Montgomery County Child Care Providers Can Apply for Financial Assistance to Offset Reopening Expenses and Losses Due to COVID-19; $10 Million in Emergency Funding Approved Today

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 16, 2020

            Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is pleased with the collaborative effort with the County Council for developing a Child Care Recovery Program. Ten million dollars in emergency funding was approved today by the County Council. Childcare providers in Montgomery County can apply for financial assistance to offset reopening expenses and losses due to COVID-19 beginning later in June. 

            “We know that many businesses have suffered financially due to COVID-19 and child care programs have been hard hit,” said County Executive Elrich. “Before COVID hit, we already knew that we had a shortage of accessible, quality child care. And they are really struggling now.  We know we need to help our providers so that they can continue to provide the quality early child care and education that is so important to the success of our children.”

            Licensed child care center programs, registered family child care homes, and letter of compliance programs will be eligible for one month of expenses as programs reopen, as well as compensation for financial losses caused by COVID-19.

            Funding in the appropriation will allocate $6.5 million to support licensed child care centers and letter of compliance programs and $3.5 million to support registered family child care homes. The maximum grant amounts are $75,000 per childcare site for one site, $150,000 for two sites, $200,000 for three sites, and $250,000 for four or more sites. The child care sites that are to be supported by the grant must be in Montgomery County, and at least 60 percent of the children served at each site must be Montgomery County residents. To be an eligible grantee for funding supported by this appropriation, applicants must:

• have a licensed child care center, a registered family child care or large family child care home or a letter of compliance program located in the County;
• provide child care to children from birth to the age of five;
• be in good standing with the State of Maryland; and
• be able to reopen by August 31, 2020.

            Priority will be given to programs serving families with limited incomes and children with special needs, as well as sites providing child care in targeted zip codes including 20877, 20886, 20902, 20866, and 20906 and/or programs participating in the Maryland EXCELS program. These targeted zip codes have less availability of child care programs and a higher number of families with limited incomes.

            An online portal for applications is scheduled to open at the end of June.

            In March 2019, the County Executive and County Council unveiled an Early Care and Education (ECE) Initiative, a four-year action plan to expand child care options for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, provide greater access to more families and support schools and community providers.  The effort is led by the County Executive, County Council, the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College. The ECE steering committee serves as the lead in COVID-19 recovery issues, including oversight of the Child Care Recovery Program.

            There are more than 1,300 licensed child care programs, including centers and home-based, in Montgomery County.

            For more information, email earlychildhoodservices@montgomerycountymd.gov.

            For COVID-19  updates, visit the County’s COVID-19 website.  Follow Montgomery County on Facebook @MontgomeryCountyInfo and Twitter @MontgomeryCoMD.

            Put the “count” in Montgomery County! Be sure to complete the Census online, by phone, or by mail. It’s safe, confidential, easy, and important. #2020Census #EveryoneCountsMCMD

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Release ID: 20-322
Media Contact: Mary Anderson 301-529-7669