Article 1. Child Care.
§ 10A-1. Child Care and Early Education Officer.
§ 10A-2. Child care expansion and quality enhancement initiative.
Article 2. Early Childhood Coordinating Council.
§ 10A-3. Early Childhood Coordinating Council.
Article 3. Commission on Child Care.
§ 10A-4. Commission on child care.
Article 4. Child Care Facilities Impact Statements.
§ 10A-5. Child care facilities impact statements.
Article 5. Child Day Care Facilities Loan Program.
§ 10A-6. Purpose and objectives.
§ 10A-7. Eligibility.
§ 10A-8. Uses of funds.
§ 10A-9. Loan amounts and rates.
§ 10A-10. Loan procedures.
§ 10A-11. Revolving loan fund.
Article 6. Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity.
§ 10A-12. Early care and education coordinating entity.
(a) Definition. In this Section, Officer means the Child Care and Early Education Officer.
(b) The County Executive must designate an employee in the Department of Health and Human Services to serve as a Child Care and Early Education Officer. Among other duties, the Officer must:
(1) promote coordination and collaboration among county agencies and departments to expand child care opportunities throughout the County;
(2) monitor and support the coordination between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Community Use of Public Facilities to administer the selection of providers in public space, including in Montgomery County Public School facilities, to the extent authorized by State law;
(3) monitor and support the implementation of the Child Care Expansion and Quality Enhancement Initiative described in Section 10A-2;
(4) provide staff support for the Early Childhood Coordinating Council established in Section 10A-3;
(5) monitor and support the implementation of the Early Childhood Initiative as developed by the Coordinating Council;
(6) serve as a liaison between County government and the public on child care-related issues; and
(7) prepare a Strategic Plan for Child Care by [1 year from date of enactment] that includes:
(A) specific goals and implementation strategies for improving early childhood services and child care provider assistance and counseling;
(B) planning for new child care services in public space, including in public school projects;
(C) planning for expansion of child care space through public-private partnerships;
(D) research on the supply, demand, and affordability of child care throughout the County;
(E) a plan for a countywide universal child care and preschool program that provides every child an opportunity to participate in a high-quality preschool, early care, and education program; and
(F) a plan to improve readiness for children entering kindergarten through enhanced early care and education services.
(c) Annual report. By February 1 each year, the Officer must submit to the County Council and County Executive an annual report on:
(1) its activities, accomplishments, plans, and objectives;
(2) the implementation of the Child Care Expansion and Quality Enhancement Initiative, including the number of family child care providers serviced and types of services provided;
(3) steps taken to implement the Strategic Plan for Child Care, Early Care, and Education in the preceding year; and
(4) the activities, accomplishments, plans, and objectives of the Early Childhood Coordinating Council, including implementation of the Early Childhood Initiative. (2015 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 2.)
(a) Definitions. In this Article, the following words have the meanings indicated:
Department means the Department of Health and Human Services.
Director means the Director of the Department or the Director’s designee.
Family child care provider has the same meaning as in Section 5-550 of the Family Law Article of the Maryland Code or any successor provision.
(b) Initiative. The Department must:
(1) at least quarterly, hold an information session:
(A) for prospective family child care providers, on the steps necessary to become registered or licensed by the State; and
(B) for licensed family child care providers, on the steps necessary to achieve State, regional, or national accreditation;
(2) provide technical assistance and coordinate business training to family child care providers;
(3) if a potential family child care provider is pursuing registration or licensing and has submitted an application to the State Office of Child Care, provide technical assistance and general program support to the provider; and
(4) provide services in Spanish, and other languages as requested, in a culturally competent manner.
(c) Regulations. The Executive may adopt regulations under Method (2) to administer the Initiative. (2015 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 2.)
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