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For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich announced three new initiatives that will fundamentally strengthen its early childhood education (ECE) system. These new programs and partnerships, which include a new loan fund, a historic federal grant, and a collaborative for child care educators, are a direct response to a recent study that identified major gaps in child care access, especially for infants and toddlers in underserved communities.
“This really matters to me,” said County Executive Elrich. “As a former teacher, I know what happens when children start behind. Today, we are changing that. This $10 million package does three things: it brings $6.125 million in Head Start and Early Head Start to reach children from birth to age five in community settings; it creates a $4 million facility loan fund so providers can add infant and toddler seats; and it launches a shared resources collaborative so small providers can manage costs and focus on teaching. We built this response from our childcare supply and demand study, listened to our residents, and will target underserved communities. A strong start for children strengthens families and our economy.”
The announcements are part of the broader Early Care and Education Initiative, a long-term, cross-agency effort to expand access to high-quality, sustainable early learning.
“At a time when the need for supportive services is increasing, I am grateful that our
County is making investments in School-Based programs. We know child care continues to get more expensive for both families and providers, said County Council President Kate Stewart. “Access to affordable, quality child care is not just a parenting issue but an economic issue as well. Supporting these programs is essential to making sure our residents are able to live and work in our county and is key to our economic growth. This is also why I authored and the Council passed a bill to increase the amount of tax credits for early child care and daycare centers.”
Click here for full news release from Montgomery County Government
