Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
County studies find roughly 23,000-seat child-care shortfall; infants and toddlers hardest hit
Summary
Consultants told a joint Montgomery County committee that the county has about 57,300 children under 5 and capacity for roughly 33,600 seats, leaving an estimated gap of 23,000 seats; infant and toddler care meets only about 19% of local need, the presenters said.
At a Nov. 7 joint meeting of Montgomery County’s Education, Culture, Health and Human Services Committee, consultants presenting a county supply‑and‑demand study said the county faces a roughly 23,000‑seat shortfall in formal child care, and the shortage is most acute for infants and toddlers.
"Overall, we estimate there's about 57,300 children who might be looking for care in the county," Jacob Roche of the Reinvestment Fund told the committee, summarizing the study's demand estimates. Roche said the county's formal-care capacity was estimated at about 33,600 seats, producing a gap of roughly 23,000 seats.
The study found major variation by age: coverage for children ages 2–5 is near 83…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
