be increased as follows:

(1) By October 1, 2019, $4,298,064 of the projected fiscal impact of the full cost of care and teacher salary scale;

(2) By October 1, 2020, at least 25% of the projected fiscal impact of the full cost of care and teacher salary scale;

(3) By October 1, 2021, at least 50% of the projected fiscal impact of the full cost of care and teacher salary scale;

(4) By October 1, 2022, at least 75% of the projected fiscal impact of the full cost of care and teacher salary scale;

(5) By October 1, 2023, and on an annual basis thereafter, OSSE shall reimburse providers at the cost of care as determined by its most recent cost modeling analysis; and

(6) By October 1, 2024, and on a triennial basis thereafter, OSSE shall revise the payment rates based on the updated cost of care and teacher salary scale developed pursuant to § 4-410.01(b).

(b) Child development facilities receiving payments under Chapter 4 of Title 4 shall, at a minimum, compensate teaching assistants and lead teachers according to the salary scale and implementation schedule developed pursuant to § 4-410.01(b).