Howard County Head Start Adds Infant, Toddler Care
A new $12.6 million federal grant is set to expand the Head Start early childhood program in Howard County, offering more families access to critical resources beyond childcare.
The grant, awarded to the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), the county’s Head Start provider, will fund year-round, full-day classes for infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds beginning next school year. These programs will operate out of CAC’s Bauder Education Center and Children’s Learning Center (CLC). The funding will run for five years.
CAC leaders emphasized that Head Start provides families with much more than early education. Because CAC also manages the Howard County Food Bank and other support programs, enrolled families gain access to a wide range of services.
“When a child enters a program, a family enters our program,” said Erin Adelsberger, CAC’s director of education. “Enrollment opens the door to a broad range of services that help families build stability and opportunity.”
Tracy Broccolino, CAC’s president, called the expansion “the promise of a better future” and said it would have a “lifelong impact on children and their families.”
The expansion comes just months after Howard County Executive Calvin Ball allocated $1 million to nearly 30 local childcare providers, increasing the number of children those centers can serve. That initiative was part of his administration’s efforts to support federal workers in Howard County affected by workforce cuts during the Trump administration.
CAC is currently accepting applications from families interested in enrolling in the expanded Head Start program, as well as from educators and staff who want to join the team.
For more information, visit cac-hc.org.
Howard County Head Start Adds Infant, Toddler Care was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com
