Dear Friends,
We had a great announcement this week – the expansion of Head Start in Montgomery County to provide early childhood education and care for the youngest children – infants through 3-year-olds. This helps address one of the biggest challenges that families face, which is access to quality, affordable child care for the youngest children.
I was joined by child care providers, MCPS leadership, the Council President, parents, and community partners to announce $10 million in early childhood education investments. For the first time in 59 years, Montgomery County is expanding its Head Start program to include an Early Head Start component. This brings more than $6 million in federal funding and allows us—for the first time—to expand these services to include infants and toddlers ages 0 to 3 in community-based programs. Currently, Head Start is available for four- and five-year-olds. This change helps some families access the support they need from the very start of their child’s life.
We also announced a new $4 million facility loan program for child care providers. We know providers work on very thin margins and often struggle to expand or improve their facilities. This program offers forgivable and interest-free loans so providers can create more infant and toddler seats and better serve families who need them most.
And we launched a Shared Resources Collaborative that gives providers access to coaching, business management tools, and collective purchasing power. By lowering costs and strengthening operations, providers can focus on what matters most: teaching and nurturing our children.
All of this builds on the findings from our 2024 child care supply and demand study, which showed that only 19% of infants and toddlers in the County had access to quality, licensed care. That gap hurts families and our economy. Without access to affordable child care, many people, women in particular, are unable to return to work, which hurts our local economy. These initiatives are a direct response to that challenge, and they are designed with equity in mind.
As a former elementary school teacher in a high-poverty school, I know the importance of early education and the connection to learning and success in school. For years, we have talked about many children entering school two years behind. Two years behind is enormous: that means children begin school with the abilities of a three-year-old rather than a five-year-old. They are not prepared for work at their age level. It is no secret that those children start behind and often stay behind, effectively preventing them from being able to be successful at grade-level work, not just in kindergarten but beyond. Brain development in those early years is critically important and impacts future growth. Early childhood education can help ensure that children start school ready and prepared to learn academically, but also socially and emotionally – it's not only about the academics. If they don't get exposure and intervention early, it can become, and often does, a barrier to future learning. The return on investment in a young child is multiples of that return on money spent to remediate learning problems when they are older. Of all the efforts and proposals to address student achievement, early childhood education is the most effective and least costly over the long term than anything else we can do. Put simply, we can fix the problem now or pay for not fixing it later.
Each of these programs will benefit families, and most importantly, provide children with the opportunity to build a critical foundation of early learning that will help them throughout their lives.
Federal Health Care Decisions Creating Confusion and Increasing Costs
The Trump administration and officials have been sowing confusion and dubious claims about vaccines, and this week, Trump and his HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. asserted a link between Tylenol and autism. There is no solid, peer-reviewed science that supports the proposition that Tylenol causes autism. Yet it’s being presented in a way that blurs the line between speculation and fact. That causes fear, chaos, and mistrust. It puts doctors in an impossible position — how do you advise someone when federal leadership seems to be issuing statements that aren’t backed by science?
To bring clarity to vaccine guidance, Maryland and other states have joined the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a multistate coalition to develop vaccine recommendations and other public health guidance to combat confusing messages coming from the Trump administration. The Collaborative aims to help people understand what is safe and provide information so that doctors can offer counsel based on knowledge and experience. Montgomery County stands with the Maryland Department of Health on the importance of vaccination to help reduce the burden of COVID, Flu, and RSV in the community.
This week, our County’s health officer, Dr. Kisha Davis, a family physician, joined me for my media briefing and talked about the importance of clearing up confusion caused by the Trump administration. You can watch it here: youtube.com/@montgomerycountymd.
In other bad health care news, health insurance costs are going up. Maryland announced that individual health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will increase by an average of 13.4% next year if Congress does not extend the “enhanced premium tax credits.” These credits help make these plans affordable for many, and they will end at the end of 2025 unless Congress acts. This will impact low-income earners nationally and some could see premiums double, according to an estimate by the Congressional Budget Office earlier this year.
If more people drop their coverage, they are more likely to use the most expensive health care—the emergency room—and that is a cost shared by many.
So put this all together:
- Unscientific claims about health risks (like Tylenol and autism) are being made with huge visibility.
