The Office of Family Support Services, formally known as the Collaboration and Program Improvement Branch, manages early childhood initiatives and administers early care contracts and grants. Their initiatives and programs include:

• The Judith P. Hoyer Early Learning Hubs provide a central location for early childhood education programs and comprehensive support services for children birth through kindergarten and their families who reside in specific Title I school districts across the state. 
• The Head Start State Collaboration Project coordinates early learning and comprehensive services between local Head Start programs and local, state, and federal government agencies that are informed by the current Head Start Assessment Report and Strategic Plan.
• The Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Support Services assists early care and education programs in identifying and addressing child behavioral issues in early learning environments.
• The Family Support Centers, overseen by grantee, the Maryland Family Network, provide free, comprehensive services, either on-site or through referral, to families, targeting parents and their children from birth through age three.
• The State Advisory Council and Local Councils include the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care and 24 Local Early Childhood Advisory Councils. Together, they build and support a comprehensive early childhood infrastructure to overcome local school readiness achievement gaps for children with high needs and maximize federal, state, and local resources for early childhood through collaborations and consistent coordination.
• Family Engagement Initiatives include the implementation of the Maryland Early Childhood Family Engagement Framework and the Maryland Families Engage website.

Grant Opportunities