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News & Updates
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What Providers Need to Know About the Child Care Scholarship Program Enrollment Freeze
The Maryland State Department of Education issued an enrollment freeze for the Child Care Scholarship (CCS) Program that began May 1, 2025. During the freeze, the Program will temporarily be unable to give scholarships to new families. The freeze affects new applications for the CCS Program only. Child care providers…
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Child Care Providers: Fund Your College Education with CCCPDF
The Division of Early Childhood extends congratulations to the recipients of the Child Care Career and Professional Development Fund (CCCPDF) who recently graduated in December 2024. The CCCPDF is a tuition assistance program for early childhood educators to pursue a college education at participating Maryland colleges and universities. With…
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Interested in Providing Informal Child Care?
Do you spend time with your friend’s or family member’s child while their parent is at work or school/training? You can become their informal child care provider in Maryland—even without a license! Plus, you can get paid through the Child Care Scholarship program. What Is Informal Child Care? Informal child…
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Maryland EXCELS Marks Five Years of Supporting Military Families Through Military Child Care Program
October 2024 marks the fifth anniversary of Maryland EXCELS’s partnership with the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS (MCCYN-PLUS) program. This Department of Defense (DoD) initiative offers assistance with child care costs to military families, enabling them to enroll their children in high-quality local child care programs. Through this continued partnership,…
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Upcoming Push to Pre-K Information Sessions Offer Grant Assistance
The Push to Pre-K initiative launched by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Office of Early Learning and Instruction offers support, training, and resources for early childhood educators and child care providers interested in the Maryland Prekindergarten Expansion Grant and Blueprint formula funding for Pre-K. Providers who would like…
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Maryland EXCELS Reports Increase in Bonus Recipients
Maryland EXCELS, a quality rating and improvement system offering support and incentives to child care providers to grow and enhance their services, reports that in July 2024, the program awarded bonuses to 154 licensed child care centers and registered family child care homes. This is a significant jump from July…
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The Maryland Prekindergarten Expansion Grant application is now open!
The Prekindergarten Expansion Grant is a competitive grant program administered by the Division of Early Childhood at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). It provides funding for local education agencies (LEAs) and private providers to administer high-quality prekindergarten and school readiness services throughout the State for children and their…
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New Child Care Portals for Families and Providers
Child Care Portals The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has recently introduced new online portals for both Child Care Scholarship families and providers, which are designed to enhance and simplify various processes related to the Child Care Scholarship (CCS) program. Here’s a summary of the key information provided in…
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Enhanced Child Care Support and Teacher Retention Award (ECSTRA) Retention Bonus Program
Young children thrive when they have stable and engaging relationships with their caregivers. Yet child care providers struggle to pay their staff a living wage, which contributes to the alarmingly high turnover rates in child care settings. The Enhanced Child Care Support and Teacher Retention Award (ECSTRA) Program seeks…
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Bonus Payments for Eligible Maryland EXCELS Child Care Providers
Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Provides $5 Million in Bonus Awards On October 20, 2022, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) announced the distribution of bonuses to child care programs participating in Maryland EXCELS that demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement in their early education programs. As part of the…
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Governor Hogan Announces $50 Million For Additional Child Care Stabilization Grants
On January 17th, Governor Larry Hogan announced that the State of Maryland will provide an additional $50 million in grant funding to support child care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Child care is one of our most essential services, and keeping facilities open and available to parents with minimal disruption…
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MSDE Announces Second Round of Child Care Stabilization Grant Applications
Additional $125 Million in Funding Provided by American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 for Eligible Child Care Programs The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) announced today that it will open the application window for the second and final round of Child Care Stabilization Grants on January 3, 2022. MSDE…