Partial thaw in child-care subsidies

Affordable child-care is a vital support for many working parents. Without it, many families would have to decide which parent would leave the workforce to care for their children. Child care is especially important for poor single parents who may lack support networks. That's why Maryland offers the Child Care Subsidy Program, and why it is so unfortunate that there are more than 20,000 children on the waiting list. In fact, the subsidy program has been "frozen" for most eligible families since February of 2011.

However, last week child advocates received some good news when the Maryland Department of Education (which administers the subsidy) announced that it is reopening the subsidy and is now able to move lower-income families (those in the bottom three income brackets) from the waiting list to the program starting in November. The department is now able to afford expanding the subsidy program because enough families have left the program through attrition and through other bureaucratic cost saving measures.

Our friends at the Maryland Family Network are asking supporters to
thank the Governor and the State Superintendent of Schools for devoting funds to partially restore access to this crucial subsidy. This is a great way to let public officials know you support then when they protect and expand vital services for working families in Maryland.

The Week Ahead

Last week we blogged about the new revenue estimates for Maryland, the annual briefing of the Joint Committee on Welfare Reform, new data from the Census Bureau, and the August state-level employment figures. Also last week, Governing Magazine highlighted our brief on expanded gambling.

Monday, September 24th

• Exchange Financing and Sustainability Advisory Committees of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Board meet. 2-4pm at the Maryland Health Care Commission, 4160 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore.
• Board of Directors of the Maryland Health Insurance Plan meet about messaging and a memorandum of understanding between MHIP and the Exchange. 3pm in suite 630, 1 Calvert Plaza, 201 E. Baltimore Street, Baltimore.

Tuesday, September 25th

• Transportation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee does a site visit to Thurgood Marshall International Airport, from 11am to 2pm.
• Public Health and Long Term Care Subcommittee of the House Health and Government Operations Committee meets to discuss HB 1090. 1pm in room 241, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board meets. 9am to 1pm, University of Maryland BioPark, 801 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore.

Wednesday, September 26th

• Maryland Nonprofits offers Forming a Nonprofit: The Paperwork. This is a training program; for more information check out Maryland Nonprofits' events page. 

Thursday, September 27th

• Video Lottery Facility Location Commission meets to receive an update on legal proceedings and to consider an extension request from CBAC Gaming and the City of Baltimore. This meeting will be held via teleconference. Interested parties may attend the meeting from Room 111 of the Legislative Services Building. A portion of the meeting may be held in closed session. 11am in room 111, Legislative Services Building, 90 State Circle, Annapolis.
• Commission to Study Campaign Finance Law meets. 1pm in room 130, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council meets. 3-5pm in the Joint Hearing Room, Department of Legislative Services, 90 State Circle, Annapolis.
• Governor's Commission on Small Business holds a town hall meeting. 10am to 1pm in the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, 44219 Airport Road, California, MD. 
• Bureau of Labor Statistics releases county-level employment data.
• Maryland Nonprofits offers Build Capacity with Dynamic Volunteer Engagement. This is a training program; for more information check out Maryland Nonprofits' events page. 

Friday, September 28th

• Maryland Advisory Committee on Manufacturing Competitiveness holds a board meeting. 10am to noon in the 17th floor conference room, World Trade Center, 401 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore.

MD employers add 1,400 jobs, but unemployment rate rises

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released August 2012 state employment figures today. Maryland's unemployment rate rose slightly, to 7.1 percent.

The state's unemployment rate rose because the labor force (those working or actively looking for work) shrank while the ranks of the unemployed grew. In other words, there were 9,200 fewer employed Marylanders (down to 2,854,100) in August than in July. That was still 4,500 more employed Marylanders than in August 2011.

However, there were 1,400 more jobs located in Maryland last month than the month prior. Down industry sectors included construction (lost 100 jobs); manufacturing (lost 100 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (lost 700 jobs); financial activities (lost 1,400 jobs); and education and health services (lost 2,200 jobs). The only sectors with positive growth were professional and business services (added 1,200 jobs); leisure and hospitality (added 1,000 jobs); and government (added 3,900 jobs). The numbers don't quite add up because of rounding.

The continued weak labor market continue to make the case for a bold economic agenda for all Marylanders.