House lawmakers review child care scholarship program with new enrollment freeze still in effect – Maryland Matters
Sara Vasquez, lead teacher in the classroom with 2- and 3-year-old students at The Learning Bee in Frederick County, reads “The Littlest Pumpkin” Oct. 29. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)
At The Learning Bee child care center in Frederick County, groups of preschoolers clustered around a table Wednesday to conduct a science experiment combining vinegar, food coloring and baking soda in a small, black pot with a teacher’s help.
As the ingredients bubbled back out of the pot, the children yelled in unison, “Haaaa!”
“Wasn’t that exciting?” asked lead preschool teacher Carolyn Jackson, as more children clamored to be part of the experiment.
It’s the sort of experience Learning Bee owner Cindi Webb wishes she could share with more children. But enrollment at Learning Bee is currently at about 75% of its 112-student capacity, she said, a victim of the ongoing freeze on state scholarships for children in day care.
“We are down, and we contribute a lot of it to not having the scholarship available for families,” said Webb, who said Wednesday that just 15 of her current 83 students are on scholarship.
But any hopes of the freeze being lifted anytime soon were largely dispelled Thursday, when state analysts presented House lawmakers with the latest data on the scholarship program. It is still too crowded to end the freeze, they were told, and new enrollments have been mostly limited to siblings of children who were already getting a scholarship.
Lawmakers in the joint virtual briefing for the House Ways and Means Committee and the Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Education and Economic Development did not offer specific solutions, but pledged to push the issue in the 2026 General Assembly session.
The scholarship program has largely been a victim of its own success. When it began in 2018 as the Maryland Child Care Subsidy, enrollment stood at more than 12,000 children, according to data presented Thursday. By the last fiscal year, enrollment stood at 46,295, more than the state could afford, which sparked the freeze on enrollment.
When it paused new enrollment in May, the state intended to reopen the program once enrollment dropped to a more manageable 40,000, hopefully by the start of the school year. But the latest figures show about 43,000 children enrolled.
There are enrollment exceptions based on certain income guidelines — such as families receiving temporary cash assistance (TCA) or supplemental security income (SSI) — or having a sibling already enrolled in the program.
Alistair Johnston, a policy analyst who works with Ways and Means, said that since the freeze went into effect, about 1,308 children, or slightly more than 80% of eligible children enrolled, have been siblings. In the meantime, about 2,700 families remain on a waiting list.
Laura Weeldreyer, executive director of Maryland Family Network, who participated in the briefing, thinks the number waiting to get in could be higher.
“I would like you to please consider that those numbers are a gross undercount because many families are walking away and not even applying for the child care scholarship program when they find out there’s a freeze in place,” she said. “It’s tough to accept a job or make plans for your family when you can’t access child care.”
Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard), chair of the Ways and Means Committee, asked Weeldreyer if she knew how many families have walked away and not applied.
“It’s anecdotal,” Weeldreyer said. “We’re hearing through those kind of front line supports and providers.”
While over-enrollment has caused problems, Atterbeary said the popularity of the program is something lawmakers should be proud of.
“It means more parents, especially mothers, have been able to return to the workforce here in Maryland,” Atterbeary said. “It’s an extraordinary achievement and it’s one I’m personally proud of as a legislator, and most importantly, as a mother. Ending the freeze is going to be my priority this upcoming legislative session.”
The nearly 70-minute briefing highlighted some legislation to improve the scholarship program, its popularity and challenges.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Johnston said one of the biggest legislative boosts came from a bill approved in 2022, sponsored by Montgomery County Democratic Dels. Jared Solomon and Julie Palakovich Carr. Part of the law now requires the state Department of Education to cover copayments for families participating in public benefits programs, to exclude child support payments calculated from a family’s income and to allow at least 60 days of benefits for recipients while applications are under review.
Laura Hyde, a senior policy analyst who works with the Appropriations Committee, summarized a few challenges in the early education profession.
Hyde said the annual minimum wage salary for child care teachers in Maryland is about $31,000; it increases up to $43,000 for lead teachers.
According to 2023 data, she said the average cost of child care in the state for children ages 2 to 4 was $14,850 per year. The annual amount increased to slightly more than $19,000 to care for an infant.
To help boost the profession, the state established a child care career and professional development fund to allow workers interested to obtain a college degree. About $3 million was allocated this fiscal year.
Del. Kris Fair (D-Frederick) asked if there’s initial data on how much it would cost to implement universal child care in Maryland.
Johnston said there wasn’t specific data available. However, what was presented is that if the state implemented universal child care for children from birth to two years old, the estimated cost could be $2.6 billion annually.
“That’s a very large number, but working towards that long term goal, it is the right thing to do,” Atterbeary said. “And the progress we’ve made in the last four years shows that this is possible if we stay the course and we continue to work hard.”
In the meantime, some children continue to receive an early childhood education at places like The Learning Bee.
Webb said she wishes state lawmakers would visit her center.
“Come see our day to day,” she said. “Come see how we’re preparing the children and loving and caring for them and meeting their needs.”
by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
October 31, 2025
by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
October 31, 2025
At The Learning Bee child care center in Frederick County, groups of preschoolers clustered around a table Wednesday to conduct a science experiment combining vinegar, food coloring and baking soda in a small, black pot with a teacher’s help.
