The number of child care providers in Harford County fell 16.71% between Jan. 1, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2024. That’s the 11th largest decrease in the state.
Meanwhile, the number of child care slots in Harford County decreased from 8,812 on Jan. 1, 2020, to 8,415 on Jan. 1, 2024. That’s a 4.51% decrease — the seventh smallest 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 -- increased from 15 to 29 between early 2020 and early this year.
Here’s what Maryanne Shulman, director of St. Matthew Preschool in Bel Air, had to say about the child care situation in Harford County:
“It would be good for the state to find ways of bringing and incentivizing more professionals to come into the child care field. We need quality staff to be able to run these programs."
– Zephan Matteson