Frederick County Developmental Center

We're excited to share that one of our social workers recently completed DC:0-5™ training!

DC:0-5™ is a diagnostic classification system designed specifically for infants, toddlers, and young children, helping professionals better understand social-emotional, developmental, and behavioral concerns in the context of a child's relationships and environment.

At Frederick County Infants & Toddlers, we prioritize infant and early childhood mental health, as well as parent mental health, knowing that strong relationships are the foundation for healthy development. We're committed to ongoing learning that helps us better support children and families in our community!

Thank you to ZERO TO THREE and the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center of Excellence in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health for hosting this important training!

Two weeks from today you can join the celebration of Juneteenth in Mullinix Park. The Juneteenth Community Celebration will feature community resource organizations, local businesses in the Juneteenth Market, delicious food vendors, live entertainment, family activities, and more.
Whether you’re looking to connect with local resources, support small businesses, enjoy great food, or celebrate the rich history and significance of Juneteenth, there’s something for everyone.

For more information please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1515302313301616/

Please see the attached post about a job posting within the Frederick County Developmental Center.
We are hiring a Speech‑Language professional to support infants and toddlers, ages birth-age 5, with speech, language, and developmental delays.
In this role, you will:
🔹Provide therapy using evidence‑based practices
🔹Coach families to integrate strategies into daily routines
🔹Use AAC and technology to support communication
🔹Develop IFSP goals with families and interdisciplinary teams
🔹Support transitions to preschool and community services
Salary Range: $82,854.85 - $140,853.24 Annually
Deadline to apply: 6/10/2026 4:00 PM Eastern
For more information, visit: FrederickCountyMD.gov/SLP0626
Frederick County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Job Opportunities (General Public) | Frederick County Government Employment Opportunities You can “Filter” to display the Job Posting(s) that meets your interest.  Click on “Filter,” select “Exam Type” and select one or more of the following options:

The Frederick County Child Care Feasibility Study confirms that affordability, access, and availability of child care are significant challenges for many families across the county. Please read the attached post about the study and the new pilot Pre-K Scholarship Program, which is designed to help families enroll their four-year-olds in a high-quality program of their choice. Scholarships will become available in Fall 2026. More information about the pilot program can be found here.
https://publicinput.com/h0133 -78934

Give your child a chance to be a “garden helper” by letting them water plants, dig in soil, or use small tools alongside you. What looks like simple outdoor play is actually powerful learning—it supports sensory exploration, builds fine motor strength, and encourages responsibility. It also helps children begin to understand routines and cause-and-effect as they see how their actions help living things grow and change over time.

The Parents' Place of Maryland has excellent resources for families. Join them on Zoom on Monday, June 15 at 10:30am for “Building Our Castle: Routines and Boundaries for a Happy Home”! Learn practical strategies to create supportive home routines, set healthy boundaries, and promote positive child development and family well-being. Establishing routines helps create a safer, calmer, and more comfortable home environment.
Scan QR code or register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/rvoRGBYSQkqmq9fDbbvMiQ #/registration

Join us for “Building Our Castle: Routines and Boundaries for a Happy Home” on Monday, 6/15 at 10:30 AM! Learn practical strategies to create supportive home routines, set healthy boundaries, and promote positive child development and family well-being. Scan QR code to register.

When it's hot outside, pull out the paintbrushes and bowls and let your child paint with water! They can paint on the sidewalk, blacktop, wooden fence, or your front steps. There's no wrong way to do it. Watch how the water strokes disappear in the sun and heat, and then you can paint again. Just make sure the ground isn't too hot for your child's hands and feet. Here are some more ideas on how to incorporate water play into your child's day: https://www.habitot.org/habitot-at-home/sensory-play/painting-with-water-playing-with-water/

Turn everyday moments into something special with a pretend (or real!) picnic. Whether you set it up indoors on a blanket or head outside, let your child help “pack” food, serve items, and invite stuffed animals or family members to join in. This activity builds imagination, social-emotional skills, and early executive functioning like planning and sequencing—all through simple, joyful play.

This morning Bethany Dunahugh, Speech Therapist and Andrea Williams, Family Support Coordinator with Infants and Toddlers Program spoke to a wonderful group of caregivers at the Tuscarora Elementary Judy Center about the benefits of limited screen time usage for young children. We asked participants to help us create a list of activities that families can do with young children other than giving them a phone or tablet. Some of these activities can be done while going grocery shopping, sitting at a doctor's office or at a restaurant or while at home.

Ideas included: Play-dough, playing simple board games at home, looking for birds on a walk, creating a sensory bin, water play outside, cooking together, playing with Legos or building blocks, dancing, making music or listening to music, painting, sensory sand, magnet games, setting up a dramatic play center like the doctor's office at home, make a pretend picnic, playing I/Eye Spy anywhere, bringing a drawing pad with you to the doctors or restaurant, help with shopping by finding items, help put groceries in the cart, counting items, identifying letter or words in the store, and of course reading together!

This was a fantastic group and while we talked with the caregivers, all the children were engaged in age-appropriate play in the dramatic play area, block center and as you can see one toddler even wrote her own ideas on a piece of paper.

Do you have anything to add to our list? We'd love to hear!

Yesterday, the Frederick County Developmental Center (FCDC), a division of the Frederick County Health Department, gathered for their Spring Staff Meeting.

FCDC offers a comprehensive range of services for children in Frederick County, including:
The Infants and Toddlers Program, serving eligible children from birth to 3 years old;
A Dental Clinic for children under 18 years of age, accepting Medical Assistance cards and uninsured/underinsured patients;
School-Based Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy for eligible children enrolled in Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS);
Audiology services for uninsured and underinsured children in Frederick County.

For questions about our services, please do not hesitate to reach out or visit Health.FrederickCountyMD.gov/DevelopmentalCenter