The number of child care providers in Howard County fell by 10.88% between Jan. 1, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2024. That’s the sixth smallest decrease in the state.
Meanwhile, the number of child care slots in Howard County decreased from 16,235 on Jan. 1, 2020, to 14,675 on Jan. 1, 2024. That’s a 9.61% decrease — the 11th smallest in the state.
The number of top-rated child care facilities -- those with a rating of 5 on the state's EXCELS rating system -- in the county fell from 23 in early 2020 to 20 early this year.
Here’s what Michelle McCorkle, director of Brookfield Christian School in Columbia, had to say about the child care situation in Howard County:
“Howard County in particular has a large quantity of very young families with young children… If you don’t start looking the moment you find out you're pregnant, you're not going to find a spot.”
– Jonathan Iacovacci