Maryland highlights early childhood expansion, mixed-delivery pre-K and sharp growth in childcare scholarship

Maryland State Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury and assistant superintendent Sarah Neville Morgan told the State Board of Education on April 30 that the state has stepped up investment in young-child services and expanded the mixed-delivery pre-K program to include more family childcare and private providers.

Why it matters: the department said the blueprint-driven approach aims to expand seats while raising program quality so children enter kindergarten ready to learn. Officials said recent reforms focus on affordability for families, steadier payments to providers and technical assistance to small and family childcare providers so they can participate in public pre-K funding.

What officials reported: Neville Morgan said Maryland has seen rapid growth in the childcare scholarship program and in provider participation. The department told the board the scholarship caseload rose from about 24,000 in 2023 to roughly 44,562 children enrolled as of the meeting. Officials reported provider participation in the scholarship program increased from just over 2,800 to more than 3,600 providers, and that more than 85% of licensed programs now participate in the Maryland EXCELS quality-rating system.

Program supports and pilots: department staff described Push to Pre-K outreach and a suite of technical assistance sessions — including Spanish-language supports, coach-led application assistance and online application tools for FY26 — aimed at increasing the number of private providers and family childcare providers who participate in expansion grants. They also summarized the Judy Center family hubs, which offered prenatal and birth-to-3 family supports and workforce development across dozens of sites.

Voices from the field: Washington-area provider leaders and nonprofit partners told the board the mixed-delivery model lets families choose settings that fit schedules and needs and helps sustain providers who otherwise might lose seats. Hillary Roberts King, executive director of Downtown Baltimore Childcare, said mixed delivery allows “stable settings” for children whose families need year-round or wraparound hours. Emil Sabour, director of the Union Baptist Harvey Johnson Head Start, described family engagement, home visits and partnerships with local universities for health services.

Barriers and next steps: panelists and department staff urged continued streamlining of administrative processes for providers, faster payments and clearer technical assistance for family homes. The department said it will keep expanding the Push to Pre-K coaching, assess the campaign’s impact for FY26 grant awards and continue updates to Maryland EXCELS bonus awards and scholarship payments.

What’s next: department leaders said they will keep collecting data on which provider types gain seats, expand outreach and pilot targeted supports for family childcare homes. They also said they plan a summer round of workshops and further coordination with local education agencies and community partners to sustain the gains reported in state participation.