Baltimore Invests $500,000 to Expand Early Childhood Education

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on Monday announced a $500,000 investment in early childhood education, a move aimed at expanding access to child care programs and improving outcomes for the city’s youngest learners. CBS Baltimore reports that the funding, managed by the Fund for Educational Excellence, will support data collection on child care access and enrollment, particularly focusing on improving services for children with special needs. It will also help launch enrollment-readiness campaigns and provide navigator assistance to guide families in finding programs for infants and toddlers.

Scott emphasized that closing the early childhood education gap is a nationwide challenge, noting that access barriers persist in every community. He said he has instructed his administration to identify additional investments that expand and promote high-quality Pre-K and child care options across Baltimore.

According to city data cited by the mayor, children who enter kindergarten ready to learn — including those who attend Pre-K — are nearly five times more likely to read at grade level by third grade and significantly more likely to graduate within a decade. Yet each year, 800 to 1,000 Baltimore children begin kindergarten with no prior educational experience, disproportionately affecting neighborhoods like Cherry Hill that have endured generations of disinvestment.

During Monday’s announcement, Scott also directed the Planning Department to work with Planning Director Tim Keane to identify vacant or underutilized properties that could be redeveloped into child care and Pre-K facilities, potentially with private-sector partnership. Mixed-use sites will be a particular focus.

Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen added that the council’s Education and Youth Committee will launch hearings examining child care affordability and access. Cohen noted that families — especially mothers and extended caregivers — face intense pressure due to limited child care availability. He said Baltimore has “infinite capacity” to support early childhood development, but stressed that coordinated action is needed to realize that potential.