Accessible, quality child care is as essential to Kentucky’s economy as roads, bridges and high-speed internet. It’s time to invest in child care infrastructure that is affordable for families, supports the child care workforce and providers, and incentivizes growth.
For the nearly 250,000 Kentucky parents and caregivers with young children, access to child care enables them to obtain gainful employment while also nurturing and educating their children, laying the foundation for their individual future success, as well as the future strength of our state and economy.
In this year’s 60-day budget session, the Kentucky General Assembly will pass the state’s next two-year spending plan. The House has passed HB 6, the first version of that budget and we are grateful to the House for their recognition of child care as critical infrastructure. The proposed $52 million annual investment for child care would represent the state’s largest to date; however, more targeted investment is needed.
Existing child care infrastructure needs more funding
Metro United Way and statewide partners are asking for a targeted investment of $70 million annually to shore up Kentucky’s child care infrastructure in the following ways.
Kentucky’s proposed 2-year state budget:Gets some things right but fumbles on child care
The Child Care Assistance Program is a state subsidy that allows some of Kentucky’s lowest-income families to access child care and secure gainful employment for their households. Two provisions in CCAP that were recently implemented have had a tremendous impact for thousands of Kentucky families to access and afford childcare: Income exclusion and expanded eligibility requirements. The former provides free child care for child care providers, boosting their benefits and opening up additional child care spots for more working families. The latter ensures that the additional 11,000 Kentucky families who now qualify at 85% of state median income will continue in the workforce.
Seventy-nine of Kentucky’s 120 counties are considered child care deserts. Start-up grants for providers to open in these areas is critical to child care access in rural parts of the state and areas in our community, through both child care centers and family child care homes.
Public-private partnerships also play a part in the sustainability of child care. The Employer Child Care Assistance Program is an innovative approach matching state dollars with voluntary employer contributions for child care costs. Sustaining the ECCAP will encourage more employers to use it as a tool to recruit and retain talent and to demonstrate the value of their employees who are working parents.
A well-supported child care system is crucial for the success of working families, employers and the broader economy. We strongly urge the Kentucky General Assembly to further invest in child care infrastructure. Kentucky’s families, employers, and economy need child care to ensure our children’s well-being and lay the foundation for a more robust and resilient workforce.
Liz McQuillan is the chief policy officer of Metro United Way.
