Background

This project builds upon the findings from the 2024 Childcare Market Study, with the goal of gathering information regarding child care needs and opportunities. Click here to learn more about the 2024 Child Care Market Study. 

Key Findings of the Child Care Feasibility Study

• Affordability, Access, and Availability: 
  • ​​​Affordability is the single greatest barrier facing families across the County, especially ALICE households.
  • Need is not evenly distributed across the County. Access gaps are most acute in four priority areas: the Golden Mile area of Frederick, Thurmont, Walkersville, and Middletown.
  • Some regions experience up to 3.3 children per licensed slot, indicating severe shortages.
  • Child care costs average nearly 19% of household income, far above the federal 7% benchmark.
  • ALICE households face an estimated $25 million annual affordability gap if all sought care.
• Families Consistently Emphasized:  
  • Affordability
  • Proximity to home or major commute corridors
  • Extended and non-traditional hours
  • Safety, trust, and qualified staff
  • Culturally responsive and bilingual programming
• Workforce Challenges: 
  • Recruitment and retention of early educators remain significant challenges.
  • Many educators earn wages below self-sufficiency levels and rely on public assistance, contributing to high turnover and limited provider capacity.

Recommendations 

• Establish County-sponsored child care programs using traditional or modular facilities in priority areas. 
• Launch a pilot child care scholarship program to support ALICE and moderate-income families who do not otherwise qualify for state assistance. Click here to learn more about the Pilot Pre-K Scholarship Program. 
• Explore Tri‑Share cost-sharing partnerships to split tuition costs among employers, families, and the County. 
• Integrate child care into land-use planning, capital planning, and public facility design. 
• Strengthen workforce investments, including apprenticeships, wage stabilization approaches, and partnerships with local education programs. 
• Pilot employer and community-based co-op models leveraging shared resources and governance structures.

What Frederick County is Doing

Frederick County is deciding how to move forward with County-sponsored child care to address access constraints that the County’s analyses identify as most acute for families. To begin, the County is: 

• Establishing a partnership with the Frederick County Public School’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) Department to launch a pilot child care scholarship program for four‑year‑old county residents. Click here to learn more about the Pilot Pre-K Scholarship Program. 
• In addition to the pilot scholarship program, the County is continuing ongoing work to expand the child care workforce. Frederick County Workforce Services has partnered with Child Care Choices to increase the number of licensed in-home child care providers.  So far, 21 programs have been licensed through this partnership. This has created new spaces for 116 children, including 31 slots for infants.
• Implementing County‑sponsored child care through a phased approach to ensure sustainable growth, operational feasibility, and alignment with community needs.

Expanding access to child care supports Frederick County’s broader goals in the Livable Frederick Master Plan and recommendations from the County Executive’s community‑led transition team.

More Information 

Child Care Feasibility Study Final Report

Child Care Model Location Cost and Risk Assessment Report

Demographic Report

Key Findings Brief

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