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SB 610

Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program - Funding

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Nancy King

The bill raises mandatory funding for the Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program to $900,000 annually in FY2027 and FY2028 to expand grants and support for family child ca

Hearing 2/12 at 1:00 p.m.
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Bill Summary · SB 610

SB 610 — Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program — Funding (2025)

Status: Hearing scheduled 2/12 at 1:00 p.m.
Introduced: February 20, 2025 (Senate)
Primary sponsor (as filed): Senator King
Related/companion: HB 1492 (Delegate Solomon)
Takes effect: July 1, 2025

Purpose / Intent

Amend the mandated budget support for Maryland’s Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program by increasing the required appropriation in specified fiscal years. The program provides grants and supports to expand the supply and sustainability of family child care providers—particularly in high‑need areas.

Key provisions

  • Changes the mandated appropriations language for the Program so that:
    • For FY 2027 and FY 2028 the Governor must include an appropriation of $900,000 in the annual budget bill to the Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program.
    • (Existing law continues to require prior appropriations in earlier years—$450,000 in certain fiscal years—now supplemented by the new FY27–FY28 requirement.)
  • Retains the Department of Education (MSDE) administration of the Program in partnership with the Maryland Child Care Resource Network.
  • Preserves program elements under current law, including:
    • Eligibility: county governing bodies (or multiple counties) must sign an MOU with the local child care resource center and jointly apply for and administer grants.
    • Grant uses: establish/support local pilot programs to increase family child care supply and sustainability (start‑up assistance, technical assistance, financial incentives, recruitment/outreach, multilingual services, peer mentoring, partnerships with local business support organizations).
    • Matching requirement: grant recipients must raise local match (including in‑kind) at a 1:1 ratio.
    • Reporting: MSDE must set goals and report annually to the General Assembly on program status.

Who is affected

  • State budget: General Fund (or federal funds if legally authorized) — the bill creates a mandated appropriation for FY 2027 and FY 2028.
  • MSDE and the Maryland Child Care Resource Network: program administration and reporting responsibilities continue.
  • Counties and local child care resource centers: potential grant applicants and program implementers.
  • Family child care providers and prospective providers: indirect beneficiaries through grant‑funded local pilot programs and supports.
  • Small businesses: potential positive impact where family child care supports local workforce and women/minority‑owned small businesses.

Fiscal impact and timeline

  • Fiscal note (Department of Legislative Services) summary:
    • No fiscal effect in FY 2026.
    • Mandated appropriations of $900,000 in FY 2027 and $900,000 in FY 2028 (General Fund assumed, since available federal funds are expected to be fully utilized).
    • Local governments receiving grants would see corresponding increases in grant funding and expenditures in those years.
  • Effective date of the Act: July 1, 2025 (per bill language).

Implementation notes / context

  • The Program was initially created by Chapters 437–438 (2021) as a pilot with required appropriations in earlier years; more recent statutory changes made the Program permanent and required funding in FY 2026 ($450,000). SB 610 increases mandated funding for FY 2027–FY 2028 to $900,000/year.
  • MSDE is required to partner with the Maryland Child Care Resource Network to administer grants and to publish program goals and status reports to the General Assembly.

If you want, I can:
- Draft a one‑page briefing for budget staff summarizing the fiscal note and negotiation considerations, or
- Extract and summarize the program’s current grant eligibility and application requirements in detail.

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

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