Training, staff meetings, and continuing education required by MSDE/COMAR — such as the required 12 clock hours per year, SIDS training, or CPR/First Aid — must be paid working time if required for continued employment. Training is only unpaid if all four of the following are true:

• it’s outside work hours
• it’s purely voluntary
• it’s not job-related
• no productive work is performed.

Best practice: budget specific in-service training days into the annual center calendar.