Georgetown Hill Child Care Center was founded by Ellen Cromwell in 1980. Soon thereafter, in 1982, they became an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In 2006, the child care center applied for the trademark, doing business as Georgetown Hill Early School.
Mission
"Every day at Georgetown Hill, we join together teachers, children, and their families to create an unsurpassed early childhood educational experience. We invite everyone who joins our family to embrace the values that have guided us since we began in 1980."
Georgetown Hill Early School offers educational programs for infants, toddlers, twos, threes, pre-k, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, school-age children, and summer programming. The school has eleven locations in Montgomery, one in Frederick, two in Prince George's County, and one in Baltimore City.
The Founder, Mrs. Ellen Cromwell (1936-2025)
Ellen Cromwell graduated from the University of Maryland. In 1968, she began teaching preschool. In the 1970s, she continued her teaching career at several different locations in Montgomery County, gaining valuable experience working with young children.
In 1980, she struck out on her own and established the Georgetown Hill Child Care Center. Along the way, she earned a Master's Degree in Early Childhood from American University in 1978.
Over the years, Georgetown Hill's reputation and size grew. She convinced the Montgomery County School System to lease her an empty tract of land in the early 1990s. Her son, Peter, now the CEO of Georgetown Hill, said, "That building still stands on land between Bells Mill Elementary and Cabin John Middle School. It was an unprecedented public/private partnership with the school system." It was a reflection of the reputation she built and a recognition of the critical need for early education.
Ellen Cromwell was honored as the Grand Marshal of the Potomac Day Parade in October 2019. As a long-time Potomac resident and founder of Georgetown Hill Early School, Ellen was recognized for her significant contributions to the community, particularly in the field of early childhood education.
During the parade, she was celebrated for her vision and commitment, which led to the growth of Georgetown Hill to its current 15 campuses, over 400 teachers and staff, and more than 1,400 students. She sat back and waved to her admirers along the parade route; this was an unusual moment for her, as she typically preferred to be actively involved in teaching and community work.
Now, many of Ellen's students are grown with children of their own attending Georgetown Hill Early School.
Mrs. Ellen Cromwell passed away on March 15, 2025, at the age of 88. A celebration of her life was held on May 17th with over 150 people in attendance.
Publications
Over the years, Ellen literally "wrote the book" on early child care. She developed the process called PLAN®, which incorporates Play, Learning, the Arts, and Nurturing into a child’s learning experience.
"Feathers in My Cap: An Early Reading Program in Language Experience Through Art" was published in 1980. This book presents drawing, writing, speaking, listening, and storytelling activities that aid young children in learning to read.
"Quality Child Care: A Comprehensive Guide for Administrators and Teachers" was published in 1993.
She named the second edition of this book "Nurturing Readiness in Early Childhood Education: A Whole-Child Curriculum for Ages 2-5." This second edition (1999) focuses more on the PLAN curriculum than on administering a childcare center.
Toward the end of her career and into retirement, she wrote five children's picture books: "Wiggle-Dee-Dee: A Story About Friendship" and "Splash Puddle Splash" in 2011, and "Are You Listening Potbelly?" the next year. "TALASI... A Story of Tenderness and Love" was published in 2015, and "The Bus Ride: A Timeless Story That Bonds Generations Through Shared Memories" in 2018. Ellen enjoyed seeing others give her children's books as gifts.
Making an Impact
Georgetown Hill Early School now has more than 400 employees, with an annual turnover rate of less than 20%, making it a unique organization. As a nonprofit, they work with over 1,400 children per year, consistently preparing them for great success in one of the country’s leading public school systems and some of the most highly regarded private schools.
As noted in their GuideStar Profile, Georgetown Hill contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education, by preparing students for school from an early age.
Georgetown Hill is Growing!
Georgetown Hill and Ellen’s legacy continue to grow. It is opening two new schools this summer, including its first in Baltimore. Plans are well underway to open another school in Olney in the early part of 2026. Georgetown Hill is also on track to rebuild one of its schools, which was destroyed by fire in 2019, in the Woodley Gardens community of Rockville.
A Lasting Legacy
Mrs. Ellen Cromwell's memory will live on in the hearts and minds of thousands of her students and their parents, in the readers of her sound advice about her PLAN method, and in the parents and youngsters who read her children's picture books.
Here's to you, Ellen, for a life well lived!
Ellen enjoyed seeing others give her children's books as gifts.
Ellen Cromwell was honored as the Grand Marshal of the Potomac Day Parade in October 2019.