Would you be comfortable dropping your baby off at Walmart or some other discount store for the day? Unless salaries improve, child care providers will continue to flee the field for better paying jobs in retail until those same big box stores take over the child care industry which providers are currently forced to flee due to low wages.
County Executive Stuart Pitman is correct that we need more affordable private child care options in Anne Arundel County to meet the demands of working families (“Demand for affordable child care in Anne Arundel Count rises following pandemic,” Feb. 5). We commend Mr. Pittman for his calls to find solutions that entice entrepreneurs, to open more programs. Anne Arundel County is not alone. This is an economic and family stability issue for communities across the state.
Most child care programs are independently owned and operated out of a home and by women of color. These family child care homes offer parents options, which can meet their particular needs, including flexibility of hours, cultural and linguistic familiarity, opportunities for siblings to learn together, and consistency of care over several years. These programs are especially important in rural and low-income areas where county-run options are limited.
Ideas like Growing Opportunities for Family Child Care (GOFCC), operated by Maryland Family Network’s Child Care Resource Centers, provide free training and coaching to support those interested in opening a child care business. This includes navigating the complex process of becoming licensed, learning to manage a budget, and even tips on marketing one’s new program. GOFCC is currently operating in 19 counties and Baltimore City and has helped 92 child care providers open their doors.
The future success of GOFCC is incredibly promising for Anne Arundel County and all of Maryland. However more innovative solutions are needed, or we’ll be left with only the “blue light specials.”
— Laura Weeldreyer, Baltimore
The writer is executive director of the Maryland Family Network
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