Importance of investing in child care and early childhood education stressed with introduction of new bill

The business community and a coalition of early childhood advocates are urging the General Assembly to continue efforts to support workforce participation and economic development by ensuring that working parents have access to high-quality care and education opportunities for their children.  

A new bill from Sen. Danny Carroll, the “Horizons Act,” seeks to address Kentucky’s early childhood challenges particularly as federal pandemic-era funding dries up. The legislation is designed to help the industry sustain operations and create more opportunities for working Kentucky families, children, and businesses. Senator Carroll introduced this bill at a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the state Capitol annex. 

Carroll noted that access to affordable, high-quality care is causing significant workforce and economic challenges in other states that have ignored this issue and pointed to the stress it puts on businesses and families. To address this, he said his bill would ensure a stable foundation for families across the socioeconomic spectrum. He noted that the bill will be accompanied by a $150 million funding request and that conversations with lawmakers about funding would be ongoing.

Dr. Charles Aull, Executive Director of the Kentucky Chamber Center for Policy and Research, emphasized that the issue has major ramifications for workforce participation and economic development. Investments in early childhood education services like child care, he said, can help reverse the Commonwealth’s unsustainable workforce trends by removing barriers to work and supporting workforce participation among adults.

As of December 2023, Kentucky had 43,000 fewer adults participating in the workforce than in December 2019, and workforce participation fell from 59 percent to 57 percent, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Increasing access to quality child care, Aull said, ensures Kentucky will have more working parents, more self-sufficiency, more taxpayers, and a stronger economy. It will also improve the competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s business climate. 

“While nearly every state in the nation is trying to identify solutions to this challenge, the states that get it right stand to benefit the most,” Aull said. “We can send a strong message to employers around the country that Kentucky is serious about growing its workforce and removing barriers to work.”

Other speakers at the press conference included Dr. Jennifer Washburn, owner and operator iKids Child Care Center; Dr. Sarah Vanover with Kentucky Youth Advocates, and Jessie Schook with Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

Dr. Washburn said the expiration of much needed funds are causing child care centers to face many difficult decisions. She said cutting teacher pay means they are offering wages lower than the local McDonald’s while higher tuition means even higher burdens on working families. 

“Child care is the workforce behind our future workforce and investments will ensure a bright future for our children and families,” Washburn said. 

Child care is infrastructure that we must have in place to support local economies, Dr. Vanover stressed. She added that working parents need peace of mind that someone is taking care of their child and that their child has been happy while they are away. 

“And consistent child care makes employees 30 percent more likely to attend work each day,” Vanover said. 

The bill works on education solutions to the issue as well with Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) introducing a degree in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurship and adding early childhood education to the list of in-demand sectors that are eligible for work-ready scholarships.  

Jessie Schook, Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development at KCTCS, said the legislation will help build out the early childhood workforce and, in turn, help address the state’s larger workforce challenges. 

Stay tuned to The Bottom Line for more updates throughout the 2024 session.