MARYLAND, January 20 - For Immediate Release: Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Committee to review Bill 42-21 which would designate a nonprofit corporation focused on access, equity and inclusion in early care and education programs

The joint Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education and Culture (E&C) Committee will meet on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss Bill 42-21, Child Care – Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity – Established, which would designate a nonprofit corporation focused on access, equity and inclusion in early care and education programs while helping the sector recover from challenges caused by the pandemic.

The members of the HHS Committee include Chair and Council President Gabe Albornoz, Council Vice President Evan Glass (Lead for Homelessness & Vulnerable Communities) and Councilmember Craig Rice.

The members of the E&C Committee include Chair Craig Rice and Councilmembers Will Jawando (Lead for Libraries) and Nancy Navarro.

More detail on the agenda is provided below.

Bill 42-21, Child Care – Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity – Established

Review and recommendations expected: The joint HHS and E&C Committee will review Bill 42-21, Child Care – Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity – Established, which would designate a nonprofit corporation focused on access, equity and inclusion in early care and education programs while helping the sector recover from challenges caused by the pandemic.

The County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity will also improve the availability of affordable quality early care and education in the County. High-quality and affordable early child care and education is an essential service for the well-being and future of children and families, as well as employers. The group would serve as a neutral convenor of all major stakeholders to develop a community consensus for the County's early childhood education sector and must adopt and implement a racial equity and social justice policy consistent with the County's policy.

Bill 42-21 builds upon the Montgomery County Early Care and Education Initiative (ECEI), which was spearheaded in 2019 by Councilmember Nancy Navarro, then serving as Council President, and County Executive Elrich, in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College. This four-year action plan earmarked $7 million in funding to expand quality early care and educational opportunities for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

The lead sponsors of Bill 42-21 are Council President Albornoz and Councilmembers Navarro and Rice. All other Councilmembers are cosponsors.

Those expected to attend and provide information include Dr. Raymond Crowel, director, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); JoAnn Barnes, DHHS; Dr. Barbara Andrews, administrator, Early Childhood Services, DHHS; and Sharon Friedman, director, Montgomery Moving Forward.

The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.

The Council and committees are meeting via Zoom because of ongoing construction and technology upgrades in the Council's Hearing Room and the inability to conduct meetings in a socially distant way in other areas of the Council Office Building with television broadcast capacity. Councilmembers continue to hold meetings in their offices by appointment.

The virtual Council and committee meetings will be streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.

Release ID: 22-023 Media Contact: Sonya Healy, 240-777-7926 , Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884