E-Newsletter: February 2026

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency

Head Start Registration for 2026 - 2027 Starts March 2nd

Head Start registration for Fall 2026 begins on March 2nd! Flyers in English and Spanish are available. Check the map of Head Start registration locations for special registration events in March. 

Applications are also accepted online via www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org or in-person at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The office phone number is 240-740-4530. List of the documents needed to complete a Head Start application.

For information about the new Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Montgomery County, visit the Community Action Agency website.

There are still some spots available in Prekindergarten/Head Start for the current school year for children who turned four (4) years old on or before September 1, 2025, in families who meet income requirements.  

Go to www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org and search “Head Start” for more details.

Do you have questions about Head Start? Check out the Common Questions.

Super VITA Day: March 14th in Gaithersburg

In collaboration with the City of Gaithersburg, the Community Action Agency VITA program will lead a Super VITA Day event at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg 20877, on March 14th from 11 AM to 2 PM. County residents with household incomes of $69,000 or less can have their tax returns completed for free. In addition to tax filing assistance, the event will include a resource fair featuring financial institutions and service providers from across the County.

This is a walk-in event and no appointments are necessary, but residents must arrive by 1:30 pm to be guaranteed a tax filing appointment. Flyers are available in English and Spanish.

Highlights from the Commission for Women's Legislative Briefing

On Saturday, January 31st, several Community Action Board and Agency staff members attended the Montgomery County Commission for Women’s Legislative Briefing. Once again this year, the Community Action Agency was a co-sponsor of the event. This year's theme was Visionary Women: Shaping Tomorrow Together. Riveting speeches by the representatives of the CFW kicked off the event. 

The first event was an insightful and enlightening panel discussion led by Fox 5 news anchor Marissa Miller. The panelists were comprised of members positioned in the highest levels of government and prompts centered on their experiences as women facing challenges to effectively advocate for their constituents, work together through opposing views and balance the pressures of work and life. Through their stories, participants gained a rare glimpse into the innerworkings of politics at the state and federal level.

Following the panel, participants were free to attend several workshops all highlighting various facets of women’s health, safety, advocacy and work. One workshop was Advocacy and Mobilization: Advocacy Essentials: Turning Passion into Action. Presenter Kelli Dominique Hudson, a health informaticist, civic engagement leader, and founder of Peridom Insights, highlighted her experience participating in the Community Action Board’s Community Advocacy Institute. Kelli Dominique, pictured above, spoke of how the CAI supported her in her current role and CAA Executive Director Shantá Johnson provided details about the CAI program. Kelli Dominique shared the stage with fellow panelists Sara Morningstar and the Honorable April McClain Delaney, US House of Representatives. 

The workshop Women’s Rights: Your Rights, Your Power: Understanding Legal and Civic Protections included information about women’s rights, legal protections, voting and immigrant rights.

Leaders including Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, US Senator Angela Alsobrooks, and the Honorable Joseline Peña-Melnyk, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, spoke of their own experiences and applying different strategies to impact Marylanders and different areas of need. Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani-González spoke about initiatives including US citizenship education.

Each workshop was curated to include expert presenters who offered a wealth of resources and information. Participants left with renewed sense of unity and strength as we navigate through challenging times professionally and personally.

Celebrating Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day

The Community Action Agency’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, the Universities at Shady Grove, and the Equity Center VITA program kicked off the tax season by celebrating Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day. Partners delivering VITA services, elected officials, USG students, community leaders, and residents, gathered at the Universities at Shady Grove for a resource fair and special program to highlight the EITC. This annual event emphasizes the importance of claiming the EITC and raises awareness about free tax help offered by VITA programs. The formal program, which was facilitated by Edwige Tebou, VITA Director and Operations Specialist at the Equity Center (pictured at top), included remarks from County Executive Marc Elrich (pictured above right); Dr. Anne Khademian, USG Executive Director and Associate Vice Chancellor, University System of Maryland (pictured below); Dr. Hank Boyd, University of Maryland, College Park, Robert H. Smith School of Business, Assistant Dean for Civic Engagement; Ishmael Alejo, Refundable Credits Director at the IRS; County Council President Natali Fani-González, County Councilmembers Laurie-Anne Sayles, Kate Stewart, Shebra Evans, and Andrew Friedson; Lori Garibay-Aquino, Chief, DHHS Children, Youth, and Family Services; and Summer Cook, VITA program participant and Community Action Board member.

