Early Childhood Services   

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Montgomery County has a strong tradition of supporting high quality early care and education for its residents. In a 1987 Policy Statement the County assumed responsibility for making available public facilities for child care and encouraged planned child care facilities in new public buildings. The County also developed a policy that would ensure equal and fair access to opportunities to compete for and use such County space. Programs selected to operate in these spaces would have to commit to provide the highest quality child care services to the youngest residents of Montgomery County and their families.

Located within the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, in Children, Youth, and Family Services/ Early Childhood, the Child Care in Public Space Program currently encompasses 28 child care facilities located throughout the County.  The overall goal is to maximize access to high- quality child care services throughout Montgomery County.

In order to operate within these facilities, individual child care organizations are selected through a competitive selection process. Furthermore, each of these programs must periodically re-compete for the space through a “rebid” process. This process will ensure that families in the respective communities have continued access to high quality child care.

In addition to HHS’s Child Care in Public Space Program, there are approximately 6,500 additional child care spaces in Montgomery County Elementary and Middle Schools.  These spaces are overseen by the both the Public Schools and the Community Use of Public Facilities offices. HHS coordinates with these other public space entities, and the County’s child care licensing office, in order to identify and resolve any issues pertaining to those child care programs and the schools in which they are located. For more information, please see our 2009 report.

Child Care in Public Space 2009 Report