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Celebrating Equity in Action!
We are thrilled to announce that our own Liran Laor, Program Manager II, has been honored with the 2025 NACo Achievement Award for their groundbreaking initiative Rising Together: Inclusive Pathways to Child Care Employment for Refugee Women.
This award recognizes a program that is transforming lives and reshaping systems. Rising Together was designed to address two critical challenges: the shortage of child care educators in Montgomery County and the barriers Afghan refugee women face in accessing meaningful employment. The team’s approach was rooted in equity, creating opportunities for those historically excluded from the workforce while strengthening the child care system for families across our county.
Through collaboration with community partners, culturally responsive training in Farsi, Dari and Pashto and tailored employment support, the program has:
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Recruited and trained 60 Afghan women for roles in early childhood education.
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Provided tailored employment support, including resume writing and interview coaching, leading to successful job placements in child care centers.
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Connected participants to real job opportunities, with many now employed in child care programs.
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Removed systemic barriers such as language, transportation, and access to training.
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Advanced diversity, equity, and inclusion by empowering women and enriching our child care workforce pipeline with cultural responsiveness and resilience.
This initiative is more than workforce development; it’s about equity in action. It demonstrates what happens when we center the voices of those often left out of opportunity and dismantle barriers that stand in the way of progress. As Liran shared, “Rising Together is about more than jobs; it’s about hope, dignity, and opportunity. When we invest in people and remove barriers, we create pathways that strengthen families and enrich our entire community.”
Thanks to Liran’s leadership and the dedication of our team, Montgomery County is setting a national example for inclusive, community-driven solutions. This achievement reflects our commitment to building a future where every resident has access to opportunity and every child has access to quality care.
Want to learn more about expanding this work to your community? Email CCSS@MontgomeryCountyMD.gov to explore how you can help create inclusive pathways to employment and strengthen child care systems where you live.
Please join us in congratulating Liran and the entire team for this well-deserved recognition!
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