The County’s VITA programs include the Community Action Agency (pictured below), AARP, CASA, the Equity Center, and Community Tax Aid.

Below, Nicole Johnson, Regional Public Engagement Officer (Montgomery & Prince George’s County) for the Comptroller of Maryland, engages with a participant.

Pictured below right, Community Action Board members Pamela Luckett, Mike Subin (with Arthur), Beverly Coleman, and Community Action Agency Executive Director Shantá Johnson were also in attendance.

The Community Action Agency VITA program provides free tax preparation services to County residents with household incomes of $69,000 or less, with IRS-certified preparers assisting taxpayers. Appointments are available in Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Wheaton, along with virtual appointments. All VITA programs assist ITIN filers, and both the Community Action and CASA VITA sites offer help with ITIN applications. Last year, the Community Action Agency’s VITA program completed 2,397 returns, with a free tax impact of $7.7 million. Information about Montgomery County VITA sites, tax credits and how to schedule an appointment is available at montgomerycountymd.gov/CASHBACK.

Cluster Projects Help Families Thrive

This past year the Cluster Projects teams experienced several changes including expanding to serve additional schools across the county. Through this transition staff have cultivated new relationships, established partnerships, and gathered community member feedback. Through these opportunities staff have gained greater insight into how our programs can better serve the community. Cluster staff provides comprehensive support using a family-centered approach to help families navigate through complex barriers and provide the tools and resources through on-going case management. This includes assisting families with benefit applications, resource connections and referrals to medical supports, and much more. We are proud to highlight this expertise and language diversity within our staff, including Spanish, French, and other key languages. The Cluster Projects teams currently have space available for families in need. To be referred you must have a child enrolled at a designated school site in the Kennedy Cluster, Watkins Mill Cluster, and Paint Branch - Springbrook Cluster. If you or your family are interested in services, please contact: clusterprojects@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Staff and Board at MCAP Advocacy Day in Annapolis

Community Action Board members DaVida Rowley, Erika Conner, and Timothy Robinson were joined by numerous staff members in Annapolis on February 5^th for the Maryland Community Action Partnership’s (MCAP) Advocacy Day. This annual event brings together representatives from Community Action Agencies across the state. The event included meetings at offices of Montgomery County Delegation members where board members shared state-level priorities. The event also included a luncheon with elected officials, where MCAP highlighted its 2026 priorities and Community Action Agency program participants shared their experiences receiving life-changing services from Community Action.

The Community Action Board’s Advocacy Committee has been busy drafting and submitting testimony in support of numerous state-level bills. The Committee meets every other week during the General Assembly’s 90-day session. So far, the Board has submitted testimony in support of the following bills:

• HB704 - Community Eligibility Provision Expansion Program – Establishment
• SB462/HB774 - Landlord and Tenant - Residential Leases and Holdover Tenancies - Local Good Cause Termination (Good Cause Eviction)
• SB377/HB542 - Earned Income Tax Credit - Individuals Without Qualifying Children – Eligibility
• HB363 - Income Tax - Local Child Tax Credit – Authorization, and
• SB518 - Maryland Financial Empowerment Center Network Pilot Program - Establishment.

