By the Baltimore City Early Childhood Advisory Council

Expanded access to pre-kindergarten is one of the pillars of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s landmark education legislation passed in 2021.  But what do we know about the available seats for eligible families in Baltimore City?  In this report, a broad coalition of philanthropic and early childhood education partners came together to complete a landscape analysis of the quantity, geographic distribution, and characteristics of early care and education opportunities for children from birth to age five.

The report’s findings note that accessible and affordable early care and education are a priority need for working families in the city.  It also cites research that links enrollment in child care centers or pre-kindergarten with increased readiness for kindergarten.  At the same time, access to these programs in unevenly distributed.  Overall, there are seats for 50% of children from birth to age 5, but only for 1 in 5 infants; in some communities and for lower-income families, access is even more constricted.

While acknowledging these challenges, the report also notes the state’s commitment to child care scholarships and to growing pre-K enrollment for low-income families.  It offers recommendations for policymakers, advocates, and funders to bring these commitments to life.

BERC’s Early Childhood Data Collaborative contributed to this report as one of several partners in data analysis and report authorship.