Child care is more than just daycare. So many facets of early childhood education prepare our youngest learners for Kindergarten and beyond. That’s why investing in these programs and educators is so important as we work to build a stronger early care and education system in Montgomery County.

As Montgomery County parent Sylvia shares, high-quality early care and education (ECE) was the key to her children’s bright future of learning and thriving. That’s why we are working to create an equitable, accessible, and sustainable ECE system that benefits all children in our community.

Rossana Espinoza-Thorndahl, co-founder of the Latino Childcare Association of Maryland, explains that early childhood educators in Montgomery County, MD, often leave a career they love because the financial strain is too great. We must provide them with adequate compensation and benefits to make this profession sustainable.

Many parents in Montgomery County struggle to find high-quality, affordable child care. They often have to make difficult financial decisions, and, as this local parent explained, affordability can be the deciding factor when selecting a child care option.

Learn what drives our Early Care and Education Manager, Kimberly Peña-Molina’s, passion for ECE, what challenges she’s seen families face when seeking quality, affordable child care, and what she believes we need to do to improve the system in Montgomery County.

Tiffany Jones, Chair of the Board at the Children's Opportunity Alliance, shares that we cannot fix the early childhood system alone. We depend on the efforts, expertise, and resources that partners and community members offer.

Early care and education is the foundation upon which lifelong learning is built. Councilmember Sayles explains that when it is not accessible to all, the impact is felt by the K-12 school system.

Scott Mitchell, President of the Potomac Association of Cooperative Teachers (PACT) and director/educator at Silver Spring Nursery School, knows that early childhood educators can best serve the individual needs of children and families when they are given flexibility and autonomy.

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.