Prince George's County Child Care Improvement Work Group Meeting - September 23, 2026

The Prince George's County Child Care Improvement Work Group met virtually on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 2:03 PM to continue its work on improving access to quality, affordable child care. Six members were present at roll call. The group approved the minutes from the September 9, 2026 meeting, reviewed the work group website, heard a presentation from the Department of Social Services on the new Child Care Navigator role, and discussed preliminary state-level legislative recommendations.

Discussion Items

• Agenda and Minutes: The agenda included approval of minutes from the September 9 meeting (correcting an earlier date error), a website overview, revisiting major themes from Meeting One, a presentation from the Prince George's County Department of Social Services (DSS) on the Child Care Navigator, discussion of state-level legislative recommendations, and next steps. The minutes were approved by a motion and second.
• Overview of Major Themes from Meeting One: Key themes included: clarifying the scope of universal child care in Prince George's County, family child care expansion barriers, the child care scholarship program and provider stability, capacity versus enrollment mismatches, pre-K and child care continuity (including Maryland's mixed delivery system), early childhood workforce development (recruitment, credentialing, compensation, retention), coordination and implementation challenges, and the need for strong data and accountability.
• DSS Presentation on Child Care Navigator: Jordan Anderson (Public Information Officer and Legislative Liaison, DSS) presented on the implementation of Council Bill 14-2026, which established the Child Care Navigator role. Key points: DSS serves about 400,000 families annually across Prince George's County with over 500 staff. The county council allocated $2 million to fund the navigator's salary. The job posting received 34 applicants in a five-day window, interviews are ongoing, and the navigator is expected to be onboarded by mid-October. The navigator will be housed in a new Strategic Partnerships and Community Impact Division and will develop a strategic plan and submit an annual report by February 1. The role focuses on business-to-business support for child care providers, connecting them with permitting, licensing, and space identification, though DSS is not a licensing entity. The navigator will work with agencies like Central Services, Office of Procurement, and others.
• State-Level Legislative Recommendations Discussion: Dr. Paraken and Mr. Callender presented potential recommendations in several areas:
  • Family Child Care Expansion: Addressing the sprinkler requirement for homes serving 9–12 children, a financial barrier. Policy opportunities include examining county authority to modify or create alternative compliance pathways, or offering supports to meet the requirement.
  • Child Care Scholarship Program & Provider Stability: Advocating for sufficient state funding to reduce/eliminate wait lists, better prioritization of families with greatest need, and reducing administrative burdens on providers (payment corrections, enrollment changes, documentation).
  • Capacity vs. Enrollment: Using more detailed data to identify mismatches and targeting expansion efforts accordingly. Examining scholarship reimbursement structures that may limit access.
  • Pre-K and Child Care Continuity: Expanding participation of private providers in Maryland's mixed delivery pre-K system, aligning transportation and wraparound supports, and supporting infant/toddler care through improved reimbursement structures. Dr. Searcy noted that under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, Prince George's County aims for 30% of pre-K seats in private settings, increasing to 50%. Currently 12 child care centers and 16 family child care providers offer free pre-K seats. She mentioned the "Push to Pre-K" sessions offered by MSDE.
  • Early Childhood Workforce: Building on existing state initiatives (paid training, credentialing, apprenticeships, partnerships with higher education, competitive compensation) to address shortages.
  • Coordination & Implementation: Establishing a clear implementation framework or interagency mechanism at the state level to track progress and ensure recommendations are acted upon.
  • Data & Accountability: Strengthening public reporting and data collection to identify actual gaps (e.g., available slots vs. accessible slots).
  • Child Care Navigator: Using the navigator model statewide, creating clear referral pathways, and tracking patterns to address systemic issues.
• Group Discussion and Additional Input:
  • A work group member (Brianna) asked about wrap-around services for families (diapers, food, nutritionists) similar to DC programs. DSS noted no formalized program but highlighted partnerships and the Judy Centers (six early learning hubs in the county providing diapers and supports). Dr. Searcy added that Judy Centers serve families birth to five.
  • A public attendee (Lacey) suggested awareness of Montgomery County's Working Parents Assistance Program as a model to study, given border-sharing and frozen scholarship enrollment.
  • Another member emphasized the navigator role should include a synopsis of other agencies' roles (fire, zoning, approvals) to simplify processes.
  • Kiana Morant recommended creating a live, common data system for the navigator to track real-time slot availability, building on what Maryland Family Network offers but making it more dynamic.
  • Dr. Searcy raised concern that pre-K expansion could harm providers who subsidize infant/toddler care (lower ratios) with revenue from older children, urging intentional support for infants/toddlers.
  • Keisha Maxwell asked about opportunities to adjust licensing for school-age programs to include more pre-K children attending the same school building, noting current staff age requirements and ratios. Maxwell noted regulations are being amended (minimum age from 19 to 18, group size adjustments) and public comment is open.
  • Alejandra asked about a county inventory of county-owned buildings that could be leased to child care providers for expansion. Jordan Anderson responded that the navigator is mandated to identify and maintain such an inventory, and Dr. Paraken added that a state-level study is underway (DGS) on feasibility of using state government offices for child care. A work group member confirmed at least one provider is seeking such a partnership.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes Approved: The minutes from the September 9, 2026 meeting were approved by a motion (Keisha Maxwell) and second.
• No Formal Votes: No recommendations were finalized. The group will refine state-level recommendations to be more action-oriented (with responsible parties, measurable outcomes) for the next meeting.
• Next Steps: Work group members are encouraged to share relevant data and announcements via email. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 2:00 PM virtually, where discussions will continue on concrete state-level actions and also begin on improving permitting and county review processes for child care facilities.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 3:02 PM.