How We Partner With Advocates
Standing Up for Maryland’s Youngest Children and Those Who Care for Them
As Maryland’s leading statewide child advocacy organization, Maryland Family Network ensures that young children have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. We also work to support the families, child care providers, and other caregivers in their lives. Our policy work prioritizes expanding mixed delivery early care and education to support workforce participation, fortifying the state’s two-generation family support infrastructure, and ensuring the economic stability and well-being of Maryland’s youngest residents during their most critical first five years.
We partner with coalitions across the state, including Poverty Free MD; Time to Care Coalition; Maryland Tax Credits for Families Coalition; and Blueprint Coalition.
Our Work This Session
During the 2026 Legislative Session, MFN’s public policy work was focused on:
- Mitigating the impact of federal policy changes and funding reductions
- Protecting programs that support young children and families from harmful cuts
- Sustaining investments in early childhood programs
- Advocating for continued funding for affordable, accessible early childhood programs, the Child Care Scholarship Program, and public Pre-K
- Advancing proven supports in the first five years
- Promoting strategies like home visiting and early interventions that best support families during pregnancy and children’s first five years
2026 Legislative Tracker
Click the link below to see the following information:
- Bills we are tracking (includes summary, sponsors, status updates)
- Our view (supporting, opposing, neutral/tracking)
- All formal written or presented testimony
Our Top Legislative Priorities
Early Care and Education
Every child deserves access to high-quality early learning experiences that set them up for success in school and in life.
Family Supports & Economic Security
Strong families are the foundation of thriving communities. MFN advocates for a two-generation approach that supports both children and the adults who care for them.
Early Childhood Physical and Mental Health
A child’s first five years lay the foundation for lifelong health and well-being. MFN works to support children and caregivers from prenatal care through early childhood.
Early Care and Education Priorities
Expanding Pre-K
Championing policies that increase access to high-quality Pre-K programs across the state.
Strengthening Child Care
Advocating for common-sense regulations that keep child care settings safe, healthy, and enriching for young children.
Helping Parents Navigate Care
Helping families find and choose quality child care and develop the skills they need to raise healthy, thriving children.
Supporting Providers
Providing essential training, technical assistance, and coaching to child care providers, home visitors, and family support staff — elevating quality statewide.
Informing Policy with Data
Collecting and analyzing statewide child care data, in collaboration with the Maryland State Department of Education, to identify trends, child care deserts, and gaps in access — and using that data to guide better policy-making and streamline administrative support.
Family & Economic Security Priorities
Paid Family & Medical Leave
Leading advocacy for effective implementation of Maryland’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program (Time to Care Act), so workers can care for a new child or sick loved one without risking their livelihoods.
Making Child Care Affordable
Fighting for increased funding and expanded eligibility for the Child Care Scholarship (CCS) program.
Family Economic Stability
Supporting programs and policies that strengthen family economic stability — including strengthening safety net programs, protecting cash benefits, and the Child Tax Credit.
Early Intervention & Parenting Support
Championing programs that offer parents the support they need and want to support their parenting, work, and education goals.
Early Childhood Physical and Mental Health Priorities
Expanding Home Visiting
Supporting continued and expanded funding for high-quality, research-based home visiting programs that provide vital support to new and expectant parents.
Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health
Advocating for increased access to infant and early childhood mental health consultation so families and providers can support young children’s social-emotional development.
Promoting Health & Safety
Championing policies that promote physical health, safety, and nutrition in all early childhood settings.
Strengthening Early Intervention Systems
Ensuring children with developmental delays or disabilities are identified early and connected to high-quality services.
Sign Up For Public Policy Alerts
Every policy starts with people who care enough to speak up. Whether you’re a parent, provider, community member, or partner, you have a role in shaping Maryland’s future.
Our Accomplishments
- Championed the expansion of Pre-K
- Fought to sustain critical investments in child care, early education, and family supports
- Led the effort to pass the Time to Care Act, resulting in one of the nation’s strongest family and medical leave insurance programs
- Helped consolidate early care and education programs within the Maryland State Department of Education
- Successfully raised the eligibility floor and benefit levels for the Child Care Scholarship to historic highs
2026 Key Victories
Child Care Scholarship Program
The Maryland General Assembly took three steps to address the Child Care Scholarship Program waitlist. First, the House and Senate added an additional $20 Million to the Governor’s allocation for the Child Care Scholarship Program.