- Mixed or contradictory guidance about vaccines is confusing people who just want to make safe choices.
- Insurance costs are skyrocketing, and many people depend on those exchange plans to get basic medical care.
We need policy based on science, transparent evidence, and responsible communication. We need leadership that doesn’t stoke fear but instead supports patients and clinicians with clarity. When the federal government issues statements, it must be accountable to science. And Congress needs to act so that people relying on health insurance marketplaces aren’t left completely exposed by disappearing subsidies.
Because without that, the confusion, cost, and harm will only grow — and the burden will fall on the most vulnerable among us.
Notable Economic Development News
I want to tell you about a few of my meetings this week that didn't make headlines but could be important for our continuing efforts to diversify our economy. First, there was the Bio Health Capital Region Forum held at US Pharmacopeia. I noticed a packed house as I gave welcoming remarks and talked about the reasons we are the heart of the nation's #3 hub for the life sciences industry. In the last year, we have seen AstraZeneca open its $300 million cell therapy center, a number of our smaller innovators advance their therapies, and the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (IHC) expand its staff here in the County to more than 100. We continue to welcome more collaboration and investment in the pursuit of medical innovations.
Because of that conference, the County hosted several international companies looking at different places to expand their U.S. operations. Nine medical device and diagnostics companies looking to expand to the U.S. had the opportunity to meet with companies at the Germantown and Rockville Innovation Centers, faculty from the IHC, the Fischell School of Engineering, and local regulatory consultants to learn more about the process and why Montgomery County would be a great place to do business. Meetings like this one help us pitch our area as a way to meet specific needs. From our conference room at the Leggett Executive Office Building in Rockville, company leaders were able to walk to the Rockville Innovation Center for a tour of the facilities. Montgomery County now has four innovation centers to help small businesses work without costly overhead. Montgomery County now has four innovation centers to help small businesses work without costly overhead. The latest innovation center, which focuses on helping businesses incorporate artificial intelligence into their products and services, will open its doors next week.
Finally, I want to offer my congratulations to Harbor Bank, which celebrated the grand opening of its first branch in Silver Spring on Tuesday. The bank is committed to supporting historically underrepresented communities. These are communities where funding loans can be difficult. The partnerships already created by leaders with the Montgomery County Black Chamber of Commerce and the Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce are a sign that they are ready to flourish here and help provide the kinds of resources that our community needs.
New Laws Starting Oct. 1
There are some notable changes in the law that take effect on Wednesday, Oct. 1, which impact Montgomery County and all of Maryland, ranging from new consumer protections to public safety changes. I’d like to run through a few of them now.
The Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for All Marylanders Now Act helps boost the power of Maryland’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board. The board can set upper payment limits for drugs sold in the State and aims to lower the cost of some of the most expensive medications.
The Maryland Online Data Privacy Act will set new rules for personal data collected by companies we do business with. The new measure would give customers the right to opt out of data sales and targeted advertising. Consumers will be able to access, correct, and delete the personal information a company collects. Data protection assessments will also be required of companies for activities considered high-risk.
Other measures will strengthen the laws against secretly recording or watching someone through video surveillance without their permission, force companies that offer subscriptions with automatic renewal to provide consumers with a way to cancel easily without costly penalties, and make it illegal to add medical debt to someone’s credit rating.
Criminal investigations into theft rings should also get a boost. New laws will aid in the prosecution of organized retail theft by allowing police to combine multiple theft incidents committed across different counties into one criminal case in any county where one theft happened.
We have spent a lot of time over the last few years talking about the Sgt. Patrick Kepp Act, and part of that law will go on the books in October. There will be additional penalties and points assessed against a driver convicted of reckless, negligent, or aggressive driving. The criminal justice system adds more offenses to the distinctions of reckless and aggressive driving.
Also starting Oct. 1, there will be new safeguards to help vulnerable people in the adult protective services system. Confidentiality will no longer be a valid reason not to report abuse that is witnessed.
Hospitals will no longer be able to sue patients over medical debts totaling less than $500, and housing covenants won’t be able to restrict the operation of family child care businesses or put undue limits on them. Late rent charges would be capped at 5%.
