About Us

Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood, Office of Child Care

The Office of Child Care (OCC) works to support and guide early education and child care so that every young child in Maryland has a strong foundation and will be ready for kindergarten. The OCC is responsible for licensing and inspecting all child care centers and family child care providers in Maryland and evaluating and approving applications for Maryland State Department of Education Child Care Trainers/Training Proposal Approval Program. The OCC also administers Maryland’s subsidized child care program for working families and the state’s Child Care Credentialing System.

The Office of Child Care’s Licensing Branch inspects and licenses all child care centers and family child care providers in the state and oversees Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship Program, the state’s Child Care Credentialing System, and Maryland EXCELS – the state’s quality rating and improvement system. The OCC maintains Regional Licensing Offices around Maryland, which are responsible for all child care licensing activities in their geographical areas.

Read about Maryland’s Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).