About me
Kristen Paul has worked with children and families for over 25 years in a variety of capacities, including as a high school science teacher, Federal agency education advisor, college administrator, and in family support for Birth to Five programs. In addition to her current role as the Director of Early Childhood Programs at The Parents' Place of Maryland - Maryland’s Parent Training Information and Family-to-Family Health Information Center - Kristen currently serves as Maryland's Ambassador for both the CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early. and DEC's Recommended Practices. Her work at PPMD includes managing early childhood initiatives including leadership training programs for families of children ages birth to five. Kristen serves on numerous statewide committees, working groups, and other collaborative efforts to improve the outcomes of Maryland’s youngest residents and their families. In addition to sitting on the Pyramid Model State Leadership Team and SSIP State Implementation Team, she was recently appointed to the State Early Childhood Advisory Council after serving two terms as the Vice-Chair of the State Interagency Coordinating Council for Infants and Toddlers (SICC). She is a graduate of the Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program (MECLP), which develops and supports leaders who are catalyzing change in order to improve outcomes for early learners; her capstone project on eliminating exclusionary discipline in early childhood settings led to the creation of the SICC's Exclusionary Discipline Task Force, which she now chairs. In 2025, she was awarded the DEC Family Award, which recognizes the impact the family member of a child with a disability has made through service to the early childhood field and community.At the local level, she serves on the Early Childhood Advisory Council, Citizen's Advisory Committee for Special Education, and Local Management Board and was the recipient of the Commission for People with Disabilities Volunteer Award "in recognition of her demonstration of exceptional efforts on the behalf of persons with disabilities." She resides in Southern Maryland with her husband and 10-year-old son, the latter of whom has multiple disabilities and is not only the light of her life but also the inspiration for her work.
