The Sandbox: Montgomery County Voters Are Clear: Invest in Early Care and Education
Earlier this year, the Children’s Opportunity Alliance conducted a poll of more than 500 voters in Montgomery County to learn more about support for early care and education (ECE) funding. County residents shared a strong, unified message: an investment in young children is an investment in our future.
Top Takeaways
These Countywide survey results show overwhelming support for investment in ECE. Nearly 70% say it should be a top priority – and just as many say that more funding is needed now to ensure families can access affordable, high-quality care.
This isn’t abstract. Voters understand what is at stake. They see ECE as essential to children’s development, critical for families, and foundational to a strong economy. More than 80% agree that access to affordable care allows parents to work and businesses to thrive.
Voters also recognize the people behind the system, as 89% of voters support fair wages to ECE educators, and understand that without a stable, well-compensated workforce, high-quality care simply isn’t possible.
The takeaways from the polling are clear: Montgomery County is ready for action. Voters want targeted investments that:
Strengthen and stabilize the ECE workforce through fair wages
Make child care more affordable for families
Help families access the programs and services they need
This is about affordable child care, but it is also about economic stability, school readiness, and the long-term success of our community and economy.
The Time to Act is Now
Montgomery County has a real opportunity to act now, particularly in the midst of Month of the Young Child. The Children’s Opportunity Alliance is ready to move forward with a bold vision to increase and sustain investments so that our community can build an early care and education system that works for children, supports families, adequately compensates the ECE workforce, and powers our local economy.
The question isn’t whether to act. It’s whether we will act boldly enough to meet the moment. And that’s where the Alliance needs your help.
Share Your Story
These polling numbers paint a compelling picture, but it’s the stories behind the numbers that shine light on the true experience of ECE in our County. The Alliance is launching a campaign to gather the stories and elevate the lived experiences of the people in Montgomery County most impacted by early care and education: families of young children, the professionals who foster their brain development, and those who rely on these groups.
We need you to share your stories – the highs, the lows, the realities – so that our elected officials can see exactly why investment in ECE is so critical. We’ll be highlighting these stories in the coming months as we make the case for increased investment in our ECE system. To learn more and to share your story, please visit our ECE Stories page.