SB0664 • 2026

Child Care Scholarship Program - Priority for Child Care Providers

Children Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Senator Harris
Last action: 2026-02-10
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 3/04 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Child Care Scholarship Program - Priority for Child Care Providers

Requiring the State Department of Education to establish a framework, for applications received after July 1, 2026, to prioritize the children of individuals who provide care for children in licensed child care centers, registered family child care homes, and registered large family child care homes for scholarships under the Child Care Scholarship Program.

What This Bill Does

Requiring the State Department of Education to establish a framework, for applications received after July 1, 2026, to prioritize the children of individuals who provide care for children in licensed child care centers, registered family child care homes, and registered large family child care homes for scholarships under the Child Care Scholarship Program.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-10 Senate
Hearing 3/04 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-06 Senate
First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Child Care Scholarship Program - Priority for Child Care Providers

Official Summary Text

Requiring the State Department of Education to establish a framework, for applications received after July 1, 2026, to prioritize the children of individuals who provide care for children in licensed child care centers, registered family child care homes, and registered large family child care homes for scholarships under the Child Care Scholarship Program.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0664*

SENATE BILL 664
F5, O4 6lr2810
CF HB 910
By: Senator Harris
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Child Care Scholarship Program – Priority for Child Care Providers 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Department of Education to establish a framework 3
to prioritize the children of certain child care providers for scholarships under the 4
Child Care Scholarship Program; and generally relating to the Child Care 5
Scholarship Program. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Education 8
Section 9.5–113(a) and (b) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 9.5–113(c)(1) 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

9.5–113. 20

(a) In this section, “Program” means the Child Care Scholarship Program. 21

(b) The Department shall administer the Program in accordance with federal law. 22

(c) (1) The Department shall: 23
2 SENATE BILL 664

(i) Establish a process that meets the requirements of this 1
subsection for granting presumptive eligibility for a [subsidy] SCHOLARSHIP under the 2
Program; [and] 3

(ii) Incorporate the framework of the Youth Transi tioning From 4
Foster Placement to Successful Adulthood Program as established under § 9.5–113.2 of this 5
subtitle; AND 6

(III) FOR APPLICATIONS THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES A FTER 7
JULY 1, 2026, ESTABLISH A FRAMEWOR K TO PRIORITIZE THE CHILDREN OF 8
INDIVIDUALS WHO PROVIDE CARE FOR CHI LDREN IN LICENSED CH ILD CARE 9
CENTERS, REGISTERED FAMILY CH ILD CARE HOMES , AND REGISTERED LARGE 10
FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES FOR SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE PROGRAM. 11

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 12
1, 2026. 13