On February 20, 2024, Associate Policy Director Dominic Butchko testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 831- Common Ownership Communities and Zoning Authorities – Operation of Family Child Care Homes- Limitations with amendments. This bill places certain restrictions on cooperative housing corporations and local jurisdictions in relation regulating the number of children allowed in a family child care and large family child care homes.
The central concern for counties is that child care homes may be in areas where there may not be sufficient infrastructure to support them. Creating a high standard for such a finding, as suggested, would allow the jurisdiction to balance these competing goals effectively.
The need for additional child care capacity is something recognized not only by counties, but also largely by the workforce they employ. The recent report from the Commission to Advance and Strengthen Firefighting and EMS in Maryland, highlighted child care as one of the top three barriers to recruitment and retention of career and volunteer firefighters. Without adequate, affordable, and safe child care infrastructure, the quality of life for our mutual constituents will suffer.
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