You can rock your support of outdoor preschools with this gear! Proceeds from every purchase support on-going efforts to make outdoor preschool licensing a reality in Maryland.

In 2020, the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS) established an Outdoor Preschool Licensing Advisory Team to advocate for outdoor preschool licensing guidelines in Maryland. Delegate Michele Guyton sponsored a bill to establish an outdoor preschool licensing pilot program, with the goal to determine relevant licensing regulations for outdoor preschool programs.

After three years of outreach to lawmakers, community members, and other stakeholders, House Bill 525 has passed in the House and Senate and will soon be signed into law! Maryland is second in the nation to create an outdoor preschool licensing pilot!

Unlike forest and nature preschool/childcare programs that are currently licensed, outdoor preschool takes place entirely outdoors, reaping the full benefits of experiential, nature-based learning. Without licensing, there are financial barriers for families to access outdoor preschools because state scholarship funds can only be used in licensed settings. Further, we want to ensure that teachers have specialized training and early childhood credentials to keep kids safe in outdoor settings. At a time when more child care options are needed, outdoor preschools can (and soon WILL) be an option for all families who choose it.

Organizers with the Outdoor Preschool Licensing Advisory Team (OPLAT) are eager to work alongside the Maryland State Department of Education's Office of Child Care when the bill goes into effect on July 1st. OPLAT will provide guidance to MSDE as they prepare to launch 5-10 outdoor preschool pilot sites. You can learn more at www.erafans.org/OPL-MD.

We have no funding for this initiative and need your support! We are proud of the volunteer efforts made by nearly 100 educators working on the Outdoor Preschool Licensing Advisory Team, but we have a long way to go!

Proceeds from every purchase support on-going efforts to make outdoor preschool licensing a reality in Maryland. Get gear for yourself, your staff, and your family and show off your support!