Governor Moore Announces $1.5 Million in Philanthropic Awards to ENOUGH Communities to Support Education and Child Care Programs

April 21, 2026/Joe Ciccanti

Governor Wes Moore has announced the distribution of $1.5 million in philanthropic funding awards to strengthen education and child care access in nine ENOUGH communities – Maryland jurisdictions with high concentrations of childhood poverty. Funding comes from the ENOUGH Community Support Fund—a private fund designed to provide direct philanthropic support to Maryland’s ENOUGH awardees. The organizations supporting awards announced today, April 21st, include The Sherman Family Foundation, The Bainum Family Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and The Rockefeller Foundation. By contributing to the ENOUGH Community Support Fund, these organizations are members of the ENOUGH Alliance – an independent coalition of philanthropic and private sector organizations supporting the Moore-Miller administration’s broader whole-of-government work to fight child poverty.

Additional Information from the Office of Governor Wes Moore:

“When I committed to an unprecedented attack on child poverty in Maryland I knew we needed more than just government on board,” said Gov. Moore. “With the creation of the ENOUGH Community Support Fund, we set the standard for a collaborative approach to fighting child poverty that brings together government, philanthropy, and the private sector. Our approach is working, and through strong partnerships, we’re producing real progress.”

Today’s announcement marks the awarding of funds to communities, which were originally announced in December 2025 as part of $19 million in state and private funding for the second year of Maryland’s ENOUGH Initiative. 

The $1.5 million in awards will support nine ENOUGH communities to launch and sustain programs to strengthen education and child care. This includes efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism through safe transportation options to school, afterschool programs to boost literacy rates, and initiatives to increase access to child care.

“To truly transform neighborhoods, we must give communities access to sustainable sources of investment,” said Governor’s Office for Children Special Secretary Carmel Martin. “Through the ENOUGH Initiative, we’re helping communities unlock additional dollars to fund community-led programs that increase access to good jobs, good schools, quality health care, and safe neighborhoods. As a result, ENOUGH communities have seen more than a 3:1 return on the state’s initial investment in the ENOUGH grant program.” 

Highlights of awards include: 

  • In San Mar, Hagerstown, funds will support the acquisition of school buses to serve up to 150 elementary school students.
  • In Waverly, Baltimore City, funds will increase enrollment in the Childcare Apprenticeship Program at Mergenthaler High School, allowing an additional 10 students to participate in a year-long apprenticeship program to train high school students as credentialed child care providers. 
  • In Brooklyn Park, Anne Arundel County, awards will support a “two-generation” case management program that provides both child care subsidies and financial incentives for families. Funds will also recruit and prepare residents to become licensed family child care providers to boost local availability.

A full list of ENOUGH grantees receiving funds is as follows: 

  • Latin America Youth Center / Project ERASE
  • Park Heights Renaissance
  • Bester Community of Hope San Mar (South End) Hagerstown 
  • Cherry Hill Strong
  • Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families 
  • The Y in Central MD
  • Central Baltimore Partnership
  • Child First Authority
  • Elev8 Baltimore

First launched in January 2025, members of the ENOUGH Alliance commit either to providing aligned funding to nonprofit organizations in ENOUGH-eligible jurisdictions or to contributing to the ENOUGH Community Support Fund (ECSF), which provides funds directly to communities participating in the ENOUGH Initiative to address ENOUGH’s core pillars: high-quality child care and education, healthy and economically-secure families, and safe and thriving communities. Today’s awards mark the inaugural distribution of ECSF funds to ENOUGH grantees. The Governor’s Office for Children provides information to potential funders about where their contribution may be most impactful and works to help align investment with the State’s existing efforts to uplift ENOUGH-eligible jurisdictions. 

Please visit the ENOUGH Alliance’s website enoughalliance.org​ to learn more.

 
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