We are preparing our list of legislative priorities now, and that will continue over the next few months ahead of the next General Assembly session in January.
Ninth Annual Wheaton Arts Parade Returns on Sunday
This Sunday is the Wheaton Arts Parade. We are always working to create a welcoming, inclusive, and safe community for everyone, and the annual arts parade is one way we do that by highlighting the depth of talent right here in our area.
Wheaton is the center of our diverse County. We are home to Maryland's largest Hispanic population, and more than 40% of our residents were born outside of the U.S. Wheaton is a designated Maryland Arts and Entertainment District, which helps produce many artists, creators, and restaurants whose talents are on display during the arts parade festival.
I enjoy how unusual this parade is. It allows people from many walks of life to enjoy music, readings, and dancing. This parade brings together residents, artists, businesses, and civic organizations, including one group that helps tie it all together — the Wheaton Yarn Bomb.
We’ve invested heavily in Wheaton—from the $180 million Wheaton Revitalization Project to securing state aid for a future arts center and affordable housing. This event gives us a chance to celebrate Wheaton's creative side and showcase what makes it a beautiful and fascinating place to live, work, and visit. So, come out for the parade starting at 10 a.m. or visit the Marian Fryer Town Plaza through 5 p.m. for the festival.
Animal Shelter Capacity
Last weekend, our Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center put out a call to help clear the shelter of big dogs because of capacity issues. More owners are surrendering their dogs, and fewer pets are leaving the building. Because of this situation, we are asking anyone considering surrendering a dog to try all reasonable outlets first, like asking friends and neighbors if they are willing to take in a pet.
During tough times like these, the animal services professionals in the County are committed to helping both individuals and their pets. That’s why we’ve partnered with Home To Home— a shelter intake diversion program. Home To Home is a direct-to-adopter tool for pet owners.
This program helps pets find a loving new home without ever seeing the inside of a shelter. Through this collaboration, we can provide free courtesy listings for pets in the community who are searching for new homes. To visit, list a pet, or search for a pet in our area, visit home-home.org.
New Oak Barrel & Vine Store Opens in Wheaton
On Thursday, we opened the County’s newest Oak Barrel & Vine location. It is inside the Westfield Wheaton mall and replaces the former store on Georgia Avenue. This is the sixth store to carry the Oak Barrel & Vine name. From now through Sunday, it will offer special wine and spirit tastings.
The openings of these upgraded stores across our County have been well-received. Montgomery County's Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) generates over $35 million in net profits annually to fund County services. By reinvesting in our communities through stores like this, we are supporting local products and ensuring that ABS continues to provide real value for Montgomery County residents.
ABS is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine, and spirits for Montgomery County and operates 27 retail stores throughout the County. In addition, ABS manages alcohol licensing, enforcement, and education for more than 1,000 businesses. The County uses ABS profits to pay down County debt, with a large portion deposited in the general fund to pay for resident services that otherwise would be funded by County tax dollars. ABS also plays another role in our County, helping to prevent underage drinking.
Travel + Leisure Singles Out Two Cities in Montgomery County
I want to recognize the accolades that two of our “cities” just earned from Travel + Leisure magazine. They asked real estate experts along the East Coast for the best places to live, and Bethesda and Silver Spring both made the top 10.
Bethesda ranked #6 for its mix of downtown and residential benefits. Trails and parks also helped it score high marks. Silver Spring was recently listed as the #1 place for families to live in the nation. On this list, it landed at #10. It was singled out as one of the best areas for first-time homeowners across the DMV.
Many people think Bethesda and Silver Spring are their own municipalities – but they are not. They rely on the County government and are supported by two of our five regional service areas. I want to thank the staff at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase and the Silver Spring Regional Services offices for their work and Visit Montgomery for raising up our communities.
Jewish High Holidays
Earlier this week was Rosh Hashanah, the start of the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur begins at sundown next Wednesday, Oct. 1, and continues until nightfall the following day, Oct. 2. For the Jewish community, this is an important time marked by reflection, repentance, and reverence.
It is also a time to hope that the coming year is filled with personal growth and brings peace to all. Shanah Tovah to all who observe.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
