Action this week for Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship Program
Every January, Maryland’s Governor proposes a budget. The details are up to the Members of the General Assembly who will hold hearings, consider testimony, and make line-by-line decisions about whether and how to invest in child care – and lots of services that help keep Maryland running!
In the budget committees they’re considering a cut to child care investments. There was a hearing on Friday, February 10 and there is another Monday, February 13.
But legislation has been introduced to make improvements and investments to Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship Program.
The Resource Center team will submit testimony in support of HB495/SB350 and we encourage you to do so as well!
In the House, the Ways and Means Committee will consider HB 495 AND the Senate Budget and Tax Committee will consider SB 350 on February 15 at 1:00. The hearings are at the same time on the same day, but the procedure for submitting testimony is different for each.
House Ways and Means testimony
For hearings on a Wednesday, written testimony is due the Monday before, so in our case it is due Monday, February the 13th and can be submitted between 8 AM and 3 PM.
Download a Word document here that you can send
Prince George’s County and Anne Arundel County are well represented on this Committee! Check out the membership here: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Committees/Details?cmte=b%26t&ys=2023RS&activeTab=divMain They will be glad to hear from you as their constituents and neighbors!
Senate Budget and Tax testimony procedure
Testimony is due between 8 AM and 3 PM one business day before the hearing. So in our case, it is due Tuesday, February 14th between 8 AM and 3 PM.
Download a Word document here that you can send
Prince George’s County and Anne Arundel County are well represented on this Committee! Check out the membership here: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Committees/Details?cmte=b%26t&ys=2023RS&activeTab=divMain They will be glad to hear from you as their constituents and neighbors!
Join the Resource Center team for optional “office hours” between 1 and 1:30 if you want to talk about your testimony or get tips for how to use your My GA account! Join us on Zoom here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82928181653?pwd=ZFdOZGxVQ2RBdFlnenhQaVRtREEyQT09
What would the legislation do?
Specifically it would put into law the recent gains including:
• expanded family eligibility
• co pay relief for most families
• payment rate increases
These gains have been funded with federal dollars approved by Congress. It is time for Maryland leaders to see it through and continue these investments.
Plus, the bill would guarantee access to CCS for all families who meet eligibility criteria. Although there is currently no child care scholarship (subsidy) wait list, enrollment freezes have been imposed at different times over the past two decades as a means of cutting costs. Under the bill, MSDE would not be able to unilaterally impose an enrollment freeze.
The child care crisis is not over in Maryland. The Child Care Scholarship Program (CCSP) details have seen important improvements thanks to your leadership. There’s more to do and we can do it together.
CCSP is currently the State’s largest single investment in early childhood education. We must ensure that the State remains committed to protecting recent progress. We hear the General Assembly leaders are already thinking about a big cut to child care – this is the wrong direction! A cut to CCSP would pose a great risk to families, children, child care providers, and the economy as a whole.
SB 350 process details and bill text: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0350
HB 495 process details and bill text: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0495?ys=2023RS