NEW!  Click here to download The Role of Professional Child Care Providers in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect, a manual prepared by the U.S. Administration for Children and Families to help providers understand their roles and responsibilities in preventing and identifying child maltreatment.

OVERVIEW OF THE LICENSING BRANCH

The Office of Child Care (OCC) is responsible for the regulation of child care, facilitating the development of new child care resources, promoting the use of regulated care, monitoring caregiver compliance with child care licensing requirements, encouraging the growth of caregiver professionalism, and providing technical assistance to caregivers and parents. 

Within OCC, the Licensing Branch is specifically responsible for all child care licensing activities.

These activities include:

• Licensure or re-licensure of new or existing child care facilities,
• Monitoring program compliance with child care regulations,
• Investigating complaints of improper or illegal child care,
• Taking enforcement action against the licenses of programs found to be in serious violation of child care regulations, and
• Helping child care programs to achieve and maintain regulatory compliance.

In addition, the Licensing Branch works closely with elected officials, other State and local government agencies, the caregiver community, child advocacy organizations, and child care consumers on issues related to protecting the health and safety of children in care.

The Licensing Branch maintains thirteen Regional Licensing Offices around Maryland, each of which is responsible for all child care licensing activities within its geographical area. If you are interested in becoming licensed to operate a child care program or have any questions about child care licensing regulations, please contact the Regional Licensing Office in your area.  If you are a parent or an employer and have any concerns about a particular child care program, please address those concerns to the Regional Licensing Office covering the area where the child care program is located.  Under Maryland law, a person or business that uses or is considering using the services of a specific child care program has the right to review certain portions of that program's licensing file.

If you're a parent in need of child care, click here for some suggestions to help you decide what kind of child care is best for your child.  You may also wish to download the Office of Child Care's informational brochure for parents called A Parent's Guide to Regulated Care.

If you need assistance in locating available child care programs in your area, click here to access the LOCATE: Child Care service, which is available through the Maryland Child Care Resource Network.  LOCATE: Child Care is a computerized resource and referral database that contains information on all regulated child care in the state of Maryland.  The service is publicly funded and is operated by the Maryland Committee for Children, Inc.

If you need help with child care costs, click here for information about the Child Care Subsidy (Purchase of Care) Program, which provides subsidized vouchers to eligible working families in need of child care.

Click here to access the Maryland Sex Offenders Registry (SOCEM), which is maintained by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.  In addition to providing detailed offender information, the site carries "amber alerts" for abducted children and an information/resource section for parents and educators on preventing and combating youth gangs.

Click here for the Maryland Judiciary Case Search service, which provides free public access to the Maryland District Court and Circuit Court Case Management System.  District Court criminal, civil, and traffic case records and Circuit Court criminal and civil case records are available.  The amount of historical data may vary by jurisdiction.

NOTICE to Child Care License/Registration and Employment Applicants:  Commercial LiveScan fingerprinting services are now available
Private agencies ("commercial fingerprinting services") are authorized by COMAR 12.15.05 to submit fingerprints directly to the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record checks.  Electronic fingerprint applications produce fast, reliable background check results.  At present, there are several private agencies certified by Maryland CJIS to provide LiveScan fingerprint services.  They offer services at a variety of locations around the state.  Click here for a list of these agencies and information about their services.