Council approves $10 million in emergency funding for Early Care and Education Initiative Recovery Fund

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Funding spearheaded by Councilmembers Navarro, Friedson and Riemer

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 16, 2020— Today the Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a special appropriation of $10 million to provide reopening expenses for licensed childcare center programs, registered family childcare homes and letter of compliance programs. This funding includes eligibility for one month of expenses to support early care and education operations until tuition payments are collected as well as compensation for significant financial losses caused directly or indirectly by Covid-19 restrictions. Councilmembers Nancy Navarro, Hans Riemer and Andrew Friedson were the lead sponsors of the special appropriation.

The Council knows that childcare is an essential service to support families as they return to work and is critical to the County’s economic recovery. Without public investment and support, licensed, quality childcare in Montgomery County is not sustainable under the current recovery requirements.

Funding in the appropriation will allocate $6,500,000 to support licensed childcare centers and letter of compliance programs and $3,500,000 to support registered family childcare 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 childcare sites that are to be supported by the grant must be located in the County, and 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 childcare center, a registered family childcare or large family childcare home or a letter of compliance program located in the County;
• provide childcare 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 low incomes and children with special needs, as well as childcare sites providing childcare 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 lower levels of childcare availability and higher concentrations of families with low-incomes.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

For more information please contact earlychildhoodservices@montgomerycountymd.gov

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Release ID: 20-262
Media Contact: Bertha Cerzosimo 240-777-7986