BELLA Academy was established in 2025 after Jess spent many years running a successful, bilingual, in-home daycare. She developed a waitlist due to the high demand for daycare in a bilingual setting. Through the discovery of BELLA, we learned that Maryland’s economy was taking a hit due to child-care-related issues after the pandemic.
BELLA Academy was developed to combat local one-size-fits-all daycare and preschool models, which do not take into account different demographics, income levels, or parent schedules. With more parents seeking a bilingual child-care setting, BELLA was created with the goal of meeting people where they are without compromising the high-quality education each child and family deserves.
At BELLA Academy, our mission is to nurture compassionate, curious, and connected learners by providing high-quality, bilingual early childhood education and connections to community resources.
We empower children and families with the language, intercultural understanding, and cognitive skills needed to build meaningful connections, both locally and globally.
Through intentional teaching and play, as well as intentional partnerships, we foster empathy, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning that prepares young minds to thrive in a diverse and ever-changing world.
BELLA Academy serves children and families in Harford County, Maryland, through educational, cultural, and community-based programming. In the future, our goal is to also serve parents who need reliable child care and transportation to their place of employment.
Providing opportunities for children to develop knowledge and skills in a bilingual setting, and to learn both English and Spanish.
Creating opportunities to learn about and engage with diverse cultures and perspectives, which leads to inclusivity within communities.
Building connections among children, families, educators, and community partners. In the future, we strive to strengthen the local workforce by providing stress-free, 24-hour child care and preschool, with transportation to families’ places of employment.
Expanding access to meaningful educational experiences. In the future, we will provide transportation for parents to reach their workplaces, and offer in-house scholarships to support disadvantaged families who need child care to work.
Read the research behind our programs and the needs we’ve identified in Harford County.