mmf 10th anniversary

Montgomery Moving Forward (MMF) was launched as an initiative of Nonprofit Montgomery in 2012. MMF offered a new approach to community problems using a Collective Impact Framework.

In October 2015, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett announced an initiative to overhaul workforce development in the county, and the County Council approved legislation designating WorkSource Montgomery, Inc. as the County’s first single, readily identifiable structure to lead, elevate and coordinate a comprehensive system of workforce development.

In 2017, MMF held a series of Learning Gatherings focused on ECE, bringing together leaders from across sectors to hear from experts and share ideas. Topics included:

March 29: Building a Stronger ECE System
May 19: Engaging the Whole Community in Early Care and Education
September 7: Exploring Cost, Quality, Availability and the Needs of Dual Language Learners
November 8: Acting Collectively for Early Care and Education

MMF issued its Call to Action for Early Care and Education in January 2018, following more than a year of extensive research and community outreach.

This MMF Symposium, held on March 28, 2019, continued to advance a cross-sector conversation around ECE, including how to achieve the goals and outcomes set forth in MMF’s 2018 Call to Action for ECE.

ECEToolkit.org is a resource for employers and parents in Montgomery County. MMF developed the Toolkit with a team of local employers and child care experts.

MMF received a $75,000 grant from the Montgomery County Council to develop and present recommendations for a public-private ECE coordinating entity, representing a significant move forward for such a proposal in the county.

MMF’s 2020 Community Symposium – held virtually for the first time – took place over three consecutive weeks on November 5, 12, and 19 and had over 290 attendees. The Symposium continued to advance our cross-sector conversation about Early Care and Education (ECE). During the event, DHHS’s Community Action Agency announced a pilot of The Basics in Montgomery County that would be incubated by MMF in 2021.

MMF and the Early Care and Education Workforce Advocacy Coalition led a number of state-level advocacy efforts during the 2021 Maryland General Assembly Session. Notable results included working closely to inform Delegate Jared Solomon’s proposed Child Care Provider Act and influencing the Governor’s $60 Million Pandemic Relief Grant Program for Child Care Providers. This marked the first time that MMF focused intensely at the state level leading to strong results.

On February 15, 2022, the Montgomery County Council voted unanimously in favor of Bill 42-21, landmark legislation to establish an Early Care and Education (ECE) Coordinating Entity in the county.

Council President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Craig Rice were the lead sponsors of the bill, and all other Councilmembers were cosponsors. Read the press release.