Visiting Partners' Programs in the Community

Throughout the year, the Community Action Agency visits nonprofit partners who deliver community services through contracts and grants with Montgomery County. Winter is peak season for these visits to partners. This season, the Community Action Agency has visited classes at CASA on hypothermia and working in a green economy (above right) and a Gaithersburg Network Night on entrepreneurship hosted by IMPACT Silver Spring. In Washington, DC, CAA visited Asylum Works, which provides a social services program to ensure asylum seekers in Montgomery County are able to meet basic needs, and Torture Abolition and Survivors’ Support Coalition (TASSC) International, which provides culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed legal representation and career development services for asylum seekers who are survivors of torture. In Silver Spring, the Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association shared updates on their seniors’ transportation program, and online CAA learned about new programs from Leadership Montgomery and the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery. From Thriving Germantown of Sheppard Pratt’s Family Services, Inc. to the International Rescue Committee, the work of our partners helps low-income and diverse communities thrive. For a full list of partners with contracts and grants monitored in the Community Action Agency, please visit the Nonprofit Partners page on the CAA website.

Montgomery County 
Community Action Agency
1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 320
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: 240-777-1697

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Update on TESS Services in the Community

The Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center at 8703 Flower Avenue, Silver Spring, is currently closed due to facility issues. Until the facility is ready to reopen, TESS staff are serving the Long Branch community by phone, online, and  from the Community Action Agency's office at 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 320 in Rockville. For updates, check the TESS website. 

Office of Consumer Protection Hosts Community Forum on March 5th

The Office of Consumer Protection is hosting a community forum on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at the Rockville Library.  

The goals of this forum will be to hear directly from community members about consumer issues affecting their neighborhoods, identify shared patterns and barriers, and use that insight to inform consumer education, outreach, and policy development—working with the community rather than for the community.

If you are interested in attending, please register for the event using the following link:  Eventbrite Link: Community Forum on Consumer Protection. There will be light refreshments and coffee!

Department of Environmental Protection Seeks Watershed Interns

From the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection:

Make an Impact: Restore Watersheds, Protect Streams, and Shape a Sustainable Future!

Montgomery County’s Watershed Restoration Division is seeking motivated and environmentally passionate students for its Summer 2026 Internship Program. This internship, running approximately between June 1 and August 31, offers hands-on experience in watershed management, stormwater programs, GIS mapping, and community outreach. Interns will have the opportunity to contribute to real-world projects that protect local streams, improve water quality, and support sustainable practices across the County. With flexible hours (20–32 per week) and exposure to professionals in engineering, biology, and environmental planning, this internship provides a unique chance to develop technical skills, gain practical experience, and make a meaningful impact on the environment.

• Duration: Internship runs approximately 7-10 weeks between June 1 and August 31, 2026
• Hours: 20-32 hours per week, schedule set during onboarding
• Location: 2425 Reedie Drive, Wheaton, MD
• Compensation: $18.15 per hour
• Eligibility: Open to current college or graduate students; Montgomery County residents preferred

Applications accepted through March 31st! For How to Apply and the available Tracks & Projects, go to: Summer 2026 Watershed Restoration Internship, DEP, Montgomery County, Maryland. 

Resources

Past editions of Community Action’s monthly e-newsletter.

NEW: Council Unanimously Passes Trust Act to Protect Immigrant Communities. Flyers available in: English, Spanish, French,  Amharic, Chinese, Vietnamese,  Korean. 

NEW: Protect yourself from SNAP benefits fraud: https://dhs.maryland.gov/prevent-ebt-theft/

NEW: Montgomery County Police offer free gun locks to gun owners: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/pol/howdoI/gun-lock.html. If you own a firearm, be aware of the law and the responsibilities of locking firearms, especially when there are children in the home: Maryland Laws on Locking Firearms – Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

NEW: Maryland Vehicle Administration power of attorney form for a vehicle (VR-470) is an important tool if for any reason a vehicle's owner needs to designate someone else the ability to use and hold onto the vehicle. For questions, MVA contact information is at the bottom of the form. 

