Calvert County was awarded $39485 from the Governor’s Office for Children’s Engaging Neighborhoods Organizations Unions Governments and Households ENOUGH Local Management Board Capacity Building Grant announced January 13 2026 in Prince Frederick Maryland. The funding supports the county’s Local Management Board infrastructure and planning to strengthen community-driven strategies addressing childhood poverty and improving outcomes for children and families in Southern Maryland.
The grant announced by the county focuses on upstream planning and systems-building rather than direct service delivery to help implement effective long-term solutions reducing childhood poverty. It aligns with priority areas for fiscal year 2026 including strengthening Local Management Board capacity to lead and coordinate multi-sector partnerships supporting data-driven planning and community needs assessments engaging residents service providers and anchor institutions in developing Neighborhood Action Plans and aligning local strategies with statewide ENOUGH goals centered on education health economic stability and community safety.
In May 2024 Gov Wes Moore signed the ENOUGH Act into law establishing Maryland’s first state-led place-based strategy to reduce child poverty by empowering communities with resources through partnerships with organizations nonprofits and anchor institutions to improve quality of life for those experiencing multi-generational poverty. The initiative has an initial commitment exceeding $100 million over four years from state philanthropic and private sources supporting 27 community-led organizations across 12 counties in rural suburban and urban areas. It structures efforts around four pillars high-quality childcare and education healthy families economically secure families and safe thriving communities using data residents’ lived experiences and cross-sector collaboration for evidence-based interventions.
The Calvert County Family Network serves as the Local Management Board for Calvert County working with public and private partners to ensure children and families thrive. As one of 24 Local Management Boards statewide CCFN handles fiscal management oversight planning and public awareness allocating resources based on community needs and promoting prevention and early intervention. The board appointed by the Calvert County Board of Commissioners includes representatives from social and health agencies business leaders private providers and citizens with administrative staff reporting to the director of the Calvert County Department of Community Resources.
Statewide the Governor’s Office for Children allocated $2 million in fiscal year 2026 for ENOUGH Local Management Board Capacity Building grants to enhance abilities in high-poverty communities for developing and implementing Neighborhood Action Plans. Calvert County’s award supports these efforts including community needs assessments asset mapping budgeting program evaluation work plan development logic models braiding funding and participatory processes. This builds on prior ENOUGH funding to Calvert such as a $98500 capacity building grant in early 2025 used to develop Neighborhood Action Plans and support initiatives like partnerships in Yardley Hills for resident-led projects in youth development safety education and family support.
Calvert County part of Southern Maryland’s tri-county region with Charles and St Mary’s counties has a childhood poverty rate of approximately 64 percent based on recent data reflecting lower rates than some urban areas but highlighting needs in rural and suburban communities amid population growth and economic factors tied to defense agriculture and proximity to Washington DC. The grant aids in addressing these through resident-centered planning ensuring equitable resource allocation and progress tracking.
The announcement follows the state’s ongoing commitment to innovation in child well-being with ENOUGH emphasizing community leadership to break down silos and leverage existing funding. Residents can contact the Calvert County Family Network at 410-414-5997 or visit the official site for details on local efforts. For statewide information on the ENOUGH Initiative refer to the Governor’s Office for Children resources. This funding contributes to Southern Maryland’s broader focus on family support and economic mobility in a region where local initiatives complement state education and health reforms.