MAEC News

SILVER SPRING, MD — October 9, 2025 — After six years of serving families, schools, and districts in Maryland and Pennsylvania, MAEC is announcing the closure of the Collaborative Action for Family Engagement (CAFE) program. The program’s federal funding through the Statewide Family Engagement Center program was discontinued and MAEC’s request for reconsideration was denied by the U.S. Department of Education.

Established in 2019, CAFE has helped communities across Maryland and Pennsylvania strengthen partnerships that support student achievement and lifelong success. With the Pennsylvania Department of Education, CAFE worked to embed family engagement within the state’s school improvement process and partnered with the Maryland State Department of Education to align family engagement efforts with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Since its launch, CAFE has convened advisory councils, facilitated communities of practice, developed publications, and hosted events, including the 2025 Connections: A National Virtual Gathering for Family Engagement, which drew 350 participants from 38 states and featured 25 workshop sessions.

“CAFE has helped elevate family engagement across Maryland and Pennsylvania, thanks to the families and practitioners whose expertise and collaboration strengthened this work statewide,” said Rita Perez, CAFE Project Director.

The CAFE team’s dedication, creativity, and forward-thinking approach produced many notable contributions, including:

• Professional development and coaching for districts
• Family engagement podcast: Corner CAFE
• Multiple webinar series, including Are All the Children Well 2.0 on homeless youth, Out of School Time, andA Seat at the Table: Family Engagement for Students
• The Interstate Parent Advisory Committee and Subcommittee’sBuilding Leaders publication to support the development of parent leaders
• TheAsset Mapping Community of Practice

“I’m deeply grateful to the CAFE team for their dedication, creativity, and commitment to advancing family engagement. Their partnerships with state education departments, school districts, families, and community organizations have made high-quality programs and supports possible across Maryland and Pennsylvania,” said MAEC President, Karmen Rouland.

In the past year alone, CAFE served over 13,000 parents and families through 140+ high-impact activities. Over 91% of families who participated in CAFE programming reported enhanced capacity to work with schools and service providers.

MAEC remains committed to advancing family, school, and community engagement. We continue to offer technical assistance services and resources to schools and districts across the country. Contact us at info@maec.org for more information about how we can work with you and stay informed about the MAEC’s news and developments by subscribing to our mailing list.