BALTIMORE — Mayor Jack Young announced $4 million in assistance for Baltimore City child care providers and $5 million in support for city nonprofits, as part of a larger, COVID-19 relief package.
According to a November 2019 analysis by the city’s Early Childhood Advisory Council, only 48% of children under the age of 5 had access to regulated early care and only 12% of infants under the age of 2 had access to regulated care.
According to a survey of child care providers by the Maryland Family Network in May, two months into the pandemic, 51% of the state’s providers faced permanent closure due to the COVID-19-driven decline in enrollment.
This child care assistance package is designed to help keep the doors of Baltimore’s child care centers open.
The city will provide that direct support through grants to licensed family-and center-based providers in Baltimore City: up to $20,000 for licensed child care centers and up to $5,000 for registered family child care homes to support costs including virtual learning expenses, personal protection equipment (PPE), payroll, supplies, rent, fixed debt payments and other business-critical cash operating costs.
Family League of Baltimore will process grant applications.
The application window is October 1, 2020, through November 12, 2020, and applicants will need to complete an online application and provide a copy of their Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) License and evidence of good standing.
For details about the Child Care COVID-19 Stability Fund, visit familyleague.org/stabilizechildcare.
