Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services announced exciting updates to the Working Parents Assistance (WPA) Program, including the elimination of the waitlist and new support for families impacted by the State of Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship freeze. Eligible families with children ages 0-12 are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

Check out the latest Alliance news, including the newest edition of The Sandbox from Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak, watch the Stories Forum recording, and see how advocates rallied in Annapolis to protect critical child care investments. Plus: learn more about this year’s Breeze Thru the Trees run and the Maryland Pre-K Expansion Grant.

In the February edition of The Sandbox, Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak reflects on the powerful stories shared by ECE educators in the recent Educator Stories Forum. 

Learn more about upcoming advocacy opportunities with the Alliance, including the Evening in Annapolis and the Early Educator Stories Forum.

In the December edition of The Sandbox, Executive Director Kimberly Rusnack introduces the latest Annual Report and celebrates the progress made in 2025.

Check out the latest Alliance news, including the newest edition of The Sandbox from Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak, a legislative win for ECE in our County, and workforce engagement opportunities from our partners.

The November edition of The Sandbox examines the current state of the ECE workforce in Montgomery County, and makes the case for immediate and sustainable action to support these educators.

The October edition of The Sandbox breaks down the key findings from the FY24 fiscal map report and makes the case for continued investment in our early care and education system. 

Check out the latest Alliance news, including the newest edition of The Sandbox from Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak, a new request for proposals for public opinion research services, and an opportunity to join the Alliance's team.

In the September edition of The Sandbox,  Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak discusses the vital role of collective advocacy in transforming our ECE system.

In the August edition of The Sandbox, Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak discusses the recent launch of three work groups and a steering committee, all in support of the same goal: transforming the ECE system in Montgomery County.

Read our statement on the Montgomery County Council’s public hearing on July 15, 2025 regarding proposed changes to the Alliance’s duties and activities.

Check out the latest Alliance news - learning from providers, joining our Board, and showing your support.

In the July 2025 edition of The Sandbox, Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak reflects on the power of listening, collaboration, and community expertise in expanding equitable early care and education in Montgomery County.

Check out our latest news, including the latest edition of The Sandbox from Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak, the newly launched Common Agenda Dashboard, an interactive tool that shares data on early care and education in Montgomery County, and a recap of the Month of the Young Child celebrations in April.

In the May 2025 edition of The Sandbox, Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak explores why the Alliance is focused on Kindergarten readiness as its north-star goal for the work ahead.

The Alliance is excited to welcome Dan Wuori to The Sandbox! He is the founder and president of Early Childhood Policy Solutions, a public policy consultancy focused on the needs of America's young children and their families. We sat down to chat about the current state of early care and education ahead of an in-person conversation on Monday, April 28.  

The success of our Common Agenda depends on the active involvement of a network of stakeholders in the ongoing work of making progress on results and strategies. We are forming new and refreshed work groups that will collaborate to advance the coordinated strategies of the Common Agenda.

Check out our latest news, including the new blog series from Executive Director Kimberly Rusnak, Read Across America celebrations in Montgomery County, upcoming Month of the Young Child events, and more.