6.1 Supporting the Child Care Workforce

Lead Agencies have broad flexibility to implement policies and practices to support the child care workforce. 6.1.1 Strategies to improve recruitment, retention, compensation, and well-being a. Identify any Lead Agency activities related to strengthening workforce recruitment and retention of child care providers. Check all that apply: i. [x] Providing program-level grants to support investments in staff compensation. ii. [x] Providing bonuses or stipends paid directly to staff, like sign-on or retention bonuses. iii. [ ] Connecting family child care providers and center-based child care staff to health insurance or supporting premiums in the Marketplace. iv. [ ] Subsidizing family child care provider and center-based child care staff retirement benefits. v. [ ] Providing paid sick, personal, and parental leave for family child care providers and center-based child care staff. vi. [ ] Providing student loan debt relief or loan repayment for family child care providers and center-based child care staff. vii. [ ] Providing scholarships or tuition support for center-based child care staff and family child care providers. viii. [x] Other. Describe: MSDE has funded the implementation of the following workforce advancement programs to recruit and retain qualified teachers: - Registered Apprenticeship Program - No cost CDA training bundle - CDA Credential Teacher Alternative Certification - Child Care Providers Registered Apprenticeship Program b. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to assess and improve the compensation of the child care workforce in the State or Territory, including increasing wages, bonuses, and stipends. The Maryland State Department of Education launched the Maryland Child Care Workforce Follow-Up Survey on August 24, 2024. The online survey was designed and administered by the University of Virginia (UVA), and will help MSDE to better understand the experiences and challenges of early caregivers in Maryland and to help retain child care employees in their jobs. The Enhanced Child Care Support and Teacher Retention Award (ECSTRA) Program seeks to help stabilize the early childhood educator workforce by directing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds directly to educators who remain in key child care roles, in the form of additional retention bonuses. The ECSTRA program is inspired by a similar program in Virginia, the Teacher Recognition Program, which reduced teacher turnover rates by 50% in child care centers. Findings from the ECSTRA program will help to inform these and other questions, both for MSDE and for other policy contexts. In the last legislative session, Maryland passed Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-1A-08, as amended by Chapter 165 of 2024. Maryland is tasked with developing an early childhood educator career ladder is a structured framework aimed at elevating the profession of early childhood education. This career ladder will align staff qualification in child care, publicly funded-Pre-K, Maryland Child Care Credential program. This new career ladder is modelled after the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Power to the Profession and is also inclusive of credit for prior learning and skills. In FY 2026, Maryland will implement this new career ladder with bonuses to ensure that educator have funding for professional learning opportunities. c. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to expand access to benefits, including health insurance, paid sick, personal, and parental leave, and retirement benefits. MSDE does not provide benefits, but we will explore the possibility of partnering with external stakeholders to support providers in finding the aforementioned resources within the State. d. Describe any Lead Agency ongoing efforts and future plans to support the mental health and well-being of the child care workforce. The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Support Services (IECMHSS) program is designed to prevent, identify, treat, and reduce the impact of social, emotional, and other mental health problems among children from birth through 5 years old. The child care workforce is offered training, along with onsite mentoring and coaching to assist with developing and employing appropriate strategies in working with children and families. They are increasing the confidence and competence of staff in working with children displaying challenging behaviors which will lead to continuity of child care services for the child and family. In addition, MSDE approved trainers provide professional development for the child care providers in the areas of self- care and preventing burnout. e. Describe any other strategies the Lead Agency is developing and/or implementing to support providers’ recruitment and retention of the child care workforce. Maryland State Department of Education received 3 million in funding from the General Assembly's budget to support child care providers with degree attainment through the Child Care Career and Professional Development Fund (CCCPDF). 24 Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) will participate in the program, supporting approximately 400 child care providers pursuing a college degree. Over the next three years, the program forecast a 10% increase in recruitment and a graduation rate of approximately 80 students yearly with an Associate of Arts and Science, Associate of Arts in Teaching and Bachelor of Arts or Science in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. The Child Care Career and Professional Development Fund also supports Harford Community College with a Registered Child Care Apprenticeship program to increase cohort 3 up to 10 students, cohort 4 up to 16 students and cohort 5 up to 30 students in FY 25. Maryland State Department of Education plan on developing guidance and a process for approved curriculum across all early learning settings. High quality and free professional learning will be rolled out in the fall to support the early childhood field, birth to Pre-K, with implementation of the new standards. The Maryland State Department of Education is also in the process of developing Pre-K 4 Science Standards to align with the Next Generation Science Standards. An alignment document for the Early Learning Standards will be released and will show the learning trajectories from birth through Pre-K and will show the connection to the College and Career Ready Standards. 