The number of child care providers in Washington County fell 19.16% between Jan. 1, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2024. That’s the fifth largest decrease in the state.
Meanwhile, the number of child care slots in Washington County decreased from 4,789 on Jan. 1, 2020, to 4,205 on Jan. 1, 2024. That’s a 12.19% decrease — the eighth largest decrease 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 increased from 26 in January 2020 to 38 at the start of this year.
Here’s what Karen Gideon, director of Star Brite Home Day Care in Hagerstown, had to say about the child care situation in Washington County:
"(There are) so many rules and regulations for my hard work. and the cost of learning to live is rising."
– Jan Carlo Marin