Second, two pieces of legislation to guide the Maryland State Department of Education’s management of the waitlist passed (HB 849 and HB 1321). Families receiving Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) or Social Security Income (SSI), siblings of current Scholarship recipients, and children experiencing homelessness will be exempt from the waitlist. When they apply and are deemed eligible, they will receive a Scholarship. The waitlist will be in place until additional funding becomes available. If and when a spot opens up, children from the lowest income families would be served first, children of child care providers next, followed by children under three, and those on the waitlist for the longest period of time.
The third step– described to advocates as a step towards serving more families– will have certain scholarship recipients contribute a family copayment. Families living below the Federal Poverty Line would be exempt from paying a copayment.
Growing Opportunities for Family Child Care
MFN’s popular and successful child care supply building program, delivered in partnership with the Child Care Resource Network, secured $450,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. Legislation passed mandating the $450,000 appropriation continue through FY 2030 (HB 742 / SB 503). At the hearings, MFN proudly shared that from 2022 through the end of 2025, the program has opened 278 new family child care programs for a total of 1,957 new slots. Of note, 443 of the new slots that have opened were for infants and toddlers. Ninety-three percent of GO FCC providers are still in business.
Early Childhood Educators
Advocacy by child care providers and MFN led to the extension of funding for the Maryland Child Care Credential Program. House and Senate leaders reinstated funding for FY 2027 and passed legislation mandating $5.687 Million in funding through FY 2030 (HB 561 / SB 467). Legislation was also passed to ensure a variety of career pathways remain in the early childhood career ladder and set new timelines for staff to meet required qualifications after being hired to work in child care programs (HB 748).
Pre-Kindergarten
The only path for community-based child care providers to participate in the provision of public prekindergarten is through the Pre-K Expansion Grant. The Pre-K Expansion Grant fund has been flat funded for six years, effectively limiting the number of children who can access prekindergarten in child care settings. The General Assembly added an additional $10 Million for pre-k expansion grants. This additional investment is even more critical as it comes alongside an increase in the per-pupil funding amount that, while supporting the provision of quality care, would have further limited the number of children served.
Maternal and Child Health
MFN supported legislation to improve the child care provider background check process. The Office of Child Care may now create a centralized unit to handle the important work of ensuring people working in child care programs have been properly background checked and fingerprinted.
MFN supported legislation to mandate the coverage of screenings for perinatal behavioral health conditions. The bill passed and is awaiting the Governor’s signature. Health care providers who are involved in pregnancy and postpartum care must conduct a screening for perinatal behavioral health conditions at well visits within the first year of the child’s life. The Maryland Department of Health will develop training programs to improve the early identification of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and identify acceptable screening tools (HB 1118).
Family & Economic Supports
In partnership with key allies, MFN successfully advocated for a proposal to ensure access to Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) for parents who need “Good Cause” exemptions to starting a child support order against a non-custodial parent to maintain their or their child’s safety and wellbeing. Additionally, in coalition with other organizations, MFN worked to secure a necessary budget increase to the Community Schools Rental Assistance Program (CSRAP) in FY 2027, as well as continued funding for Medicaid navigators that will assist
MFN's Child Care Demographics Report
The 2026 Maryland Child Care Demographics report provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic and social factors impacting families and child care professionals across the state.
This data-driven resource highlights critical benchmarks in child care affordability, availability, poverty rates, and more to help inform effective policy decisions. By pairing these data with the lived experiences of our communities, we can move beyond anecdotes to advocate for the high-quality, affordable child care every Maryland child deserves.
Spotlight
Paid Family & Medical Leave (FAMLI)
MFN is a founding member and current manager of the Time to Care Coalition, which has championed paid family and medical leave since 2019.
The Time to Care law passed in 2022, creating the Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program, but implementation has been delayed until 2028.
MFN and the Time to Care Coalition continue to advocate for:
- A timely and effective rollout of FAMLI
- Adequate benefit levels
- A system that truly works for low- and moderate-income families
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