Maryland Pre-K explained: expansion, eligibility, enrollment

Maryland is in the middle of one of the most ambitious state pre-K expansions in the country, driven by the Blueprint for Maryland's Future law passed in 2021. By the 2026 to 2027 program year, Maryland Pre-K is funded for every four-year-old whose household earns at or below 600 percent of the federal poverty level, with no-cost seats for families up to 300 percent of FPL and sliding-scale tuition above that. Seats are delivered through a mixed-delivery model that includes public school classrooms, licensed private child care centers, and Head Start sites.

This guide walks through who qualifies in 2026, how the mixed-delivery system works, how Maryland Pre-K interacts with private daycare, the wrap-around math, and how to apply for the 2026 to 2027 program year.

Sources used throughout: Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Division of Early Childhood; Blueprint for Maryland's Future statute and implementation plans; Maryland EXCELS Quality Rating and Improvement System; the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) state preschool yearbook Maryland entry; Montgomery County Public Schools, Baltimore City Public Schools, and Prince George's County Public Schools Pre-K enrollment pages.

Maryland Pre-K basics

Maryland's Blueprint sets a phased target: by the 2026 to 2027 program year, half of all four-year-olds statewide should be served by publicly funded Pre-K, with the share rising further over the rest of the decade. Funding splits across MSDE, county boards of education, and the Maryland State Department of Education's Division of Early Childhood, which administers the participating-provider system.

Programs run a full-day or full-school-day schedule, depending on delivery site. Public school sites usually run a 6.5-hour day across 180 days. Private and community sites can operate full-day (typically 8 to 10 hours) year-round with state-paid wrap-around when the family qualifies.

Who qualifies

Eligibility is layered:

The child must be a Maryland resident.
The child must be four years old on or before September 1 of the program year (some counties also serve three-year-olds with risk factors).
Household income determines whether the family pays nothing or a sliding-scale tuition:
- 0 to 300 percent FPL: Free seat.
- 301 to 600 percent FPL: Sliding-scale family co-payment, with the state covering the remainder.
- Above 600 percent FPL: Full tuition at the participating site's posted rate.

The mixed-delivery system

A defining feature of Maryland Pre-K under the Blueprint is its mixed-delivery model. The state explicitly funds seats in both public school classrooms and participating private and community providers. Participating private sites must hold an EXCELS quality rating of 3 or higher and meet program requirements set by MSDE.

Delivery type	Hours	Family cost	Quality requirement
Public school Pre-K	6.5-hour school day, 180 days	Free or sliding-scale	MSDE Pre-K standards
Participating private child care center	Full-day, often year-round	Free or sliding-scale	EXCELS rating 3+
Participating family child care home	Full-day, year-round	Free or sliding-scale	EXCELS rating 3+ (limited)
Head Start	Full-day, year-round	Free	Federal Head Start standards

Private daycare partnerships

Many Maryland daycares with an EXCELS rating of 3 or higher participate in Maryland Pre-K. For families using such a partner:

The state pays the partner for the qualifying Pre-K hours. The family pays nothing (or the sliding-scale co-pay) for those hours.
For families above 300 percent FPL, MSDE publishes a sliding-scale schedule that determines the family share.
The child stays in one location with one familiar caregiver team across the whole day.

The wrap-around math

Worked example: Baltimore family with a 4-year-old

Family income: $68,000 for a household of four (roughly 230 percent of FPL — qualifies for a free seat).

Before Pre-K enrollment: full-day preschool at a Baltimore EXCELS-rated center at $1,275 to $1,500 per month (Baltimore preschool rate per US DOL National Database of Childcare Prices Maryland data).

After enrollment: child attends a participating partner site for the full daycare day. The state pays the partner for the funded Pre-K hours. The family pays only for the remaining wrap-around hours and summer weeks.

New cost: $350 to $550 per month blended across the calendar year, or roughly $4,200 to $6,600/year.

Annual savings: $11,100 to $13,800.

Quality standards

All Maryland Pre-K classrooms must align to the Maryland Early Learning Standards and use an MSDE-approved curriculum. Lead teachers must hold (or be progressing toward) a bachelor's degree with appropriate early childhood credentials. Class size is capped at 20 with a 1:10 staff-to-child ratio in most participating sites.

Common questions

Does Maryland Pre-K serve three-year-olds? Some counties and participating sites have three-year-old seats reserved for children with risk factors (low income, English-learner status, IEP). The default funding stream is for four-year-olds.

How is "income" verified? Families submit recent pay stubs, the prior year's tax return, or proof of participation in another means-tested program such as SNAP or TANF.

Can my child attend Pre-K and a separate daycare? Yes. Many families pair a public school Pre-K classroom with after-school care at a community daycare or family child care home.

Where to go next

Browse our city directories for Maryland Pre-K-partner daycare details: Baltimore and Washington DC (for families in PG and Montgomery counties who work in DC). The broader Maryland state daycare guide covers EXCELS ratings, child care subsidies, and licensing across the state.

For comparison with other state pre-K programs, read our explainers on New Jersey Pre-K, Colorado Universal Preschool, and the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts guide. The By age pillar and the cost pillar map state pre-K to age-by-age expectations and budgets. Before any first tour, use the comparison checklist and the cost calculator.

Maryland Pre-K, explained.