Children’s Opportunity Alliance Response to Montgomery County Council’s Proposed Changes to Alliance Duties and Activities

July 16, 2025

In the three years since the Children’s Opportunity Alliance became Montgomery County’s coordinating entity for early care and education, the Alliance has built a diverse and motivated coalition. We have been committed to listening to the community, learning what they need, and following through on requests for support to make a difference in the early care and education landscape.

Because of this work, our community now knows the vision for serving young children in Montgomery County over the next five years and beyond. Because of this work, child care educators are more confidently navigating complex systems and providing early care access to more children.

Yesterday’s strong turnout at the County Council public hearing around Bill 23-25 underscored that partners across the county have the appetite to make change. Watch the testimony here (starting at 2:32:11). The Alliance deserves the opportunity to best serve the needs of educators, child care partners, and most importantly, young children and their families. This means having the ability, like all other local intermediaries do, to put funding toward the places that can have the biggest impact in the shortest time. We will not be satisfied with incremental change. There are thousands of families who need our collective support now – not years from now.

We look forward to working with Montgomery County Council to find a solution that meets the needs of all of our children and families.

WHAT IS NEXT

We are deeply appreciative of all who showed up, spoke out, or provided written testimony to support our work at the County Council public hearing. There is still an opportunity for you to share your perspective with Council to ensure the Alliance can remain nimble, innovative, and strategic. Written testimonies can be uploaded until 5 pm today, July 16. You can also email the entire Montgomery County Council by Tuesday, July 22 to ask for amended language in Bill 23-25 so that the Alliance can continue to make grants that support child care educators and programs.

Council will hold a work session on July 23 to discuss this language, and a vote is likely planned for September, so your perspectives will be taken into account.