$330K Grant Will Create New Judy Center Early Learning Hub At HCPSS Elementary School

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Maryland State Department of Education has awarded the Howard County Public School System a one-year $330,000 grant to establish a new Judy Center Early Learning Hub at Stevens Forest Elementary School.

The grant will provide comprehensive early childhood services to families with children ages birth to 5 who live within the school boundaries, as well as to families outside the school boundaries who have children with disabilities and/or who are experiencing homelessness.

“We’re thrilled to be able to start a Judy Center at Stevens Forest,” said SFES Principal Katie Carter. “As Title I and a community school, we embrace the idea of being a hub for families, communities and partners to come together to remove barriers to learning. The Judy Center is a perfect addition, allowing us to build on the work we are doing, expand the age group we serve and help families set their children on a positive trajectory.”

“It will be wonderful to have a second Judy Center available to serve Howard County families,” added Cyndi La Marca Lessner, the program manager for the Judy Center at Cradlerock Elementary School and co-author of the SFES Judy Center grant proposal. “By supporting families’ overall well-being, the SFES Judy Center will help position parents and caregivers to support their children and prepare them to be successful in school.”

The SFES Judy Center will be housed within existing SFES facilities and is expected to officially begin serving families in fall 2025. In the months leading up to the SFES Judy Center’s opening, HCPSS will work with SFES to hire staff, begin to establish relationships with partners and stakeholder groups, and conduct outreach to families to help them understand the programs and services the Judy Center will offer. Once it is open, the SFES Judy Center will offer a range of services, including adult education and parenting classes.

“As educators, we know how essential early learning is to students’ success in kindergarten and beyond. At the Judy Center, we aim to build awareness and understanding of the importance of early learning among our parents and caregivers, enlist them as partners and teach them ways to help their child be ‘school ready,’” explained Carter.

The SFES Judy Center also will provide case management services, helping to connect families with programs and services needed to improve their overall well-being.

“Howard County has a wide range of services available to help families, but they are not always easy for families to navigate. By providing case management, the SFES Judy Center will help to ensure that families know where to go and how to access the services they need,” La Marca Lessner said.

SFES’s Judy Center also will host weekly multigenerational playgroups, guided by evidence-based practices that align to the Maryland Early Learning Standards and help prepare children for kindergarten. Parents and caregivers of the participating children will have the opportunity to participate in family education events where they can learn about such topics as the importance of school attendance and the role play has in building skills needed in school. SFES also plans to partner with a variety of groups and organizations to provide early intervention identification, developmental and health screenings, parenting classes and other services that support students and families.