More than 1 in 4 working families with young children in Kentucky cannot access the child care they need to participate in the workforce and support their families. High costs force many parents to leave jobs in order to care for their children, and care deserts across the commonwealth prevent many parents from even being able to make that choice.
In order for Kentucky’s workforce to thrive, access to affordable, quality child care is an essential need, not a luxury. That’s why more than 40 partners across the commonwealth came together under the leadership of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to form the Kentucky Collaborative on Child Care. The Collaborative’s work resulted in the production of eight public policy recommendations — backed by experts across sectors. All would increase access to child care and support the industry.
Those consensus recommendations were incorporated into two pieces of legislation currently moving through the Kentucky General Assembly: House Bill 6 and House Joint Resolution 50, both sponsored by Rep. Samara Heavrin. This legislation would:
- Reform the payment rate for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which helps low-income families afford child care.
- Codify the commonwealth’s CCAP income exclusion for child care workers, incentivizing much-needed participation in the workforce.
- Improve the Employee Child Care Assistance Program by making it easier for employers to help their employees access needed care.
- Strengthen child care training requirements & support systems for children with special needs.
- Require a comprehensive state study on child care regulations in order to find areas of improvement.
United Way of Greater Cincinnati, along with partners across the commonwealth, has endorsed this legislation. Both HB 6 and HJR 50 passed the House of Representatives with strong support thanks to the work of advocates, but more work is needed to make sure it passes the Kentucky Senate.
Kentucky’s families and workforce need this support now more than ever. Will you take a moment to tell your State Senator why access to child care is important to you and ask them to support HB 6 and HJR 50?
Thank you for lending your voice so all members of our community have the opportunity to thrive.
