Baltimore County child care providers eligible for federal funds

Baltimore County child care providers will soon be able to apply for $5,000 in assistance from the county government to offset the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Democratic County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. announced Tuesday that the county would open applications on May 22 for care providers to apply for grant funding using $2.5 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The application process closes June 2.

Towson-based nonprofit Abilities Network will be in charge of distributing the grants and verifying child care licenses, Olszewski said. Care providers must have been licensed on or before March 11, 2021, by the Maryland State Department of Education and must have 14 or fewer child care slots available.

The grants will go toward alleviating adverse economic effects from the pandemic and pay for things like personnel, rents and mortgages, maintenance and insurance, equipment and supplies, personal protective equipment, and mental health services.

Hundreds of child care providers closed during the pandemic, and families struggled with what to do, which Olszewski noted in his announcement of the grant program.

“High-quality healthcare keeps children safe, engaged and healthy — and it is absolutely essential for our working parents in Baltimore County,” he said in a news release. “These grants will help providers stay in business, rebuild from the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to nurture our youngest of learners.”

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