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Bill

HB 1034

Child Care - Child Abuse and Neglect - Training Requirements

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jackie Addison and 5 co-sponsors

Maryland bill requiring child care entities to implement standardized abuse and neglect training and strengthen mandatory reporting protocols to authorities.

Hearing 4/07 at 1:00 p.m.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1034

Legislative bill overview

HB 1034 establishes mandatory training and reporting requirements for child care entities regarding child abuse and neglect. The bill requires child care facilities and providers to implement standardized training programs for staff and strengthen protocols for reporting suspected abuse or neglect to appropriate authorities.

Why is this important

Child abuse and neglect in care settings can cause severe physical, emotional, and psychological harm to vulnerable children. Standardized training and mandatory reporting requirements create consistent safeguards across facilities, potentially enabling earlier intervention and protecting children who cannot advocate for themselves.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation costs: Child care facilities, particularly smaller providers and non-profits already operating on tight budgets, may face significant expenses in developing or purchasing training programs and updating reporting systems
  • Liability and false reporting concerns: Mandatory reporting requirements without clear protection standards could expose providers to legal liability, and some may worry about consequences of reports later determined to be unfounded
  • Staffing and compliance burden: Frequent mandatory training requirements could strain already-limited staffing resources in child care centers and create administrative overhead that diverts resources from direct child care services
  • Specificity of requirements: The bill's actual training standards, reporting timelines, and enforcement mechanisms aren't detailed in this overview, leaving questions about whether requirements are reasonably achievable

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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