The CentroNía Martha Gudelsky Child Development Center, located in the old Silver Spring library at 8901 Colesville Road, is described as a “state-of-the-art facility that provides accessible, full-day early education and care to 127 children from birth to age five in a multicultural, bilingual (English/Spanish) environment.” The center will open in fall 2024.
Once opened, the facility will be open year-round, with at least 75% of spaces reserved for children from low-income households. “Access to high-quality, affordable early childhood education and care remains one of the greatest challenges facing families in Montgomery County: There are over 71,060 children ages 0-5 living in the county. A growing number of low-income families need early childhood care but have limited access to it.”
The center will also create 40 new jobs, opportunities for local partnerships and space for community events. According to a report by BizJournals, the childcare center already has a long waiting list and is scheduled to open in early October.
The Martha Gudelsky Child Development Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 to provide additional child care “slots” for children from families of varying incomes to meet the community’s growing need for accessible early childhood services and to ensure that children develop the foundational skills and disposition needed to successfully transition into Montgomery County schools.
The Homer and Martha Gudelsky Family Foundation is a philanthropic organization based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Founded in 1968 by Martha Gudelsky, it supports nonprofit programs that improve health, education, the arts, and community. The Martha Gudelsky Child Development Center realizes her vision of improving the lives of children.
CentroNí is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that provides affordable, high-quality early childhood education, professional development for educators, and family support services in a bilingual and multicultural environment to over 2,400 children and families. For 36 years, CentroNía’s holistic approach has helped children and families succeed academically, develop a strong sense of community, and lead healthy and active lives.
Montgomery County invests nearly $6 million annually in its early childhood care and education system to meet the developmental needs of young children and close opportunity gaps. The county has entered into a long-term lease with the Martha Gudelsky Child Development Center to operate a child development center at the site of the former Silver Spring Library.
