Baltimore City Council Hears Testimony on Child Care Access, Early Learning
Baltimore has lost 2,000+ child care seats in recent years, a East Baltimore provider told City Council Thursday as lawmakers weigh potential legislation.
Parents feel stressed right now," India Ivery told Baltimore City Council members Thursday, capturing in four words what officials have been tracking in data for years. Ivery, who operates a child care center in East Baltimore, testified before the Education, Youth and Older Adults Committee during a hearing titled "First Steps, Strong Start: Early Learning in Baltimore City" at Du Burns Council Chamber inside City Hall. "The cost of living has increased, and therefore the cost of services has increased," she added.
The hearing, convened under committee reference LO25-0040, drew testimony from child care providers, government agencies, and community members about the compounding pressures on Baltimore's early learning sector since the pandemic. Officials told the committee the city has lost more than 2,000 child care seats in recent years while the cost of care has continued to climb. City leaders echoed that picture, noting that limited access to child care can push parents out of the workforce entirely, straining household finances and the broader local economy.
Ivery's testimony underscored the bind facing working families: child care has grown too expensive for many households, but providers cannot hold rates down when their own operating costs keep rising. That squeeze is reflected in the seat-loss figure, as centers struggle to remain financially viable.
The March 19 session was the first of what the council expects to be three hearings total on the issue. Two additional hearings are planned before the committee drafts potential legislation aimed at addressing Baltimore's child care shortage. The council previously invested $500,000 in early childhood education programs in November 2025 and launched a separate initiative in December 2025 to help open new child care centers in the city.
The hearing ran from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the fourth-floor Du Burns Council Chamber at 100 Holliday St. and was also open to virtual attendees via Webex. Residents who want to weigh in on future hearings can contact Council Support at 410-396-4804 or CouncilSupport@baltimorecity.gov. Those requiring ADA accommodations, including CART services or ASL interpretation, must make requests at least 72 hours before a scheduled meeting.
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