Only half of kids under 5 in Baltimore can access early education, report says

For many Baltimore parents, child care can be out of reach, with potentially significant consequences for their child’s development and their own careers. According to a report released Wednesday, there are spots for only half of Baltimore children under 5 at local, regulated early childhood education programs. The first years are even harder: There’s capacity to serve just 20% of the city’s infants, according to the Baltimore City Early Care and Education Landscape Analysis, which brings together hard-to-gather data on conditions for children ages 0 to 5 in Baltimore.

As the cost of care has risen between 8% and 21% for families since the pandemic, the city lost 1,665 seats at center-based programs alone between November 2019 and May 2024. This could not only impact kids’ kindergarten readiness, but securing a coveted child care spot can be imperative in getting parents back to work.

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Source: The Baltimore Banner