Maryland has suspended the Chlld Care Credential Program, which will harm both workers and families, Christina Peusch writes. File photo by Getty Images.
We are in the midst of a national child care crisis, and Maryland is no exception. Child care is essential for all Marylanders – impacting everyone, including those without children or families who do not need child care services. Ask any business how a lack of consistent, affordable child care affects them, and you’ll hear how workers are stressed and productivity plummets when employees cannot come to work or focus due to child care issues.
According to Child Care Aware of America, the child care workforce has declined by 26% since the pandemic began. Maryland alone has witnessed the closure of over 1,000 child care programs since 2020. The situation is dire for these small businesses, many of which are run by women from marginalized communities.
The average salary for a lead teacher in a Maryland child care center ranges between $26,000 and $31,000 per year, as reported by the Maryland Family Network. These businesses rely heavily on Maryland State Department of Education programs such as the Child Care Credential Program.
In Maryland, the Child Care Credential Program is a lifeline for child care providers, allowing them to participate in training programs to further their education. These funds cover preservice training, required annual training, professional development and credential bonuses to supplement low wages. This support is crucial for maintaining a qualified workforce.
Child care is scarce in Maryland, the nation – and the pandemic made matters worse
Despite its success, the program was suspended on June 30, 2024, due to lack of funding in the Department of Education’s fiscal 2025 budget. The department has said that the program is expected to be restored in fiscal 2026, but that will mean at least a year without funding.
To Colleen Donahue, director at First Presbyterian Preschool in Bel-Air, eliminating funding for the Child Care Credential Program is “a slap in the face to the child care industry. Our school relied on the training reimbursement to pay for continuing education. I will no longer be able to have my teachers take all of the trainings that interest them because our school cannot afford to reimburse them without raising our tuition for parents.”
The Child Care Credential Program is vital for many Maryland child care businesses serving families across the state. Without dedicated state funding, the child care workforce and programs will suffer. This will directly impact access to high-quality child care for working Marylanders and poses risks for losing even more essential child care educators.
Ending this workforce initiative will negatively affect over 55,000 early childhood education workers and directly impact over 20,000 program participants. With the program suspended, it seems the state Department of Education is willing to sacrifice quality due to lack of funding.
How will this affect children? Why is quality not prioritized? While the Moore administration continues to support essential service industries and resources for Maryland’s most important natural resource – our children – we must ensure all Marylanders have access to licensed, quality child care to help aid our state’s economy.
The Child Care Credential Program is connected to many required elements of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, including child care program quality measures such as EXCELS, Licensing, and Accreditation all of which are essential for participating in a mixed delivery pre-K system. Although the state remains committed to fully implementing the Blueprint, several programs remain unfunded including the Child Care Credential Program.
Parents and children already suffer from the lack of affordable, accessible child care, forcing parents to abandon jobs, change hours, stress over employment opportunities, or quit training. Child care providers are the backbone of Maryland’s economy, and we cannot afford to let this essential program shut down. Maryland will continue to count its losses without more investments in child care.
The time for action is now. Maryland must reinstate funding for the Child Care Credential Program to support our child care workforce and sustain our state’s economic health.