1. (a)

   1. (1) Each county board shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Department, each eligible private provider participating in publicly funded prekindergarten in the county, and other applicable government agencies.
   2. (2) Before executing a memorandum of understanding under this section, each county board shall submit an implementation plan of the proposed memorandum of understanding to the Accountability and Implementation Board in accordance with § 5-404 of this article.
2. (b) The Department shall develop a model memorandum of understanding for use by county boards of education in fulfilling the requirements under this section.

3. (c) Each memorandum of understanding shall, at a minimum, provide for:

   1. (1) The adoption of an early childhood educator career ladder by eligible private providers in accordance with § 7-1A-08 of this subtitle;
   2. (2) Services for children with disabilities;
   3. (3) A process by which a parent is able to indicate a preference for eligible prekindergarten providers;
   4. (4) The manner for processing the payment of the State share, local share, and family share for each child who is enrolled with an eligible prekindergarten provider;
   5. (5) Any agreed upon administrative costs to be retained by an agency that is party to the agreement;
   6. (6) The manner in which the parties will meet the requirements of this subtitle;
   7. (7) A plan to address racial and socioeconomic integration in prekindergarten classrooms;
   8. (8) A method for the county board to distribute a list of eligible public and private providers in the same area with a parent interested in enrolling the parent's child in a prekindergarten program;
   9. (9) Facilitation of peer-to-peer eligible prekindergarten provider meetings, through a prekindergarten provider hub if one is established in the area, in which eligible prekindergarten providers are able to share best practices in the field; and
   10. (10) Any other provisions necessary to carry out this subtitle.
4. (d) A memorandum of understanding under this section shall seek to avoid, to the extent practicable, a disproportionate concentration of students of the same race, ethnicity, disability status, and income within an eligible provider.

Added by Acts 2021, c. 36, § 3, eff. March 14, 2021. Amended by Acts 2024, c. 165, § 1, eff. July 1, 2024.