Rockville staff outline 11 strategies to expand child care access, targeting infant/toddler shortage and affordability

City departments presented an 11‑point childcare roadmap to the Mayor and Council on June 2, proposing a mix of funding, policy, regulatory and programmatic steps to increase access and affordability — with particular emphasis on the county‑wide infant and toddler gap and on serving low‑income families.

Andy Lett of Recreation and Parks and Elsa Kenfack of Housing and Community Development led the panel that tied the proposed city strategies to a May 2024 Montgomery County study staff cited as finding the county meets only 17 percent of the need for infant and toddler care (a shortfall the study estimated at about 18,000 slots county‑wide). The county study found care for children under age 2 is markedly more expensive — the presentation cited figures that high quality care for children under 2 can cost up to $26,000 per year — and…