New Training Requirements from Office of Child Care/MSDE - post

New Training Requirements from Office of Child Care/MSDE

The information listed below is for informational purposes only. Any questions should be directed to your assigned Office of Child Care Licensing Specialist

Child Care Training Requirement Changes in Maryland New Training Requirements Timeline

These new requirements will appear in regulation as of January 1, 2008, but will not take effect until July 1, 2008. The changes include:

  • New Terminology for child care center staff: Senior Staff and Group Leaders will now be known as Child Care Teachers.


PRE-SERVICE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: Printable Version
Anyone applying for family child care registration or a staff position in a child care center after July 1, 2008 will be required to meet the following training requirements:

Family Child Care

  • 24 clock hours of core of knowledge training, four hours in each area:

--child development,
--curriculum planning,
--health safety & nutrition,
--special needs,
--professionalism and
--community issues.

  • First Aid, CPR, and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) training are also required.

Child Care Center

  • Aide: Enrolled in a recognized high school child development/career-tech child development program OR complete a 3-clock hour orientation training.
  • Child Care Assistant (formerly Assistant Group Leader): Only new requirement is the completion of 9 clock hours of training in communicating with staff, parents and the public.
  • Child Care Teacher: All staff will need to complete a 9 clock hours of training in communicating with staff, parents and the public, in addition:
  • Infant/Toddler: All staff working with infants and toddlers will need to complete the 90 clock hours of child development and curriculum planning and 45 clock hours in infant/toddler care or 90 clock hours of infant/toddler specific course work.
  • Pre-school: 45 clock hours of child development and 45 clock hours of curriculum planning for preschool age children
  • School-age: 45 clock hours of child development and 45 clock hours of curriculum planning for school-age children
  • Child Care Center Director: 40-45 clock hours administrative training, 9 clock hours of training in communicating with staff, parents and
    the public, and OCC conducted 3 clock hour regulation training session (currently voluntary). In addition for each age group:
  • Infant/Toddler: 90 clock hours of child development and curriculum planning and 45 clock hours in infant/toddler care or 90 clock hours of infant/toddler specific course work.
  • Pre-school: 45 clock hours of child development and 45 clock hours of curriculum planning for preschool age children.
  • School-age: 45 clock hours of child development and 45 clock hours of curriculum planning for school-age children.

NOTE: All positions must meet additional requirements, as specified in regulation, for age, experience and college.

CONTINUED TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: Printable Version
After July 1, 2008 the following requirements for continued training must be met:

Family Child Care

  • For anyone becoming registered after July 1, 2008, during the first year of registration, the completion of 18 clock hours of specified training.
  • Each year thereafter, 12 clock hours of training--a minimum of 6 within the core of knowledge and a maximum of 6 clock hours of "elective" training. Elective training means training taken at a conference or seminar that may not be considered core of knowledge training. All 12 clock hours may be taken in the core of knowledge.

Child Care Center

  • Aides and Child Care Assistants--6 clock hours per year of employment (year of employment is directly related to the staff persons date of hire not the facility license)--a minimum of 3 within the core of knowledge and a maximum of 3 clock hours of "elective" training. Teachers and Directors--12 clock hours of training--a minimum of 6 within the core of knowledge and a maximum of 6 clock hours of "elective" training.


Training Tracks:
Training Track I (Core of Knowledge)

  • Child Development
  • Curriculum
  • Health, Safety & Nutrition
  • Special Needs
  • Professionalism
  • Community

Training Track II (Administrative)

  • Environments (Shared/permanent)
  • Curriculum Planning
  • Budget
  • Staff Management
  • Ethics
  • Communication (newsletters, conferences)
  • Resources (training/internet, etc.)
  • Business Practices
  • Materials/equipment
  • Schedules
  • Reporting (Incident Forms)


For ALL PROVIDERS: (Family and Center)

Training must be completed according to the Early Care and Education Professional Development Plan

Need help? Call us at 1(833)283-2241 (2TEACH1)
Call us