Ch. 561                             LAWS OF MARYLAND

CHAPTER 561

(House Bill 1304)

AN ACT concerning

Education - Council on Early Childhood Development

FOR the purpose of establishing a council on early childhood
development in the State; requiring the council to perform
certain duties; providing for membership; providing for a
chairman and for staff; requiring the council to report to
the General Assembly by a certain date; providing for the
termination of the council after a certain date; and
generally relating to establishing a council on early
childhood development in the State.

     Preamble

WHEREAS, In. 1986, in Maryland, there were nearly 300,000
children under the age of 6 whose mothers worked outside the
home; and

WHEREAS, It is predicted by the U.S. Census Bureau that by
1990, 75 percent of children under the age of 6 in the United
States will have working mothers; and

WHEREAS, There is now increasing pressure on public and
private agencies to expand programs for these children; now,
therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF

MARYLAND, That the Governor shall direct the State Department of

Education and the Office for Children and Youth to establish a
Council on Early Childhood Development.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Council on
Early Childhood Development shall:

1; oversee review the expansion of early childhood
education programs in Maryland, including the development of
public preschool programs;

2.  in the development of public preschool programs,
insure ensure that existing child care delivery systems are taken
into account;

3.  in order to insure ensure that public preschool
programs conform to early childhood education standards, develop
methods to evaluate and monitor public preschool programs; and

       4. promote and encourage early childhood education in

the State.

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