Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program - Funding

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0503*

SENATE BILL 503
O4, F5 6lr2353
CF HB 742
By: Senator King
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 23, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program – Funding 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Governor to include a certain appropriation in the annual 3
budget bill for the Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program for certain 4
fiscal years; and generally relating to funding for the Growing Family Child Care 5
Opportunities Program. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Education 8
Section 9.5–114(a), (b), (c), and (g) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 9.5–114(e) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18

Article – Education 19

9.5–114. 20
2 SENATE BILL 503

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 1

(2) “Child care licensing region” means any one of 13 regions designated by 2
the Department to provide licensing and oversight for family child care programs. 3

(3) “Family child care” means the care given to a child under the age of 13 4
years or to a developmentally disabled person under the age of 21 years that is in place of 5
parental care for less than 24 hours a day, in a residence other than the child’s residence, 6
for which the family child care provider is paid. 7

(4) “Family child care provider” means an individual who cares for children 8
in a registered family child care home or a registered large family child care home. 9

(5) “Local program” means a local jurisdiction or child care licensing region 10
that participates in the Program. 11

(6) “Program” means the Growing Family Child Care Opportunities 12
Program. 13

(7) “Start–up assistance” means the funding for starting a family child care 14
program including the cost of materials, curriculum, and renovations. 15

(b) (1) There is a Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program in the 16
Department. 17

(2) The purpose of the Program is to provide grants to establish and 18
support local programs in the State. 19

(3) The Department shall partner with the Maryland Child Care Resource 20
Network to administer the Program. 21

(c) (1) Except as provided in subsection (g) of this section, on or before 22
September 1, 2022, the Department shall award at least three grants, each of which does 23
not exceed $150,000, in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsection to establish a nd 24
support family child care providers in the State. 25

(2) (i) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a county governing 26
body or multiple county governing bodies shall sign a memorandum of understanding with 27
a child care resource center that serves the child care licensing region that contains one of 28
the counties. 29

(ii) The county or counties and the child care resource center jointly 30
shall apply for the grant and administer the local program. 31

SENATE BILL 503 3

(e) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, for each of fiscal years 2023, 1
2024, [and] 2026, AND 2028 THROUGH 2030, the Governor shall include in the annual 2
budget bill an appropriation of $450,000 to the Program. 3

(2) To the extent authorized under fed eral law, the Governor shall use 4
federal funds to satisfy the requirement of paragraph (1) of this subsection. 5

(g) (1) The Department may seek funding to start the Program. 6

(2) If the Department receives funding before July 1, 2022, the Department 7
shall begin awarding grants as soon as possible under the Program. 8

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 9
1, 2026. 10

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.