Public Policy Agenda

In order to fully deliver on the promise of high-quality early learning for all children, MDAEYC believes that our country must prioritize and implement a bold vision that is rooted in the early years by:

  •  Defining and fully funding access to high-quality early childhood education at scale, regardless of state or setting
  •  Ensuring that all families can choose among options that meet high-quality standards and afford the early learning setting that is right for them
  •  Ensuring that early childhood professionals are diverse, effective educators and leaders working within a compensation and recognition system that supports their excellence

MDAEYC is a state affiliate of NAEYC, and we share and endorse NAEYC’s public policy agenda. Read here for NAEYC’s federal policy agenda and state policy agenda.

MDAEYC will work to achieve the following three public policy goals:

MDAEYC will work to achieve the following three public policy goals:

  1. Support new and increased investments in child care and early childhood education to help address the catastrophic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood educators, children, and families.  
  2. Support enactment of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and the Kirwan Commission’s recommendations for early childhood education and education reform, helping every child succeed. 
  3. Support passage of the Time to Care Act for Paid Family Leave to enable Marylanders to afford time off to care for a family member who is ill or has a disability, a newborn or a newly adopted child. 

MDAEYC Public Policy and Legislative Agenda – PDF