Poster #24 - From Market Failure to Policy Action: Local Government Strategies to Expand Child Care Equity

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

The 2025 Child Care Feasibility Study Final Report examines child care access in Frederick County, Maryland as a critical public policy challenge. Using a rigorous mixed‑methods approach—including 980 surveys, demographic and GIS analyses, cost modeling, focus groups, and 23 key informant interviews—the study provides an evidence‑based framework for designing a county-sponsored child care system that addresses persistent affordability gaps, workforce shortages, and geographic disparities in service availability. The analysis identifies four high‑need clusters—Frederick City/Golden Mile, Thurmont, Walkersville, and Middletown—where child care deserts, high ALICE household concentrations, and limited infant/toddler availability converge. Families report spending nearly 19% of income on child care, almost triple the federal affordability benchmark, underscoring the broader national pattern of misalignment between family earnings and child care market costs. Structural barriers—including frozen enrollment in state subsidies, zoning constraints, and linguistic and cultural disparities—disproportionately affect immigrant households and low‑income families, making child care access a key equity and economic mobility issue. To address these multidimensional challenges, the report evaluates three operational models: traditional center-based care, modular facilities, and co‑op models involving parents, employers, or business consortia. This comparative framework echoes APPAM’s focus on policy design and evaluation, highlighting tradeoffs in capital cost, deployment speed, governance complexity, and long‑term scalability. Traditional centers offer the greatest capacity but require significant capital investment; modular facilities reduce upfront costs and accelerate implementation in rural areas; and co‑ops provide cost‑efficient, workforce‑oriented models contingent on strong governance infrastructure. The County’s site feasibility process demonstrates how local governments can use evidence to guide administrative decision‑making. Recommended sites—including the Citizens Care & Rehabilitation Center in Frederick City and two County‑owned parcels in Thurmont—are assessed using criteria such as infrastructure readiness, transportation access, land‑use compatibility, and long‑term scalability. This governance lens aligns with APPAM’s emphasis on institutional capacity, interagency coordination, and policy implementation feasibility. Financial sustainability is analyzed through multiple policy levers: a County scholarship program capping family contributions at 7% of income; a Tri‑Share model dividing remaining tuition among families, employers, and the County; and braided/blended fiscal strategies leveraging state, federal, philanthropic, and local revenue sources. These mechanisms reflect nationally relevant approaches to expanding child care affordability and stabilizing provider markets. Overall, the study offers a replicable, data‑driven framework for conducting child care needs assessments for local government intervention in a mixed public‑private child care market. Its integration of equity analysis, governance design, and fiscal modeling positions Frederick County’s approach as a valuable case for national policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking sustainable, family‑centered child care solutions.

Author

• Allison B Comport, Public Consulting Group
  Presenting Author