County Council Introduces Bill to Help with Childcare Costs: ‘This is a Moral Imperative’

All Montgomery County councilmembers support a bill that offers grants to small local businesses to help cover childcare contribution costs. The bill was introduced Wednesday.

Businesses with fewer than 50 employees would be eligible to receive grants of up to 50% of the yearly amount paid to employees who earn less than $125,000. Businesses often offer this money through flexible spending accounts.

The money will come from the county’s Economic Development Fund.

The goal is to enable more people who have left their jobs due to high childcare costs to return to the workforce, explained Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz. The grants also will help businesses that are having difficulty recruiting workers, he said.

“Affordability continues to be an issue,” said Council Councilmember Nancy Navarro. “It’s going to become a very important tool in terms of helping our folks find their footing.”

Councilmember Andrew Friedson noted, “This is really important. This is a moral imperative. It is an economic necessity.”

Added Councilmember Will Jawando, “Anything we can do to reduce the cost of childcare for our families is absolutely important.”

The bill provides a four-year action plan with the goal of identifying and resolving barriers for quality childcare.

In a news release, county officials noted that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation called lack of affordable, quality childcare “a significant barrier that limits the supply of talent.”

In a news release, county officials noted that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation called lack of affordable, quality childcare “a significant barrier that limits the supply of talent.”

A 2020 report by the Maryland Family Network noted that more than two-thirds of childcare providers reported losing money and more than half of the providers expected to have to close due to the effects of the pandemic.

County officials noted that the annual cost of childcare here in 2018 ranged from $13,000 for home-based care to $19,000 for center-based care. The costs are even higher for infants through four-year-old children.

About Suzanne Pollak

Suzanne is a freelance reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She has over 35 years professional experience writing for newspapers, magazines, non-profit newsletters and the web.

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