The number of child care providers in Anne Arundel County fell 19.04% between Jan. 1, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2024. That’s the sixth largest decrease in the state.
Meanwhile, the number of child care slots in Anne Arundel County decreased from 21,017 on Jan. 1, 2020, to 19,951 on Jan. 1, 2024. That’s a 5.07% decrease — the eighth smallest in the state.
The county's number of top-rated child care facilities -- those with a rating of 5 on the state's EXCELS rating system -- fell by one, from 18 to 17, between 2020 and 2024.
Here’s what Laurie Donohue, the owner of Small Wonders Family Daycare in Gambrills, had to say about the child care situation in Anne Arundel County:
“I get so many calls and referrals...In the course of a week, I probably get at least five to 10 inquiries about child care. Sometimes more, it just depends on the influx, but 90% of those are like for under the age of 2. There's definitely not enough spaces right now for the amount of children that are out there.”
– Kaya Bogot