Baltimore: child care center

110 child care center loans, worth $104.3 million, were approved in Baltimore, FY2017 to FY2026. Among metro areas Baltimore stands 22 of 493 on 110 loans, and in Baltimore the class stands 6 of 39. Baltimore's quotient of 1.35x makes the class far more common. $460,500 tracks Baltimore's parents; ranks and the 1.35x quotient do the distinguishing.

$460,500 in Baltimore runs close to the national median (1.02x) across 110 loans. Half the loans in Baltimore fall between $115,250 and $1.1 million. The split is 100 under 7(a) and 10 under 504, the routes Baltimore peers took. Franchisees hold 45.5% of Baltimore's 110 loans.

Baltimore's 7(a) table, 23 loans with Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, $7.6 million; 10 with TD Bank, National Association, $8.8 million; 8 with First National Bank of Pennsylvania, $7.0 million; 5 with Live Oak Banking Company, $11.7 million; 5 with Bank Five Nine, $1.5 million. Baltimore: holders under 5 loans stay unnamed. Baltimore by county, 110 loans: Baltimore County, MD 35; Anne Arundel County, MD 29; Howard County, MD 19; Baltimore city, MD 11; Harford County, MD 10.

How Baltimore loans fared

Of Baltimore's FY2017 to FY2024 approvals, at least 18.1% were cancelled after approval. Baltimore withholds the ceiling that counts undisbursed loans. Baltimore: charge-off floor withheld, not zero. Baltimore open loans can still raise floors. Baltimore's yearly count peaked at 24 loans and $30.7 million in FY2026; its low was 7 in FY2021; FY2026 shows 24 loans and $30.7 million. By year, Baltimore counts: FY2017 11, FY2018 10, FY2019 8, FY2020 10, FY2021 7, FY2022 9, FY2023 8, FY2024 9, FY2025 14, FY2026 24. Gross dollars by year: FY2017 $9.6 million, FY2018 $16.5 million, FY2019 $1.6 million, FY2020 $7.5 million, FY2021 $6.6 million, FY2022 $8.1 million, FY2023 $6.4 million, FY2024 $5.6 million, FY2025 $11.7 million, FY2026 $30.7 million.

Baltimore: what a study must test

Baltimore's quotient, 1.35x: count rivals by age group. Across 110 loans, licensed enrollment in Baltimore carries $460,500. Baltimore: facing slow enrollment, debt service holds with $104.3 million approved. For 110 loans in Baltimore, classroom costs outside $115,250 to $1.1 million need cases. For 110 approvals in Baltimore, appraisers weigh special purpose resale. Baltimore saw approvals run from 7 in FY2021 to 24 in FY2026; for Baltimore, plan for licensing delays.

Baltimore's 110 loans blend centers with family homes. Baltimore placed 110 loans by project county. Baltimore uses the July 2023 delineation by name. Baltimore omits loans from unmatched counties. These 110 loans guide a view of Baltimore; they are no census.

SBA child care center loans in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metro Area

Loans approved, FY2017 to FY2026	110
Gross dollars approved	$104.3 million
Median loan	$460,500
Middle half of loans, from	$115,250
Middle half of loans, to	$1.1 million
SBA 7(a) loans	100
SBA 504 loans	10
Franchise share of loans	45.5%
Rank among metro and micro areas for child care center loans	22 of 493
Rank of child care center among the classes in this area	6 of 39
Location quotient (share of loans against the national share)	1.35x
Median loan against the national median for the class	1.02x

Cancellation and charge-off

Cancelled after approval, FY2017 to FY2024 approvals (a floor)	18.1%
The same, counting loans still undisbursed as cancelled (a ceiling)	withheld
Charged off to date, FY2017 to FY2021 disbursed loans (a floor)	withheld

Both rates are floors. SBA withholds the status of open loans, so a loan counts as charged off only once SBA reports it; a rate needs at least 30 loans in its cohort and is otherwise not reported.

SBA child care center loans approved in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metro Area, by fiscal year

Fiscal year	Loans	Dollars
FY2017	11	$9.6 million
FY2018	10	$16.5 million
FY2019	8	$1.6 million
FY2020	10	$7.5 million
FY2021	7	$6.6 million
FY2022	9	$8.1 million
FY2023	8	$6.4 million
FY2024	9	$5.6 million
FY2025	14	$11.7 million
FY2026	24	$30.7 million

Most active SBA lenders

SBA 7(a): lenders by loans approved (the current holder of each loan, as SBA reports it)
Lender	Loans	Dollars
Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company	23	$7.6 million
TD Bank, National Association	10	$8.8 million
First National Bank of Pennsylvania	8	$7.0 million
Live Oak Banking Company	5	$11.7 million
Bank Five Nine	5	$1.5 million

Lenders with 5 or more loans here; a lender with fewer is not listed, and loans SBA or a receiver holds are counted but never listed as a lender.

Where the loans are, by county

County	Loans
Baltimore County, MD	35
Anne Arundel County, MD	29
Howard County, MD	19
Baltimore city, MD	11
Harford County, MD	10

Counties with 5 or more loans; smaller ones are not listed.

Metro is the CBSA (metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area) of the loan's project county, July 2023 delineation (OMB Bulletin 23-01). The county is matched by name (manifests/ld2/county-cbsa-map.csv); a loan whose county cannot be placed in a 2023 CBSA is left out of every metro.

Family child care homes cannot be separated from centers.

Shared code: 624410 also holds in-home child care.

A value marked withheld rests on fewer than 5 loans, or is withheld so that such a figure cannot be derived from other published figures.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) and 504 loan-level FOIA files (data.sba.gov), as of 2026-09-30; areas from the U.S. Census Bureau CBSA delineation, July 2023 (OMB Bulletin 23-01); Loan Analytics metro cell MA-12580-C36.

Related feasibility study pages

Loan Analytics prepares the feasibility study a lender reads before it commits: for a child care center project in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metro Area, financed under SBA 7(a), SBA 504, USDA Business and Industry or a conventional bank loan. Tell us the project and the lender's deadline, and we reply with scope, timeline and fee.

Daniel Smith, MAI

Child Care Center Feasibility Study in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metro Area