To aid its workforce, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) has announced a trial initiative named the Childcare Support & Accessibility Project, slated to commence in January 2025. A recent statement by the Baltimore Police Department detailed that the project is designed to supplement childcare costs for BPD members. One hundred members will specifically benefit from this pilot, receiving up to $250 monthly to offset childcare expenses for children up to 12 years old, including those with special needs.
The program's introduction is expected to actively serve as a tool to retain better and recruit department members. Childcare services will be accessible through a national network to accommodate members with non-traditional schedules or those facing sudden shift changes. Commissioner Richard Worley emphasized the importance of the project, stating "The Baltimore Police Department is proud to begin this pilot program to support our members and ensure that they can have a successful career, while also raising a family." This program also sets out to gradually tackle an entrenched problem within law enforcement – the inaccessibility of childcare.
According to Leslie Parker Blyther, the Equity Director at BPD, the department's Equity Office invested two years into spearheading this pilot. "Access to quality and reliable childcare is essential to recruitment and retention and will undoubtedly assist in our efforts to attract more women and parents to serve with the BPD," Blyther expressed, as per BPD's press release, highlighting the department's commitment to inclusive recruitment practices. Before the pilot's formation, the BPD surveyed its members to discern the barriers they faced regarding childcare and to determine viable solutions tailored to their unique circumstances.
Once in motion, the initiative is designed also to receive a thorough review process to assess its effectiveness and overall sustainability as a fixture within the department. The project promises to fill gaps in childcare coverage that specifically affect public safety professionals.
