“Jennifer Nicholls is the owner, lead teacher ‘and cook, nurse and entertainment,’ she joked, at Journey Preschool, a home-based early childhood education program that cares for a dozen children.

“ ‘Often we’re called providers, or babysitters, but we’re educators too,’ she says.

“That misconception often goes along with getting ignored by federal and state agencies’ rare efforts to improve early childhood education offerings. But thanks to a new $10 million initiative in Nicholls’ Montgomery County, Maryland, she and others have a shot at upping the quality of their programs.”

“The county, a suburb of Washington, D.C., unveiled in late September two new initiatives backed by the $10 million investment. The lion’s share of the funding, $6.1 million, is earmarked to expand Head Start…”

“The work in Montgomery County has been building over the last decade, spurred by several studies about the cost and quality of care, workforce compensation and a shared service proposal for child care providers. One standout statistic: Programs in the county have only enough infant and toddler seats to serve 19 percent of its under-2-years-old population. Programs can accommodate roughly 83 percent of children between 2 and 5 years old.”

— “As More States Expand Child Care Programs, This Is One to Watch,” by Lauren Coffey, EdSurge, November 6, 2025