Action Alert: HB 1475

Together, we’ve said many times: Children experience healthy child development that is crucial for success in school and in life, in family child care, centers, and school-based early childhood programs. Knowing this, the Kirwan Commission and the “Blueprint” legislation stood strong on a mixed delivery approach to delivering preK. That means having preK available in schools AND in child care centers and family child care.

Care and learning are intertwined. We continue to see first-hand that it is right to evolve the thinking in the original Blueprint work. That takes time, and each year we have a chance to keep trying.

There will be a hearing next week on a really interesting, no-cost bill: Mixed Delivery Model Viability Act – HB 1475.

Currently, public schools and community-based child care partners implementing preK experience different policies, funding, oversight, staff qualifications, and work days/program calendars. This is very challenging for the success of mixed delivery, and the success of families.

Early childhood educators in centers and family child care tell us, “We are here, we are ready, we simply cannot take the preK risk without more clarity in policy and practice.” Community-based child care programs cannot participate under the current expectations because of funding confusion, the early childhood educator hiring crisis, and the need to stand strong as a full-day, full-year early childhood experience for children while their parents go to work or school. HB1475 mitigates these risks by addressing barriers and inequities head-on.

HB 1475, if passed, would direct the Office of Child Care Advisory Council to dig into the mixed delivery preK situation in Maryland, ask questions, analyze the data and experiences, and write a report with recommendations.

• We are excited to see the legislation calls for reviewing the method by which private prekindergarten providers are reimbursed and whether a method of payment through forward funding would be a feasible alternative; and inefficiencies in the invoicing process for private prekindergarten providers and delays in private provider payments.
• The legislation calls for review, understanding, and improving administrative processes for private PreK providers, establishing a centralized substitute teacher pool and exploring opportunities for pooling resources among providers to offer employee benefits.
• HB 1475 calls for actively engaging practitioners, MSDE leaders, and stakeholders through the Governor’s Office of Child Care Advisory Council. This means a chance to listen to those who live with our policy systems every day, learn together, and build something strong.

We can work together to strengthen the laws, regulations, and options so that parents can choose what is best for their family. The whole community benefits from partnering with early childhood educators in child care programs.

Thank you to Maryland State Child Care Association for making it easy to ask our Delegates and Senators to support HB 1475. Click here and please send your message before the end of the day on Friday, March 28.