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Early Head Start expansion funding lapses; local nonprofit and county officials weigh options for displaced families and staff
Summary
Maryland Development Corporation officials said federal Early Head Start expansion funding did not arrive after they applied as a direct recipient; 31 Caroline County families and 26 employees were named as directly affected. Officials described next steps including feasibility work on a fee-based center model and outreach to congressional staff.
Representatives from the Maryland Development Corporation briefed Caroline County Commissioners on Sept. 23 about the imminent end of a federal Early Head Start expansion funding stream that had supported additional infant-toddler slots in the region.
Charles Huster, executive director of Maryland Development Corporation, told the board that the organization had sought about $3 million in Early Head Start expansion funding but, by applying as a direct recipient, did not receive an award; he said that as a subrecipient under Maryland Family Network (MFN) the organization likely would have had a funding path. Huster said the agency had “over $1,000,000” in existing dollars and that the Office of Head Start’s communications about the award process had been limited; Huster said the office’s response to congressional inquiries was slow and that Maryland Family Network serves as a pass-through entity with long-standing practice of designating subrecipients.
Huster and Abby McNinch said immediate steps included helping displaced employees find other work and considering alternative service models. They reported program effects the board that included about 101 families left unserved across the region, 31 of them in Caroline County, and about 26 employees impacted (roughly half in Caroline County). The organization said it has classroom space in Greensboro and Federalsburg that could be used for a fee-based or “Patty Center” model that would combine family services and on-site child care, but that it must study economic feasibility and licensing requirements.
Commissioners and staff said they would assist by sharing correspondence with congressional and state offices; the county administrative office committed to forwarding a letter from U.S. Rep. Andy Harris’s office that had been sent to the Office of Head Start. Huster said that MD Development Corporation had escalated the matter through political channels but that official, direct answers from the Office of Head Start had been limited; the organization also described difficulties in communication when working as a subrecipient versus a direct recipient.
Why it matters: Early Head Start serves children under age 3 and their families; the loss of expansion funds reduces available infant-toddler slots and affects staffing. County leaders said they will explore locally feasible interim models and press federal contacts for clarity on the Office of Head Start’s decisions.
Next steps: MD Development Corporation will study feasibility of a fee-based center and licensing implications, pursue outreach to congressional and federal officials, and coordinate with county staff and local partners on transitional services for families and employees.