As the ingredients bubbled back out of the pot, the children yelled in unison, “Haaaa!”
“Wasn’t that exciting?” asked lead preschool teacher Carolyn Jackson, as more children clamored to be part of the experiment.
It’s the sort of experience Learning Bee owner Cindi Webb wishes she could share with more children. But enrollment at Learning Bee is currently at about 75% of its 112-student capacity, she said, a victim of the ongoing freeze on state scholarships for children in day care.
“We are down, and we contribute a lot of it to not having the scholarship available for families,” said Webb, who said Wednesday that just 15 of her current 83 students are on scholarship.
But any hopes of the freeze being lifted anytime soon were largely dispelled Thursday, when state analysts presented House lawmakers with the latest data on the scholarship program. It is still too crowded to end the freeze, they were told, and new enrollments have been mostly limited to siblings of children who were already getting a scholarship.
Lawmakers in the joint virtual briefing for the House Ways and Means Committee and the Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Education and Economic Development did not offer specific solutions, but pledged to push the issue in the 2026 General Assembly session.
The scholarship program has largely been a victim of its own success. When it began in 2018 as the Maryland Child Care Subsidy, enrollment stood at more than 12,000 children, according to data presented Thursday. By the last fiscal year, enrollment stood at 46,295, more than the state could afford, which sparked the freeze on enrollment.
When it paused new enrollment in May, the state intended to reopen the program once enrollment dropped to a more manageable 40,000, hopefully by the start of the school year. But the latest figures show about 43,000 children enrolled.
There are enrollment exceptions based on certain income guidelines — such as families receiving temporary cash assistance (TCA) or supplemental security income (SSI) — or having a sibling already enrolled in the program.
Alistair Johnston, a policy analyst who works with Ways and Means, said that since the freeze went into effect, about 1,308 children, or slightly more than 80% of eligible children enrolled, have been siblings. In the meantime, about 2,700 families remain on a waiting list.
Laura Weeldreyer, executive director of Maryland Family Network, who participated in the briefing, thinks the number waiting to get in could be higher.
“I would like you to please consider that those numbers are a gross undercount because many families are walking away and not even applying for the child care scholarship program when they find out there’s a freeze in place,” she said. “It’s tough to accept a job or make plans for your family when you can’t access child care.”
Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard), chair of the Ways and Means Committee, asked Weeldreyer if she knew how many families have walked away and not applied.
“It’s anecdotal,” Weeldreyer said. “We’re hearing through those kind of front line supports and providers.”
While over-enrollment has caused problems, Atterbeary said the popularity of the program is something lawmakers should be proud of.
“It means more parents, especially mothers, have been able to return to the workforce here in Maryland,” Atterbeary said. “It’s an extraordinary achievement and it’s one I’m personally proud of as a legislator, and most importantly, as a mother. Ending the freeze is going to be my priority this upcoming legislative session.”
The nearly 70-minute briefing highlighted some legislation to improve the scholarship program, its popularity and challenges.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Johnston said one of the biggest legislative boosts came from a bill approved in 2022, sponsored by Montgomery County Democratic Dels. Jared Solomon and Julie Palakovich Carr. Part of the law now requires the state Department of Education to cover copayments for families participating in public benefits programs, to exclude child support payments calculated from a family’s income and to allow at least 60 days of benefits for recipients while applications are under review.
Laura Hyde, a senior policy analyst who works with the Appropriations Committee, summarized a few challenges in the early education profession.
Hyde said the annual minimum wage salary for child care teachers in Maryland is about $31,000; it increases up to $43,000 for lead teachers.
According to 2023 data, she said the average cost of child care in the state for children ages 2 to 4 was $14,850 per year. The annual amount increased to slightly more than $19,000 to care for an infant.
To help boost the profession, the state established a child care career and professional development fund to allow workers interested to obtain a college degree. About $3 million was allocated this fiscal year.
Del. Kris Fair (D-Frederick) asked if there’s initial data on how much it would cost to implement universal child care in Maryland.
Johnston said there wasn’t specific data available. However, what was presented is that if the state implemented universal child care for children from birth to two years old, the estimated cost could be $2.6 billion annually.
“That’s a very large number, but working towards that long term goal, it is the right thing to do,” Atterbeary said. “And the progress we’ve made in the last four years shows that this is possible if we stay the course and we continue to work hard.”
In the meantime, some children continue to receive an early childhood education at places like The Learning Bee.
Webb said she wishes state lawmakers would visit her center.
“Come see our day to day,” she said. “Come see how we’re preparing the children and loving and caring for them and meeting their needs.”
Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
William J. Ford has reported for more than 25 years on local, county and state politics. Before Maryland Matters, he spent nearly 10 years covering municipalities, regional news and occasional news features with sports angles at The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He wrote for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, and was a reporter for seven years with The Washington Informer, covering local politics and other D.C.-area topics. He often appears on local radio and TV programs to discuss Maryland politics.
DEMOCRACY TOOLKIT
© Maryland Matters, 2025
v1.96.5
Maryland Matters is a trusted nonprofit and nonpartisan news site. We are not the arm of a profit-seeking corporation. Nor do we have a paywall — we want to keep our work open to as many people as possible. So we rely on the generosity of individuals and foundations to fund our work.
Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. (See full republishing guidelines.)
© Maryland Matters, 2025
