According to the Maryland State Department of Education as of mid-March, more than 22,000 families were receiving financial assistance to pay for care for nearly 33,000 kids. Enrollment in scholarship programs is on the rise as care options aimed at low-income families shutter. Even as the state invests record numbers of people in the program, the model of private child care is still fundamentally broken, experts and advocates say. Child care is becoming less affordable while providers still do not make enough money. And the high costs may be keeping some Maryland mothers from returning to work, potentially causing ripple effects throughout the economy.
Our priority: The Maryland Chamber has supported legislation and budget initiatives in the past several sessions aimed at incentivizing the opening of new childcare facilities, as well as the expansion of existing ones. The cost and availability of childcare remains a contributing factor to Marylanders’ decisions to return to the workforce. Addressing Maryland’s workforce shortage must be a priority issue for the Governor and the General Assembly.
