More Money for Maryland Childcare Providers - post

Maryland is expanding support for child care providers with an additional $50 million in stabilization grants for programs that experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you plan to use grants for staff credentials or CDA training, ChildCareEd offers online courses such as CDA Family Child Care Credential Buy Now $400.00$300.00 and CDA Preschool Credential Buy Now $400.00$300.00. Confirm eligibility with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) before assuming a specific course will satisfy grant, licensing, or registry requirements.

Grant money can be used to pay for things like personnel costs, rent or mortgage payments, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), mental health support for children and employees, and other costs related to caring for children during the COVID-19 pandemic or getting ready to do so. 

Who is eligible for Maryland's stabilization grants?

The State identifies priority providers for stabilization funding. Based on the State's published priorities, grants are targeted to providers who can show significant financial hardship or risk of closure, providers that have not previously received stabilization funding, programs serving low-income families, sites that participate in Maryland EXCELS or the Child Care Scholarship Program, providers serving children with special needs, and those serving infants and toddlers. If you need a detailed checklist that maps the state's priorities to your application, see ChildCareEd's Maryland grant resources such as Daycare Grants in Maryland and Grants for In-Home Daycare Providers in Maryland for practical, program-specific links and local examples.

How do I apply and where do I confirm eligibility?

Applications are managed by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) or by a designated state contractor.

Always use the MSDE grant page and the program's Grant Information Guide as your primary source for application forms, required attachments, allowable uses, and deadlines. For background on related child care subsidy and program regulation, see Maryland's official regulations for the Child Care Subsidy Program (COMAR Chapter 13A.14.06) and MSDE announcements summarizing scholarship and subsidy changes (MSDE scholarship expansion report).

Before you submit: verify which attachments MSDE requires (budget detail, payroll records, enrollment rosters), confirm the application portal URL, and check whether your program type (center, family child care, Head Start, or exempt) must use a different application form. If you serve children using the Child Care Scholarship Program, reference MSDE guidance and the state's eligibility rules in your narrative.

How may providers use the funds and plan a compliant budget?

Eligible grant uses often include personnel costs (payroll, hazard pay, recruitment/retention incentives), rent/mortgage, utilities, PPE and cleaning supplies, technology for remote family engagement, mental health supports for staff and children, and costs to reconfigure classrooms for health guidance. Build a short budget narrative that ties each planned expense to health, safety, or program continuity so reviewers can see how grants reduce closure risk. Keep documentation (invoices, payroll records, receipts) ready for audits and post-award reporting.

Practical supports and templates, including sample budgets and documentation checklists, are available through ChildCareEd articles such as Child Care Resource Center in Maryland and provider-facing guides like MSDE Training Voucher Program: Benefits for Directors.

What training and funding can help providers use these grants to strengthen quality?

Many providers use stabilization or quality-improvement funds to support staff credentials, curriculum upgrades, or accreditation costs. If your application lists credentialing or training as an objective, include course descriptions, estimated costs, and how the training will improve quality (staff retention, improved child outcomes, higher Maryland EXCELS rating).

ChildCareEd has targeted resources and articles that explain how to lower training costs and find scholarships in Maryland, for example CDA Scholarships in Maryland and Earning Your CDA in Maryland. If you need only incremental hours to complete a CDA training package, the CDA Bridge Bundle: Family Child Care Buy Now $300.00 can provide the remaining hours many registries require; always confirm with MSDE or your local registry whether the specific course and provider are accepted for registry credit or grant reimbursement.

Where can I learn more about local grant programs and examples?

Local examples and county-level programs are useful for application narratives. See ChildCareEd's practical pages with local grant summaries and examples: Daycare Grants in Maryland, Grants for In-Home Daycare Providers in Maryland, and guides on paying less for CDA training: How can Maryland providers pay less for their CDA training?.

It has been reported that Governor Hogan’s budget for the 2023 fiscal year will also help childcare providers in the following ways:

• $5.2 million to help childcare workers in Maryland get credentials
• $5 million to give awards to providers who take part in Maryland EXCELS, the state's quality rating and improvement system for childcare and early education programs
• $3 million to keep local Head Start programs going
• $1 million for the Child Care Accreditation Support Fund, which helps childcare providers pay the costs of getting accredited.

During the current round of funding, preference is going to be given to childcare providers who meet the following criteria:

• Providers who can show they are having financial problems that make it likely their business will close within the next 12 months.
• Providers who have never received a stabilization grant before.
• Providers who take part in the Child Care Scholarship Program; Providers in areas where MSDE says there aren't enough childcare slots.
• Providers who mostly care for low-income families in areas with a lot of poverty
• Providers who care for children with special needs
• Providers who care for children under 2 years old.

What should Maryland providers do next?

Action steps for providers:

1. Check the MSDE grant page and the program's Grant Information Guide for the current application portal, required attachments, and the official deadline. Do not rely on secondary summaries for deadlines; use MSDE's site as the authoritative source (MSDE announcement).
2. Prepare a concise budget narrative and attach supporting documents (payroll, leases, invoices). Prioritize costs that directly reduce closure risk or improve health and safety.
3. Document why your program meets one or more priority areas (financial hardship, Child Care Scholarship participation, serving infants/toddlers or children with special needs, or participating in Maryland EXCELS).

What is the bottom line for Maryland providers?

Maryland's stabilization funding aims to strengthen program stability, support staff credentialing and quality improvement, and preserve access for families. Follow MSDE instructions, attach the requested evidence, and use the grant to stabilize finances and document targeted quality work for post-award reporting.

References: Maryland regulatory framework and program announcements referenced in this article are included for your verification: COMAR Chapter 13A.14.06 – Child Care Subsidy Program; MSDE scholarship expansion report. Always confirm current application dates and requirements on MSDE's official grant or program page.