care is a market failure. It's simply not profitable to care for children under five," Kathryn Anne Edwards, a labor economist and policy researcher, told the Baltimore Sun. AliceAnne says she started her business because she wanted a high-quality learning environment for her own children, and she continues it out of loyalty to her longtime employees and the parents who trust her. "I'm so proud of the quality of our professionals at Bright Beginnings. Some staff members have been with us for 20 years. I'm proud to advocate for childcare providers and educators, who deserve a fair wage. Morally and ethically, I am unwilling to raise tuition to achieve my revenue goals. I have to get creative and find other revenue streams to do that. In the meantime, we still have to charge tuition that allows us to continue our robust professional development, to purchase materials for a healthy and stimulating environment for the children, and to pay our employees a fair wage and provide access to benefits like health care". In April, the Maryland General Assembly passed a $63 billion budget that allocated $328.5 million to the state’s Child Care Scholarship Program to help eligible families in Maryland pay for child care and early education programs. There are more than 1 million children in Maryland under age 5. The scholarship program currently assists about 30,000 children, with surges planned for 2024 and beyond.
Governor Wes Moore recognizes the economic, financial, social, and emotional impact of the childcare crisis on Maryland families. Working with Comptroller Lierman’s office, Governor Moore recently approved $148 million in budget cuts to some approved programs and reallocated those funds for the Maryland Child Care Scholarship Program, in hopes of assisting the 40,000 families who applied this year.
Solutions to problem of affordable and accessible, high quality childcare in Maryland are few and complex, ranging from mapping childcare deserts to making certifications easier to achieve and more affordable to
22 | THE MOTHERLODE
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