BALTIMORE \u2014The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Maryland Department of Health (MDH), and the Maryland Department of Human Services (MSDH), in partnership with Ready At Five, will hold a series of regional town hall meetings on the State\u2019s early care and education system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an opportunity for the three state agencies that oversee early childhood programs and services in Maryland to collaborate together in a nine-stop listening tour,\u201d Division of Early Childhood Assistant State Superintendent Steven Hicks said.\u00a0 \u201cOur focus is finding out what parents, early childhood educators, policymakers, business leaders and other stakeholders see as our greatest challenges and opportunities to building a well-coordinated and integrated early care and education system in Maryland. Participants will help shape the future for children in Maryland.\u201d<\/p>\n
MSDE was recently awarded a Preschool Development Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Grant, a $10.6 million federal grant that will help states conduct a comprehensive statewide birth through five needs assessment followed by in-depth strategic planning. The grant also focuses on enhancing parent choice and expanding the current mixed delivery system consisting of a wide range of provider types and settings, including child care centers and home-based child care providers, Head Start and Early Head Start, state pre-kindergarten, early intervention and special education services, and home visiting service providers across the public, private and faith-based sectors.<\/p>\n
As part of the PDG B-5, nine regional town hall meetings will take place between March 26 and May 17, 2019, with both morning and evening sessions offered to accommodate various schedules and needs. Continental breakfast will be provided at morning sessions and a light dinner will be served at evening sessions.<\/p>\n
Representatives from the State, Ready At Five, and local child- and family-serving agencies will share updates on a variety of topics related to early childhood care and education, family supports, new data from Maryland’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, and opportunities through the new PDG B-5 grant.\u00a0 Each session will also include opportunities for the public to contribute to developing the State’s prenatal to age five needs assessment.<\/p>\n
Feedback and findings from the town hall meetings will be used to develop and inform a new early learning strategic plan for Maryland by identifying significant needs and priorities. To join one of the Regional Town Hall meetings, please register at https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.com\/r\/ECETownHalls<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n Locations, dates and times can be found below. More information about the Regional Town Halls, including handouts, can be found at https:\/\/earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org\/townhalls<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Carroll<\/p>\n Frederick<\/p>\n Garrett<\/p>\n Washington<\/td>\n Morning 8:30-11:30AM<\/p>\n Evening 5:00-8:00PM<\/td>\n 10435 Downsville Pike<\/p>\n Hagerstown, MD 21740<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Baltimore County<\/td>\n Morning 9:00-11:30AM<\/p>\n Evening 5:00-8:00PM<\/td>\n 10302 Grand Central Avenue<\/p>\n Owings Mills, MD 21117<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Dorchester<\/p>\n Kent<\/p>\n Queen Anne\u2019s<\/p>\n Talbot<\/td>\n Morning 8:30-11:30AM<\/p>\n Evening 5:00-8:00PM<\/td>\n The Higher Education Building<\/p>\n 1000 College Circle<\/p>\n Wye Mills, MD 21679<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Wicomico<\/p>\n Worcester<\/td>\n Morning 8:30-11:30AM<\/p>\n Evening 5:00-8:00PM<\/td>\n 32000 Campus Drive<\/p>\n Salisbury, MD 21804<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Harford<\/td>\n Morning 8:30-11:30AM<\/p>\n Evening 5:00-8:00PM<\/td>\n 253 Paradise Road<\/p>\n Aberdeen, MD 21001<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Howard<\/td>\n Morning 8:30-11:30AM<\/p>\n Evening 5:00-8:00PM<\/td>\n 1450 Furnace Avenue<\/p>\n Glen Burnie, MD 21060<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Charles<\/p>\n St. Mary\u2019s<\/td>\n Morning 9:30-11:30AM<\/p>\n Evening 5:00-8:00PM<\/td>\n 850 Costley Way<\/p>\n Prince Frederick, MD 20678<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n Morning 8:30-11:30AM<\/p>\n Evening 5:00-8:00PM<\/td>\n The Adelphi Judy Center\/Cool Spring Elementary School<\/p>\n 8908 Riggs Road<\/p>\n Hyattsville, Maryland 20783<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Morning 8:30-11:30AM<\/p>\n Evening 5:00-8:00PM<\/td>\n Takoma Park\/ Silver Spring Campus Amphitheater \u2013<\/p>\n HC Building<\/p>\n 7995 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20902<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n Jurisdiction(s)<\/td>\n Date & Times<\/td>\n Location<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Allegany<\/p>\n Tuesday, March 26, 2019<\/p>\n Washington Co. Board of Education<\/p>\n \n Baltimore City<\/p>\n Thursday, April 4, 2019<\/p>\n Baltimore County Public Library\/Owings Mills<\/p>\n \n Caroline<\/p>\n Tuesday, April 16, 2019<\/p>\n Chesapeake College<\/p>\n \n Somerset<\/p>\n Thursday, April 25, 2019<\/p>\n Wor-Wic Community College<\/p>\n \n Cecil<\/p>\n Tuesday, May 7, 2019<\/p>\n The Center for Educational Opportunity in Aberdeen<\/p>\n \n Anne Arundel<\/p>\n Thursday, May 9, 2019<\/p>\n Point Pleasant Resource Center<\/p>\n \n Calvert<\/p>\n Wednesday, May 15, 2019<\/p>\n Calvert County Public Library<\/p>\n \n\n
\n Prince George\u2019s<\/td>\n Thursday, May 16, 2019<\/p>\n Prince Georges County Judy Center<\/p>\n \n Montgomery<\/td>\n Friday, May 17, 2019<\/p>\n Montgomery College<\/p>\n