The number of child care providers in Allegany County fell 21.74% between Jan. 1, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2024. That’s the third-largest decrease in the state.
Meanwhile, the number of child care slots in Allegany County decreased from 1,500 on Jan. 1, 2020, to 1,291 on Jan. 1, 2024. That’s a 13.93% decrease — the fifth-largest decrease in the state.
However, the number of top-rated child care facilities -- those with a rating of 5 on the state's EXCELs rating system -- doubled, from five to 10, between 2020 and 2024.
Here’s what Kelli Deist, the owner and director of Kelli’s Daycare, had to say about the child care situation in Allegany County:
“I have 17 kids enrolled, and I’m only allowed to have 12 of them here at a time, so we really have to watch schedules and when they come.”
– Katelynn Winebrenner