(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. (2) "Child care licensing region" means any one of 13 regions designated by the Department to provide licensing and oversight for family child care programs. (3) "Family child care" means the care given to a child under the age of 13 years or to a developmentally disabled person under the age of 21 years that is in place of parental care for less than 24 hours a day, in a residence other than the child's residence, for which the family child care provider is paid. (4) "Family child care provider" means an individual who cares for children in a registered family child care home or a registered large family child care home. (5) "Local program" means a local jurisdiction or child care licensing region that participates in the Program. (6) "Program" means the Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program. (7) "Start-up assistance" means the funding for starting a family child care program including the cost of materials, curriculum, and renovations. (b) (1) There is a Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program in the Department. (2) The purpose of the Program is to provide grants to establish and support local programs in the State. (3) The Department shall partner with the Maryland Child Care Resource Network to administer the Program. (c) (1) Except as provided in subsection (g) of this section, on or before September 1, 2022, the Department shall award at least three grants, each of which does not exceed $150,000, in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsection to establish and support family child care providers in the State. (2) (i) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a county governing body or multiple county governing bodies shall sign a memorandum of understanding with a child care resource center that serves the child care licensing region that contains one of the counties. (ii) The county or counties and the child care resource center jointly shall apply for the grant and administer the local program. (d) Grant recipients shall: (1) Use the grants to: (i) Establish and support a local program; and (ii) Target the use of the grant to increase the supply and ensure the sustainability of family child care providers in areas with above average rates of poverty and unemployment or areas with a lack of available child care providers; (2) Raise local matching funds, including in-kind matching resources at a 1:1 match; (3) Collaborate with existing family child care providers during the implementation of the Program; (4) Provide multilingual outreach to recruit individuals to become registered family child care providers with the Department; (5) Provide technical assistance, financial incentives, and start-up assistance for recruited individuals as they navigate the Department's process to become a registered family child care provider; (6) Assist newly registered and established family child care providers through technical assistance to achieve quality benchmarks, peer-to-peer mentoring, and financial incentives; and (7) Establish partnerships with local chambers of commerce, or other local or state organizations for family child care providers that support small businesses and women and minority-owned businesses to provide: (i) Assistance to recruited individuals or registered family child care providers in implementing best business practices; and (ii) Assistance in achieving financial sustainability. (e) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, for each of fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2026, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $450,000 to the Program. (2) To the extent authorized under federal law, the Governor shall use federal funds to satisfy the requirement of paragraph (1) of this subsection. (f) The Department shall develop guidelines, in consultation with the Maryland Child Care Resource Center, for the grant application process and grant recipients. (g) (1) The Department may seek funding to start the Program. (2) If the Department receives funding before July 1, 2022, the Department shall begin awarding grants as soon as possible under the Program. (h) Each year, the Department shall develop and publish goals for the Program. (i) On or before December 1, 2021, and each December 1 thereafter, the Department shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2-1257 of the State Government Article, on the status of the Program and an evaluation of local programs in meeting the Program goals.
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