(4/2024) Last month, the results of the Frederick County Child Care Market Study were released and the report is now available for the public and local policy makers. I knew the situation was dire beforehand which is why I began working on my Daycare Providers Property Tax Credit bill last year. I was happy for the support the bill received and that it was approved by the County Council and signed by the County Executive last December. There is room for expansion of this real property tax credit which will help Frederick County homeowners, who want to set up home-based day care businesses, to offset some costs for associated home improvements. This credit has been in the Maryland state code since 1987, and the limit of the credit is $3000. It will take working with our state delegation for that amount to possibly increase. This is one way we can help to incentivize the creation of more child care businesses in the county.
We will need that and other actions to help working families access the child care they need to be able to work and access more education and training opportunities. The study was commissioned last year by the county Office of Children and Families using federal funding. It’s an important first step to establish an accurate assignment of the current conditions. It’s important to note that the study focused exclusively on child care availability for children who are 0-5 years old.
Not surprisingly, the number of available child care slots has not kept up with the demonstrated need, and we could be facing crisis level shortages within ten years throughout the county. The Northern and Southeastern regions are already facing an extreme limitation of available slots. Even before the pandemic, the number of home-based daycare providers was declining, and the number of providers has not increased enough to meet the demand. The study found home-based daycare is a more popular choice for infants and toddlers when it is available because it is less expensive than child care centers. Home-based providers shared some important insights, including feeling hindered by licensing regulations. Although many families still rely on family members to provide care, especially for infants, families expressed the desire to access formal licensed child care as their children get ready to start kindergarten.
The study found that the cost of child care was the number one factor determining which type of child care a family would use, or whether to use child care at all. These are extremely stressful decisions, especially when other costs for living are considered like rising prices for housing, food, and transportation.
The results of the study are pretty alarming, although not surprising. To expand child care access in Frederick County, we must look for ways to support home-based businesses, and I will be looking for ways to build on the Daycare Providers Property Tax Credit. According to the study, next steps include setting long and short-term priorities, promoting partnerships to advance these priorities, and seeking funding to implement solutions. If you would like to read the entire study, you can visit, www.frederickcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/350531/Child-Care-Market-Study-Final.
Just as community input was so necessary in identifying the challenges, it will be just as necessary in developing the path forward. Starting April 1st, a survey will be available at https://publicinput.com/childcareforfrederickcounty. Additionally, an in-person meeting for families and childcare providers is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, from 9:30 to 11:00am, at the Family Partnership office, located at 8420 Gas House Pike, Suite EE, in Frederick. If you have ideas or experiences that you would like to share about child care in Frederick County, feel free to contact me at rknapp@frederickcountymd.gov.
It looks like Spring came early this year. I hope you get a chance to get outside and enjoy our beautiful county!
