Governor Wes Moore’s 2025 budget includes a combined $488 million to support the Maryland Child Care Scholarship Program (CCSP), making it Maryland’s largest ever investment in child care. For decades, Maryland Family Network (MFN) has successfully advocated for the protection, improvement, and expansion of the CCSP. The Governor’s commitment validates and elevates those efforts. The CCSP makes quality child care possible for more than 32,000 children a year. Child care is proven to be one of the most successful anti-poverty programs in existence. It also removes employment barriers for adults and bolsters our local and national economies. 

“We’re extremely grateful to Governor Moore for prioritizing the needs of families with young children by proposing what is the biggest investment in child care in Maryland’s history. This is not just a children’s issue, it’s an economic issue. Child care is what makes Maryland work. When families can afford care, our future workforce is better prepared and our current workforce prospers,” said Laura Weeldreyer, Executive Director, Maryland Family Network.

The Governor’s historic proposal adds $218 million in FY 24 and $270 million in FY 25 to support the rapidly increasing utilization of the CCSP by Maryland’s working families. In 2022, MFN and our partners successfully advocated to expand family eligibility, increase subsidy rates, and discontinue family co-pays resulting in a 37% increase in child enrollment in the program and an 11% increase in the number of child care providers participating in the program. 

Children who participate in high quality early learning programs are more likely to graduate from high school and college, have better physical and mental health outcomes, earn more money as adults and are less likely to abuse substances. Economists have documented that early care and education generates a 13% annual return on investment. Put another way, every $1 invested in early learning returns a benefit over time of at least $7 to individuals and society as a whole.

Maryland Family Network ensures that young children have strong families, quality early learning environments, and a champion for their interests. Learn more marylandfamilynetwork.org.