At BELLA Academy, one of our core focuses is building an in-house scholarship program—and there’s a very practical reason why. In our home state of Maryland, public support for early childhood care is being stretched to the limit. According to a recent article, enrollment in the state’s child-care scholarship program is currently frozen and there’s no clear timeline for when it’ll reopen. (Maryland Matters)
Here’s what the article reports:
- The Maryland State Department of Education halted new enrollments in May in the state’s child-care scholarship program because of a surge in applications; and by mid-September, officials still couldn’t say when the freeze would lift. (Maryland Matters)
- As a result of the freeze, both families and providers are uncertain: one center reported it had to cut staff hours because more than half their children depended on the scholarship program. (Maryland Matters)
- The article highlights that families count on those scholarships not just for care, but so parents can work and providers can stay open. (Maryland Matters)
Given this backdrop, BELLA Academy’s commitment to offering donor- and sponsor-funded in-house scholarships becomes even more crucial. Here’s how we see it making a difference:
- Buffering uncertainty: With state scholarship funding paused or unpredictable, having our own scholarship fund means we can offer stability to families, helping them plan without having to wait for state funds to reopen.
- Supporting families’ work and growth: When families don’t have access to reliable child-care support, things get harder: as the article notes, care scholarships are tied to parents being able to work. By offering our own scholarships, we help reduce that barrier.
- Empowering our vision: Scholarships aligned with our mission let us nurture learners who might otherwise be left out, and help build a community where no one is held back by financial barriers.
- Helping providers thrive: Just as the article indicates providers faced staffing and budget challenges when the state program froze, our scholarship program helps ensure that when our doors open and beyond, we’ll be ready with sustainable support for both families and the learning environment we aim to create.
So what do we need?
To make this vision real, we’re looking for partners: donors, businesses, sponsors, and community members who share our belief that education and access shouldn’t wait. Your contributions to our scholarship fund will create direct, meaningful impact.
If you’re interested in helping establish or support our in-house scholarship program—whether through one-time gifts, ongoing sponsorships, corporate matching, or other creative paths—we’d love to connect. Together, we can ensure that when BELLA Academy opens its doors, finances won’t be a barrier for the families we serve.
Thank you for being part of this vision. With your help, we’ll build an academy where learning, leadership and equity thrive—no waiting required.