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SFC/SB 241 Page 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 eligible for federal child care assistance, and the department shall not exceed thirteen thousand child care assistance slots for children aged six through twelve years who are not federally eligible, except as provided for a child through age eighteen years if that child is under court supervision or is physically or mentally incapable of self-care. The department shall maintain a waitlist and prioritize applicants based on whether an application is for an at-risk child and on families' annual incomes from lowest to highest percentage of the federal poverty level." SECTION 6. A new section of the Children's Code is enacted to read: "PAYMENT RATES FOR CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE SERVICES.-- A. Payment rates for the child care assistance program shall be subject to the availability of funds and shall be set by rule of the department and updated as required by federal law. Payment rates shall: (1) be based on a cost estimation model in accordance with the requirements of the federal child care and development fund program authorized by the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, as amended; (2) correspond to differences in quality based on the tiered quality rating system of the department; (3) be sufficient to meet the requirements of each tier and ensure adequate wages for child care