Maryland expanding child care for families returning to work during coronavirus reopening

Maryland officials are expanding child care access to workers returning to their jobs during the first phase of the state’s recovery from coronavirus shutdowns, the state department of education announced Wednesday.

The agency also announced a change in how day care providers will be paid. The state will end provider payments for the children of essential workers on June 7. After that date, parents will pay for the cost, the department said.

“Maryland’s family and center-based child care providers are critical to our recovery efforts -- we will move forward together with safety as the priority,” state education superintendent Karen B. Salmon said in a statement.

Child care centers have been closed for all but the children of essential workers since March 25.

Since then, the state has expanded child care to 125 sites with capacity for 21,500 additional children than are presently being served. Parents who use those new spots will pay the tuition directly to the centers.

The department said child care for school aged children would be available through the end of the school year, but did not make clear what would happen after that date.

The Maryland State Department of Education declined to immediately respond to questions about the statement.

This story will be updated.

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