On March 1, 2023, Associate Policy Director Brianna January testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in support of HB 881 – Early Learning Collaboratives – Established and Tax Credit for Contributions.
This bill authorizes public and private providers of prekindergarten to form early learning collaboratives as part of a publicly funded prekindergarten program, and distributes to these collaboratives the same state funding available to independent providers. Counties applaud this innovative tool to meet the worthy prekindergarten expansion goals of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, especially considering the daunting financial challenges counties face in implementing the Blueprint.
From the MACo Testimony:
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future phases in expansion of universal, full-day prekindergarten over the next few years. Universally, however, Maryland counties and their respective local education agencies are facing challenges identifying public and private providers to serve under the Blueprint
expansion. Independently and collaboratively, counties across the state are working to find creative and reasonable solutions to these challenges, and they view HB 881 as one solution to this complex issue.
More on MACo’s Advocacy:
Learn more about MACo’s 2023 Legislative Initiatives
Read more General Assembly News on MACo’s Conduit Street blog