Cecilia Cruz, a home-based child care provider, shares what supports are desperately needed in early care and education (ECE) for both the workforce and the families and children who depend on quality care and education. 

Early care and education (ECE) professionals are the workforce behind the workforce. Alicia Cross, the Executive Director of Parents of Preschoolers, Inc. at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), explains why they deserve to be seen and recognized for this tremendous responsibility.

Umera Anwar, Owner/Educator at Ms. Mimi’s Family Child Care, shares her thoughts about the need to create real infrastructure to set up future early childhood educators for success.

County Executive Marc Elrich makes the case for one of the smartest investments Montgomery County, MD, can make: early care and education.

Educator Debbie Brol shares her story of how vital fair wages for early childhood educators are in Montgomery County, MD.

Montgomery County parent Danielle shares her story of why early care and education (ECE) is so important to her family.

Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship (CCS) helps eligible Montgomery County families pay for early care and education. However, enrollment in this critical resource was frozen in May 2025 and remains closed for new applicants. Horizon Child Care shares their story of how the freeze impacts children and parents at their ECE center.

Parent and educator Joanna Lazzaro shares her story of why early care and education (ECE) is so important to her family in Montgomery County, MD.