Maryland
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| Strategy Name | Strategy Type(s) | Year | Funding Amount | Funding Source | Features at a Glance | |
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Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program (MATP) - Child Care Development Specialist
In 2016, Kelly M. Schulz, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor, announced a $2 million award from the United States Department of Labor’s ApprenticeshipUSA Expansion Grant to invest in the state’s registered apprenticeship programming, which includes a Child Care Development Specialist apprenticeship. At the end of 2020, Governor Larry Hogan announced that the Maryland Department of Labor had received a $6,012,924 award from the U.S. Department of Labor for a State Apprenticeship Expansion Grant. These funds increased the scope of services offered to Registered Apprenticeship sponsors, employers, and apprentices. In 2021, the program received $3 million in funding for Maryland’s registered and youth apprenticeship programs. Registered apprenticeships allow employees to have a full-time job, learn through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction, and earn a salary. The state’s youth apprenticeship program, Apprenticeship Maryland, is offered in 15 county school systems and 151 employers; it accepts high school juniors and seniors, providing them with a head start on their future career. While enrolled in this program, apprentices work a minimum of 450 hours with a certified employer while receiving high school credit.
Learn More: Maryland Department of Labor
Sources:
Maryland Department of Labor. (2016). Maryland Awarded $2 Million for Apprenticeship Program.
Maryland Department of Labor. (2020). Governor’s Budget Provides $7.5 Million for EARN Maryland and a Record $3 Million for the State’s Apprenticeship Program.
Maryland Department of Labor (2020). Governor Hogan Announces Maryland Awarded Over $6 Million for Apprenticeship Program.
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2016 | $2 million in 2016; $6 million in 2020; $3 million in 2021 |
ApprenticeshipUSA Expansion Grant (US Department of Labor Grant)
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Part of Federal Registered Apprenticeship Program
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In 2016, Kelly M. Schulz, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor, announced a $2 million award from the United States Department of Labor’s ApprenticeshipUSA Expansion Grant to invest in the state’s registered apprenticeship programming, which includes a Child Care Development Specialist apprenticeship. At the end of 2020, Governor Larry Hogan announced that the Maryland Department of Labor had received a $6,012,924 award from the U.S. Department of Labor for a State Apprenticeship Expansion Grant. These funds increased the scope of services offered to Registered Apprenticeship sponsors, employers, and apprentices. In 2021, the program received $3 million in funding for Maryland’s registered and youth apprenticeship programs. Registered apprenticeships allow employees to have a full-time job, learn through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction, and earn a salary. The state’s youth apprenticeship program, Apprenticeship Maryland, is offered in 15 county school systems and 151 employers; it accepts high school juniors and seniors, providing them with a head start on their future career. While enrolled in this program, apprentices work a minimum of 450 hours with a certified employer while receiving high school credit.
Learn More: Maryland Department of Labor
Sources:
Maryland Department of Labor. (2016). Maryland Awarded $2 Million for Apprenticeship Program.
Maryland Department of Labor. (2020). Governor’s Budget Provides $7.5 Million for EARN Maryland and a Record $3 Million for the State’s Apprenticeship Program.
Maryland Department of Labor (2020). Governor Hogan Announces Maryland Awarded Over $6 Million for Apprenticeship Program.
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Maryland Pre-K
In 2023, Maryland launched an expansion of its Prekindergarten Program under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future (HB-1300), with the goal of providing free, full-day Pre-K to all three- and four-year-olds from families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), with subsidized options on a sliding scale for families earning up to 600% FPL. Overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), the program relies on a mixed-delivery model in which public schools and private providers share responsibility for Pre-K slots, with a goal of filling half of all slots through private providers by the 2026-27 school year. A 2024 survey found that only 13% of private child care providers planned to participate, while nearly 40% said they would not. Providers cited staffing shortages, new teacher qualification requirements, concerns about increased state oversight, and in some cases, a simple lack of awareness of the program. In 2023-2024, Maryland served 38% of four-year-olds and 7% of three-year-olds.
Learn More: Blueprint for Maryland's Future
Sources:
Maryland State Department of Education. (n.d.). Blueprint Pillar 1: Early Childhood Education.
Maryland State Department of Education. (n.d.). Prekindergarten Expansion and Improvements.
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2025). Maryland Increases Pre-K Investments as States Hit New National Records for Preschool Enrollment.