REMINDER: Standby Guardianship: https://www.peoples-law.org/standby-guardianship. Children’s guardianship protection, in case a parent/guardian is unable to care for their children.

Resource Directories:

Get Help website, Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center, Montgomery County, MD.

WorkSource Montgomery’s Community Assets Map.

Help Is Within Reach:

For a mental health crisis and listening support, call 988.

The Montgomery County Crisis Center: Call in, walk in, mobile outreach, community referrals, and substance use assessment and referrals (240-777-4000).

311: Weekday assistance, 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., for health and human services, housing, transportation, and food assistance. Dial 311 from local phone numbers, or 240-777-0311. Non-emergency Montgomery County hate bias incident reporting tool.

Maryland Office of the Attorney General's Hate Crimes Hotline: 1-866-481-8361 and online: https://nohomeforhate.md.gov/. Active incidents should be immediately reported to 911.

Medical emergencies, fires, reporting crimes, disaster response, and life-saving situations: Call 911.

Health Care and Resources:

DHHS Mobile Health Clinic: Integrated medical, dental, behavioral health, and human services to underserved and vulnerable populations and communities. Residents of Montgomery County, with and without health insurance, are eligible for services.

Access HEARS, Inc.  Free over-the-counter hearing aids for County residents who are ages 60 and up and have moderate to severe hearing loss and incomes below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. 

DHHS testing for sexually transmitted infections in Silver Spring and Germantown.

Healthy Babies: Pregnancy and Postpartum Care program of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Montgomery County Minority Health Initiatives and Programs:

African American Health Program

Asian American Health Initiative

Latino Health Initiative

Safety and Emergency Preparedness:

Sign up for Alert Montgomery notifications about emergencies in Montgomery County. Alerts can be sent via text, email, or voice message.

The Montgomery County Family Justice Center helps people in domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse situations.

Montgomery County Family Violence Awareness and Prevention.

Never Use Alone, Overdose Prevention Lifeline: 877-696-1996. Peer operators are available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. https://neverusealone.com/

 Food and Household items:

Montgomery County Food Council: Food Assistance Resource Map (available in English, Spanish, Amharic, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean).

How to protect SNAP benefits from fraud: Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Fraud - Maryland Department of Human Services

Greater DC Area Diaper Bank Nursery Project provides strollers, car seats, and a cloth diaper service.

Diaper distribution at Montgomery County hubs and other partners.

Assistance with pet food: The Montgomery County Animal Services & Adoption Center may be able to help you with pet food so you can keep your pet at home, and out of the over-crowded shelter: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/animalservices/. 

Financial empowerment:

CASHBACK– VITA Services, tax credit information, and financial education resources.

Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center: http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/fec. Phone: 240-454-5199.

WorkSource Montgomery locations in Wheaton, Germantown, and a Mobile Jobs Center.

Ban the Box: The Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Law assists in reintegration of people with criminal records into the workforce.

Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection – A – Z Consumer Advice.

Montgomery County Commission for Women seminars on financial planning, intimate partner violence, separation and divorce, human trafficking, and more.

Unemployment Insurance.

Resources for federal workers.

Housing – Eviction prevention, home repairs:

Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs resources for Tenants facing eviction: Landlord-Tenant Affairs > Evictions | DHCA

Montgomery County Renters Alliance – advocacy, education on tenants’ rights.

Limit on rent increases in Montgomery County.

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development  home repair loans for radon abatement and other repairs.

Rebuilding Together Montgomery County: Repairs and modifications to homes for aging in place.

Utilities:

My Green Montgomery: How to lower your energy costs and much more!

Office of Home Energy Programs: Utilities assistance.

WSSC fliers in English and Spanish: Customer Assistance Program for water bill assistance, and a loan program for help with water or sewer pipe repairs or replacement. Learn how to spot a toilet leak and reduce your water bill.

The Community Action Agency is part of the Division of Children, Youth, and Families, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.