Dr. Mona Leigh Guha awarded funding from the Maryland State Department of Education
Dr. Mona Leigh Guha (PI, HDQM), Director for the Center for Young Children, was awarded funding from the Maryland State Department of Education for CYC Childcare Stabilization Grant (Round 2).
The Center for Young Children (CYC) at the University of Maryland operates in part under the auspices of the Maryland State Office of Child Care. A large part of the CYC's work, especially since the COVID pandemic, focuses on the daily safe care of children ages 3 - 6 years old. The work supported by this money includes teacher salaries that support the supervisory, cleaning, and administrative duties taken on by teachers in order to properly follow the guidelines set forth by the Maryland Office of Child Care.
Nearly $39 billion of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds were released to states, territories, and tribes to address the child care crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds are meant to help child care providers and early childhood educators stay open. These providers have been on the frontlines caring for the children of essential workers and supporting parents, especially mothers, who want to get back to work.
This funding opportunity constitutes the second round of Maryland’s Child Care Stabilization Grant Program. The CYC was also awarded funding during the first round of state funding in November 2021. The Division of Early Childhood within the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is providing this funding opportunity to address the hardships faced by child care providers and to address the instability of the child care market as a whole. These funds are a critical step to pave the way for a strong economic recovery and a more equitable future.
Mona Leigh Guha holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in Human Development, an M.S. from Johns Hopkins in Early Childhood Special Education, and a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Lock Haven University. Before returning to the University of Maryland to earn her Ph.D., Mona Leigh was a classroom teacher in the Maryland public schools. She has over 20 years of experience working with children and over 10 years of experience directing, managing, and coordinating teams of adults.