As we prepare for the 2027 state legislative session, it’s a good time to look back at Maryland’s 2026 session at what our community of ECE (early childhood education) advocates worked toward.
Advocacy Meeting Series. From January through April, MDAEYC ran a biweekly series designed to help members build real advocacy skills while staying current on the session in real time. Five meetings drew 80 registrants, with 8 to 20 people joining live each time — and roughly 60% were new to MDAEYC advocacy, joining us from different parts of the state. Many came back for more than one session. It ended with something we didn’t plan for: participants asked for an in-person dinner to connect outside the formal meeting structure, and 8 people showed up, including 4 who were new to this advocacy work.
Evening in Annapolis. On February 9, MDAEYC co-hosted this year’s Evening in Annapolis alongside 7 other statewide partner organizations, mobilizing roughly 200 early childhood professionals to meet directly with their legislators. Family child care providers, early childhood educators, program directors — the people who know this work firsthand — filled the State House. They’re the ones who actually know what children need, what families are struggling with, and what it takes to provide quality care. When they tell their own stories directly, legislators listen.
NAEYC Public Policy Forum. In late February, MDAEYC led Maryland’s 25-person delegation to NAEYC’s national Public Policy Forum in Washington, DC — held during NAEYC’s centennial year, with over 400 advocates nationally arranging more than 200 meetings with congressional offices. A standout: 10 early childhood education students from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, an HBCU, attended and spoke directly in meetings with Congressional staff or Members of Congress about the importance of investments in CCDBG, Head Start, and IDEA.
Testimony and legislative engagement. MDAEYC submitted testimony on several of our priority bills this session, including the Child Care Credential Program restoration, family child care lease protections, the scholarship-related bills, and the zoning bill.
This is what advocacy at scale actually looks like: not one person, but a growing network of early childhood educators willing to show up, tell their stories, and put in the time it takes to move policy.
The 2026 Maryland Legislative Session: What Passed, What Didn’t and What’s Next
In January, Maryland’s lawmakers began the 90-day session against a tough backdrop: a $1.2 billion state budget shortfall. This tight financial climate makes it very difficult to secure new or increased funding for initiatives; in fact, advocates often find themselves working to prevent funding cuts to programs as policymakers look for ways to balance the state budget. That backdrop makes what our community secured this year even more significant.
The wins. Despite the shortfall, early childhood advocates — including MDAEYC members — helped to secure funding for programs that matter:
- $20 million in additional funding for the Child Care Scholarship Program (HB 1321), the subsidy that helps low-income families afford care. This is estimated to help roughly 3,800 children come off the waitlist by next year.
- $10 million for the Pre-K Expansion Grant Program, funding Pre-K seats in community-based child care center and family child care programs.
- $450,000 securing the GO FCC Program (Growing Family Child Care Opportunities) through FY 2030 (HB 742/SB 503) — a program that’s supported 278 new family child care providers and roughly 2,000 new child care slots since 2022.
- $5.7 million restored for the Child Care Credential Program (HB 561/SB 467), which recognizes the professional accomplishments of child care workers by giving bonuses to workers who complete required training and professional activities. The funds restore the program and puts dedicated funding in place to keep it going through 2030.
What else passed. A few other bills of note:
- HB 1321 capped Child Care Scholarship copays at 7% of a family’s income and clarified the application process.
- HB 849 (plus HB 910/SB 664) made the scholarship waitlist exception rules clearer, including for child care workers’ own children.
- HB 748 made permanent the career ladder for Pre-K teachers in community-based programs.
- HB 635/SB 359 and HB 281 sped up and clarified background check rules for child care staff.
- And HB 430 lets family child care providers who serve in the military reserves use a substitute so they don’t have to close down while on duty.
What didn’t make it. Not everything got across the finish line, and it’s worth knowing what’s still unresolved:
- HB 1574, which would have updated licensing rules and clarified how repeat violations affect Pre-K funding eligibility, passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
- HB 1259, which would have limited local governments’ ability to use zoning to block family child care homes, didn’t pass — some counties can still make it harder to open a home-based program. This conversation isn’t over.
- HB 543, which would have extended landlord-tenant protections to family child care providers who rent the space they operate from, didn’t pass this session — MDAEYC submitted testimony in support.
- Bills on teacher qualification pathways (HB 539), child abuse/neglect prevention training requirements (HB 1034), and expanded early childhood access in Prince George’s County (SB 672) also didn’t advance this session.
Protecting immigrant families. While immigration policy is a broad issue that MDAEYC has not usually worked on, dramatic changes to how immigration enforcement is implemented has pushed this issue to the forefront. When families are afraid to enroll their children in child care, apply for scholarships, or show up to programs, it directly affects children’s access to early learning. Maryland lawmakers worked on this issue and took the following actions:
- Passed the Community Trust Act (SB 791), limiting local law enforcement cooperation with ICE without a judge-signed warrant,
- Passed the Data Privacy Act (HB 711), preventing state agencies from sharing enrollment and benefit data for immigration enforcement, and
- Banned 287(g) programs (SB 245/HB 444) that let local police act as immigration enforcers.
MDAEYC takes no position on immigration policy broadly; we oppose practices that expose young children to trauma or create fear that keeps families and educators from accessing early childhood programs. MDAEYC also affirms that immigration enforcement must be lawful and constitutional
An election year changes things. All 188 seats in the Maryland General Assembly are on the ballot this November. That means every legislator is paying extra attention to their constituents right now — which makes this an especially good time to connect with yours, share your story, and make sure they know what child care providers and families need. (Not registered to vote yet, or not sure? We’ve got you covered — see the voter registration resources below.)
Between now and the 2027 session, MDAEYC will be watching how the Child Care Scholarship changes and credential program rollout play out, tracking the HB 1574 interim workgroup on licensing modernization, building relationships with legislators — especially new ones after November’s elections — and engaging in electoral advocacy: voter registration, candidate outreach, and legislator site visits.
Want to get more involved? Let us know — we’re looking for people to help staff tables at ECE events, connect with their own legislators, host a program visit for their state legislator, help with nonpartisan voter registration efforts, or just join the MDAEYC advocacy network for action alerts and updates. Reach out at info@mdaeyc.org.
The wins above didn’t happen because a handful of people emailed and called legislators in Annapolis. They happened because our members showed up — at meetings, at the State House, in DC, and in their own inboxes — all year long.