Keefe, A., & Beinart, M. (2024, July 31). Maryland's pre-K expansion plan proves to be unpopular with child care providers. Maryland Matters.
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2016 | $2 million in 2016; $6 million in 2020; $3 million in 2021 |
ApprenticeshipUSA Expansion Grant (US Department of Labor Grant)
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Part of Federal Registered Apprenticeship Program
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In 2023, Maryland launched an expansion of its Prekindergarten Program under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future (HB-1300), with the goal of providing free, full-day Pre-K to all three- and four-year-olds from families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), with subsidized options on a sliding scale for families earning up to 600% FPL. Overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), the program relies on a mixed-delivery model in which public schools and private providers share responsibility for Pre-K slots, with a goal of filling half of all slots through private providers by the 2026-27 school year. A 2024 survey found that only 13% of private child care providers planned to participate, while nearly 40% said they would not. Providers cited staffing shortages, new teacher qualification requirements, concerns about increased state oversight, and in some cases, a simple lack of awareness of the program. In 2023-2024, Maryland served 38% of four-year-olds and 7% of three-year-olds.
Learn More: Blueprint for Maryland's Future
Sources:
Maryland State Department of Education. (n.d.). Blueprint Pillar 1: Early Childhood Education.
Maryland State Department of Education. (n.d.). Prekindergarten Expansion and Improvements.
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2025). Maryland Increases Pre-K Investments as States Hit New National Records for Preschool Enrollment.
Keefe, A., & Beinart, M. (2024, July 31). Maryland's pre-K expansion plan proves to be unpopular with child care providers. Maryland Matters.
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Demographics Link copied!
Demographics Data Scorecard
State population
6,164,660 Source U.S. Census, 2022
Rural %
14.4% Source U.S. Census, 2020
Urban %
85.6% Source U.S. Census, 2020
Number of children 0–4
354,588 Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Poverty levels - children 0—8 below 200% poverty
30% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Median family income among households with children
$110,000.00 Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Unemployment rate
2.8% Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 2024
Unemployment rate of parents
5% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Children under age 6 with all available parents in the labor force
71% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Children living in households with a high housing cost burden
31% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Child Population by Race and Ethnicity Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Race and Ethnicity
- American Indian and Alaska Native (0.49%)
- Asian (6%)
- Black or African American (31%)
- Hispanic or Latino (17%)
- Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (0.49%)
- Two or more races (6%)
- White, not Hispanic or Latino (40%)
| Year | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | R | R | R | R |
| State House | D | D | D | D | D |
| State Senate | D | D | D | D | D |
Early Childhood Education Programs Link copied!
Early Childhood Education Programs
| Program Name | Program Length* | Universal or Targeted Pre-K Policy | State Spending Per Child |
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| Maryland Prekindergaten Program Source: NIEER 2023 | - | Targeted Pre-K Policy (3-and 4-Year-Olds) Source: NIEER 2023 | - |
3-Year-Olds Enrolled in Early Childhood Education Programs NIEER 2023
Programs
- Percent of 3-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Pre-K (%3)
- Percent of 3-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Head Start (%4)
- Percent of 3-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Special Education (%4)
- Percent of 3-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Other/None (%89)
4-Year-Olds Enrolled in Early Childhood Education Programs NIEER 2023
Programs
- Percent of 4-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Pre-K (%31)
- Percent of 4-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Head Start (%5)
- Percent of 4-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Special Education (%3)
- Percent of 4-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Other/None (%61)
Workforce Link copied!
2017–2019 Median Hourly Wages Source CSCCE 2018, 2020
Role
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Child Care Workers
$11.81 (2017, adjusted)
$11.59 (2019) -
Preschool Teachers
$14.81 (2017, adjusted)
$15.33 (2019) -
Preschool or Child Care Center Directors
$23.27 (2017, adjusted)
$23.09 (2019)
Funding Sources Link copied!
Federal and State Early Childhood Education Funding (in Millions) Source First Five Years Fund, 2024
Funding Source
- Head Start and Early Head Start Funding ($122)
- CCDBG & Mandatory Funds ($170.8)
- CCDBG State Match ($39.6)
- State-Funded Pre-K ($224.4)
- MIECHV ($10.4)
- IDEA Part C ($9.4)
- IDEA Part B, Sec 619 ($7.4)
- TANF Early Learning and Care ($80.7)