Montgomery County leaders cite low pay and instability in early‑care workforce; propose pay boosts, benefits and a statewide registry

Montgomery County leaders and partner organizations told the county’s Triple Committee that early‑care educators are paid far below local self‑sufficiency standards and that workforce instability is constraining families’ access to child care.

The study presented by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Children’s Opportunity Alliance reported that the county has not yet recovered its pre‑pandemic ECE workforce; presenters said there were about 10,972 ECE professionals in 2019 and 9,770 in 2024 and stated a county goal of at least 12,000 ECE professionals by 2030. The presenters said roughly 12,000 publicly subsidized seats are served in 2025–26, up from about 11,000 in earlier years.

The report painted a stark picture of compensation and benefits. Jennifer, senior administrator for Early Childhood Services at DHHS, summarized survey and interview findings and said, “Compensation is the hinge,” describing that 66% of respondents said higher pay is the single biggest factor that would keep them in the field. Presenters said 88% of educators earn below the county’s self‑sufficiency standard (presented in the study as about $64,000 in annual earnings for a two‑earner family of four), roughly 19% earn under the federal poverty level, and median hourly wages reported were around $21; presenters noted only a small share of hourly staff reach the study’s self‑sufficiency hourly threshold (~$31).

The study’s recommended, phased strategy emphasizes four connected goals: improve pay (including transparent salary scales, targeted bonuses and pay‑equity funds), expand access to core benefits through pooled/shared‑service models, reduce educators’ out‑of‑pocket costs (tax credits, subsidized childcare and other supports) and expand professional pathways (scholarships, apprenticeships and a career lattice tied to a statewide registry).

Partner organizations described next steps and implementation details. Sharon Freemen of Montgomery Moving Forward emphasized a statewide "call to action" that includes establishing an ECE workforce registry, aligning credentials across the birth‑to‑5 system, and building a career lattice. Chris Watson, named to lead the new statewide coalition under See Impact, said implementation work has studied other states and estimated initial registry costs (presenters cited approximately $700,000 start‑up and about $1.8 million in ongoing annual operations) while noting some infrastructure can be leveraged locally and statewide.

Council members pressed for specificity on several fronts: where the lowest wages occur (some hourly positions were reported near $14), how local minimum‑wage laws interact with hourly and variable schedules, how the county will measure outcomes (credentials, seat counts, training hours, program quality), and what can be done at the county level while advocating for state changes. Presenters said they will submit recommended revisions to local subsidy regulations to the County Executive in July, with public hearings and a vote anticipated in the fall if the executive forwards the proposals.

The presentation included several immediate operational suggestions for county action: fund targeted pay parity pilots, expand scholarship dollars so students can enroll in full course loads, create shared‑service benefit pools to give educators access to health insurance and retirement, and design hub models to reduce administrative costs for small and family‑based providers.

Next steps: presenters and coalition partners said two cross‑sector workgroups will finalize recommendations (one on a practical workforce implementation roadmap and the other on re‑imagining local subsidy rules) and will deliver elevated recommendations in coming months; coalition leadership expects transition activity in July and additional policy and budget work through the fall.