For Immediate Release: Thursday, December 13, 2018
President Navarro says: ‘I am asking you to join with me, the County Council, the County Executive and key stakeholders in the design and implementation of a full-scale, high-quality, accessible and affordable early care education initiative.’
ROCKVILLE, December 13, 2018—Today, Council President Nancy Navarro provided remarks on behalf of the Council at the Committee for Montgomery’s Legislative Breakfast. This event brings together leaders from across Maryland and is considered the unofficial kickoff of the 2019 Legislative Session. Council President Navarro’s complete remarks can be read below.
Good morning. I bring you greetings from my colleagues on the Montgomery County Council, Councilmember Riemer, Hucker, Rice, Katz, Albornoz, Friedson, Glass and Jawando, and a hearty thank you for all you do for Montgomery County. We are living in interesting times. Now, more than ever, we need coalitions of community leaders like Committee for Montgomery to stand up for the strong and the weak, and in one voice make a strong statement that we will be a community and a nation where everyone will be treated with respect and human dignity. There is no place for hate in our community.
I say this because as I have visited communities, as I have listened to community leaders, there has been a running theme of anxiety about the times we live in because of the resurrection and normalization of hate and bigotry. This is not who we are.
As we witness daily attacks on our core values, from the highest office in the nation, we must all double down on our resolve to defend the fundamental core values of inclusion, respect, and freedom, here at home.
Words are powerful. However, we must go beyond words and begin to intentionally enshrine another value in everything we do—equity. I am therefore pleased to report that this past year, our Council unanimously affirmed our commitment to the creation of an equity policy through the adoption of a resolution. In that historic action, the Council affirmed its commitment to the adoption of legislation that will establish an equity policy for the County. This will help us address inequities in our communities in structural ways, our words would be matched with intentional action. We will spend next year doing this work, and I look forward to engaging you in this journey.
When my colleagues elected me president of the Council this month, I shared several priorities that I intend to focus on during my presidency and ultimately in my last term. These include closing the opportunity gap in academic achievement, a full-scale early care and education initiative, implementing a senior agenda, focusing on sustainable redevelopment and revitalization efforts, job creation, civic engagement, and making Montgomery County very business-friendly.
It’s a full agenda, so this morning, I would like to share with you my vision for a full-scale early care and education initiative. I strongly believe that respect and equity of access for all our residents must begin literally at the cradle. I am asking you to join with me, the County Council, the County Executive, and key stakeholders in the design and implementation of a full-scale, high-quality, accessible and affordable early care education initiative. This is an economic imperative. We must be strategic and invest in the early years because it is simply the best return on our investment and prepares all our children to be ready to learn.
As I began saying as far back as in 2011, we must achieve the establishment of a dedicated funding stream that allows us to scale up our delivery of these quality services and make a real impact in the lives of children. I envision a phased-in initiative that starts with the neediest children and incorporates family child care providers, private centers, community-based centers, intergenerational programs, the school system, the Resource and Referral Center, Judy Centers, and Montgomery College, and more.
There is a strong connection between children ready for the classroom and a thriving economy. If we are serious about maintaining our competitive edge as a county and as a nation, the work of preparing our future workforce for a rapidly evolving job market must start with a comprehensive early care and education system. I am looking forward to working with all of you in this exciting and critical initiative.
Again, thank you for inviting me to be here this morning and thank you for all you do.
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Release ID: 18-321