6.1.2 Strategies to support provider business practices a. Describe other strategies that the Lead Agency is developing and/or implementing to strengthen child care providers’ business management and administrative practices. Maryland Family Network (MFN) and the Maryland Child Care Resource Network (MCCRN) will schedule cohorts throughout FY25 of family child care providers to participate in the All Our Kin Family Child Care Business training series. This intensive learning series provides both training professional development and opportunities to connect with peers and apply the information in a practical way within their business. With additional funding from a Small Business Administration (SBA) federal earmark, MFN and the CCRCs will also be providing additional materials and resources to support successful completion and implementation. To support the child care centers, the CCRC will continue to partner and/or promote the strengthening business practices training series which the Quality Assurance Specialist (QAS) provides in connection to Maryland EXCELS initiatives. Finally, MFN will be coordinating several individual learning opportunities for the child care community focused on retirement, investment planning, benefits, and other relevant topics for small business owners in the child care field. These contributions will be in collaboration with philanthropic partners. An MFN staff member and a CCRC coach will attend the Opportunities Exchange business/shared services conference in order to identify additional resources and opportunities to support the Maryland ECE community with strengthening business practices. The State Advisory Council is updated on these efforts as needed. b. Check the topics addressed in the Lead Agency’s strategies for strengthening child care providers’ administrative business practices. Check all that apply: i. [x] Fiscal management. ii. [x] Budgeting. iii. [x] Recordkeeping. iv. [x] Hiring, developing, and retaining qualified staff. v. [x] Risk management. vi. [x] Community relationships. vii. [x] Marketing and public relations. viii. [x] Parent-provider communications. ix. [x] Use of technology in business administration. x. [ ] Compliance with employment and labor laws. xi. [ ] Other. Describe any other efforts to strengthen providers’ administrative business: 6.1.3 Strategies to support provider participation Lead Agencies must facilitate participation of child care providers and staff with limited English proficiency and disabilities in the child care subsidy system. Describe how the Lead Agency will facilitate this participation, including engagement with providers to identify barriers and specific strategies used to support their participation: a. Providers and staff with limited English proficiency: Maryland's vendor for Child Care Scholarship provides translation services for child care providers and parents participating in the scholarship system. The Child Care Scholarship Application is available in Spanish and a mock-up is available in 10 other languages. The Maryland State Department of Education’s website is available in non-English languages. Bilingual translators and translation services are available through the Child Care Scholarship vendor and community-based partnerships. Some Licensing and Scholarship forms are translated into Spanish. Maryland State Department of Education's website also provides translation services for other languages upon request. The Scholarship Program requires every Non- relative Informal Provider to complete a 3-hour online or 6-hour in person Basic Health & Safety training annually. These trainings are offered in Spanish from Penn State. b. Providers and staff who have disabilities: MSDE employs several strategies to eliminate barriers and provide the necessary support for child care providers and staff with disabilities to fully participate in the child care scholarship system: Accessible Online Resources: All websites and online platforms used by the Division are designed to be accessible, in compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure that providers and staff with disabilities can easily access critical information, apply for subsidies, and engage with training and professional development opportunities. This includes features such as keyboard navigation, high color contrast, descriptive URLs, consistent navigation across pages, and structured content that improves usability for all users, including those with disabilities. Collaborative Partnerships: The Division partners with state and local programs and associations focusing on disability-related topics and issues. These partnerships help identify barriers faced by providers with disabilities and develop tailored strategies to support their participation. Collaborations with IDEA Part B, Section 619, and Part C providers and agencies are also essential in ensuring that providers with disabilities receive the support they need to deliver high-quality care. Access to Specialized Services: The Division ensures the availability of and access to specialized services, including mental health support, behavioral specialists, and therapists.