Montgomery County has announced a plan which it hopes will help more low -income families have access to child care. The aim of the $7 million plan is get the county’s youngest residents more prepared for kindergarten by receiving the early education benefits of preschool.
“Starting early with kids has to be our priority,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich who announced the program.
The Early Care and Education Initiative has a goal of creating close to 600 additional seats for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in the county. Four hundred of those seats will come by helping to train 50 future child-care operators, including those who would operate facilities in their home. The county will also help those operators obtain the necessary licensing to operate a child care legally.
Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro said for the county and the nation to keep its competitive edge, there is a need to invest in early education.
“It is the best return on investment and prepares all of our children to succeed,” Navarro said.
Close to 200 seats will come from working with Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, and other community-based providers to expand and develop child care programs. Also, the school system — which is providing $1 million of the funding — plans to open an early childhood center in September.
According to the county, 30,000 of the county’s children under the age of six are considered economically vulnerable.
The Working Parents Assistance Program, which helps families pay for child-care, has also been adjusted to include more families. Last year, income eligibility went from $64,200 to $83,082 for a family of four.
“When you are talking about $20,000 to $24,000 per kid, per year, this is a problem that effects lots of people in Montgomery County,” Elrich said.
The plan also includes training for child care workers and the study of ways to team with private, public and faith-based organizations to create more early education programs.
Jack Smith, superintendent of Montgomery County Schools, thanked the county government for pushing this initiative forward, which he said supports early learning and better prepares kids for their first day of school.
“It’s going to pay off big dividends if we continue to do this,” Smith said.
The program will appear in Elrich’s budget proposal which is expected to be introduced next week.
“All young children should have the opportunity to thrive and develop to their full potential and a child’s outcome should not be determined by race or economic status,” Elrich said.
