ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced today the 27 recipients of the Economic Development Authority’s $1 million Childcare Capital Grant. Photos and graphics from the event can be viewed on the County's Flickr website.
Finding quality and affordable childcare is an issue that affects an entire community- not just families. If working parents do not have available options, it creates a ripple effect for our entire workforce. That is why I am committed to expanding, empowering and enlisting the help of our community partners to create more spaces for our youngest residents to grow and thrive. The investments we are making will ensure we are creating more opportunities for those who want to work with children, and for families who cannot afford the high cost of childcare.
In January, County Executive Ball announced this $1 million investment to create a competitive capital grant program to provide funding for new childcare centers, repairs, and expansions. Twenty-seven childcare providers, including centers and home daycares, have received grants ranging from $12,000 to $165,000. As a result, family daycare providers will improve the quality of their programs. Also, there will be more than 100 new childcare placements in Howard County with center expansions.
Our incredible childcare providers are the backbone of support for many families across the county,” said . “This initiative is more than just a financial investment, it’s a commitment to working families, to economic growth, and to the stability of the economy.
"We are committed to removing financial barriers so that all children, regardless of background, have equal access to exceptional education,” said Amanda Morton, Executive Diroctor of Cradlerock Children's Center. “At a time when education systems across the country are fraying, the Cradlerock Children's Center stands as a beacon. We're not waiting for change, we're leading it. We're not just a school, we're a movement."
"The Howard County Conservancy is so grateful for the county’s support to help us expand the spaces in our nature preschool,” said Meg Boyd, Executive Director of the Howard County Conservancy. “We are the first and only licensed nature preschool in the County. And over the last four years, our waitlist has grown to 220 families for the 28 spaces we can offer in our current location. We are beyond excited about this opportunity to expand seats – and the opportunity to connect more families in our community with nature based education. Thank you County Executive Ball, Jennifer and the EDA for this wonderful opportunity."
“This priority funding is coming at such an important time for our County and its educators,” said Amy Schroeder, Director of Little Oak Nursery School. “It is evidence that you are investing in high quality and accessible early childhood programs. My fellow providers and I will be able to reach more families and more children with these dollars. Sykesville, where Little Oak found a new home, could be considered a “child care desert,” with fewer opportunities for families to find those quality programs. There is a growing need and not enough options to meet those needs.”
Howard County Departments continue to offer support and other programming to assist childcare providers. The Howard County Office of Children and Families (OCF) offers training and a newly established entrepreneurship program.
“To date our office has trained over 500 family and center-based childcare providers,” said Erin Bonzon, Administrator for the Howard County OCF in the Department of Community Resources and Services. “Quality childcare enhances children’s continued academic success while supporting families’ participation in the workforce.”
As part of County Executive Ball’s overall childcare strategy, OCF piloted a new program to help seven entrepreneurs become brand-new family childcare providers in our community. Last year, Ball provided an additional $300,000 to expand the program, which has enabled 12 prospective and aspiring family-based childcare providers to enter the market. This opportunity opens up 96 spots.
Ball’s multi-faceted strategy extends to school-aged children. To increase enrollment in before and aftercare school programs the County invested $3 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds into the County’s Department of Recreation and Parks’ Before and Aftercare school programs. As of this schoolyear, waitlists have been cut down by more than 60%, from more than 1,000 people on the waitlist to about 400 to date.
"Childcare providers meet a critical need necessary for families in Howard County to thrive,” said Nick Mooneyhan, Director of Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks. “The Department’s Recreational License Childcare team is working hard to further expand before and after care enrollment through ongoing recruitment efforts."
Twenty-six new childcare workers have been hired just this year for the before and aftercare programs. To retain talent, health benefits were improved for part-time staff to be on par with full-time staff benefits, in addition to a retention stipend. Recruitment efforts are ongoing including advertising at local colleges, attending job fairs, posting on job recruitment websites, posting ads on social media and partnering with other County departments to distribute hiring information.
To support workforce expansions, the Office of Workforce Development granted $60,000 dollars of ARPA funds, which have been leveraged to support childcare services through the Apprenticeship Incentive Funds (AOP). With the goal of increasing the number of certified providers in the county, to date, five childcare providers have received these funds ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for the expansion and enhancement of childcare options available in the community.