Resources for Early Care and Education Professionals

The CARE Center - The CARE Center can help child care providers and early childhood educators with children ages 0-5 years of age that have difficult and disruptive behavior. CARE Center behavior consultants work on site and provide observations and consultations with families and educators to provide intervention and support to decrease challenging or concerning behaviors.

CDA Grant Program - Maryland Family Network, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and the Council for Professional Recognition are partnering to provide thousands of Maryland's early childhood educators with financial support to help them earn the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. 

Child Care CCPDF - The Child Care Career and Professional Development Fund (CCCPDF) is a tuition assistance program for child care providers to obtain a college education at participating colleges/universities in Maryland.

Child Care Licensing Forms - Licensing forms for family and center providers are available from MSDE

Child Care Quality Incentive Grant Program - New grant opportunities in SFY 2022 will be available soon to support quality improvements and start up and sustainability for family child care and center-based programs. 

Child Protective Services - A part of Maryland Department of Human Services - Social Services, lists contacts for local offices and quick links to child abuse reporting requirements and processes.

Early Childhood Career Center - Careers in early childhood can provide a rewarding opportunity for those who choose to make their life’s work focus on a critical time in the lives of children. From working directly with children or supporting those who do - there are lots of opportunities in the field of early childhood to chose from. Whether you are a student considering a career in early childhood or an early childhood professional considering your career options, utilize these resources to explore the many available career opportunities in Maryland.

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Project  - The Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Consultation Project improves the ability of staff, programs and families to prevent, identify, treat and reduce the impact of social, emotional and other mental health problems among children birth through 5 years of age.

Family Child Care Provider Direct Grant Program - The Family Child Care Provider Direct Grant Fund Program exists to help registered family child care providers offset some of the costs of opening their  child care programs.

Howard Community College Teacher Education Division - Offers college degree programs for early educators.

Howard Community College Division of Continuing Education - Offers non-degree professional certification for child care and early educators.

Howard County Library - Sponsors educational activities and events; offers an A+ Educator library card that gives teachers and home school instructors special borrowing privileges for materials used in preparing lessons or in assisting students with assignments.

Howard County Family Child Care Association - Serves the professionalism needs of its members, operators of home based child care programs; it's mission is to foster professional, quality, registered child care by providing education, support and outreach to providers, families and our local communities.

Howard County Child Care Resource Center  - Provides technical assistance and resources for parents, child care professionals in the community.

MDAEYC (Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children) - State affiliate of NAEYC, MDAEYC serves the professionalism needs of its members by empowering those who care for and educate young children by promoting high quality early childhood education standards.

Maryland Child Care Licensing Regulations (COMAR) - Maryland state licensing regulation for all types of regulated child care programs, including Centers and Family Child Care homes.

Maryland's Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education (Birth through 5) - Provides support and services to infants, toddlers and young children with special needs and their families to improve the child's ability to learn and play. Services are based on the Individuals with Education Disabilities Act (IDEA). ensuring children with disabilities have the opportunity for a free and appropriate education to support their unique development and learning needs.

Maryland EXCELS - A voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement System that awards ratings to family providers, center-based and public school child care programs, and school age before and after school programs that meet increasingly higher standards of quality in key areas.

Maryland EXCELS Toolkit - The Toolkit provides information and resources to support you in making quality improvements in your program.

Maryland Family Network - The mission of the Maryland Family Network is to ensure that young children, their families and professionals have the resources to learn and succeed.

MSDE Division of Early Childhood Development - The main mission of the Division is to improve early education in Maryland so that young children are well prepared for school. The Division is composed of the Office of Child Care, the Early Learning Branch, and the Collaboration and Program Improvement Branch

MSDE Early Childhood COVID-19 Updates - Early Childhood Grants, Programming and Initiatives in Maryland During COVID-19 State of Emergency

MSDE IMPACT Newsletter - Weekly newsletter

MSDE OCC Child Care Credential Program - Sets standards and offers incentives for child care and early learning professionals in Maryland to advance their qualifications in the field.

MSDE OCC Licensing Branch - Responsible for the licensure and registration of child care facilities and the approval of nonpublic nursery schools statewide. MSDE Licensing and Programs that Recognize and Support Quality - Provides a summary of programs Licensing, Credentialing, Accreditation and Maryland EXCELS - Learn more about eligibility, and the benefits of participation in both.

MSDE OCC Hiring Staff Resource Guide - Provides information regarding hiring staff, staff/child ratio requirements for centers and large homes, employment prohibitions, reporting staff changes and contains links to resources and forms.

The Office of Child Care (OCC) -  Supports low-income working families by providing access to affordable, high-quality early care and after school programs. OCC administers the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and works with state, territory and tribal governments to provide support for children and their families juggling work schedules and struggling to find child care programs that will fit their needs and that will prepare children to succeed in school. 

Ready at Five - Dedicated to elevating school readiness for all Maryland children by developing a variety of programs and curricula that are designed to support early educators, parents, librarians, and other service providers.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention Milestone Moments - Milestones to watch for and how you can help children learn and grow.

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