Groups with differing perspectives being convened to find long-term solutions around child care access in Kentucky

Many different stakeholders have been advocating for child care solutions in Kentucky. However, there has been little consensus on the most effective policies that the state could implement.

The Kentucky Chamber has launched a new statewide initiative, the Kentucky Collaborative on Child Care, which will convene people from many groups across the state to find the best path forward on child care.

The Kentucky Child Care Collaborative is a partnership between the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, the Kentucky Chamber Center for Policy and Research, and the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution and is supported by the Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation.

Testifying in front of the Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children Wednesday, Kentucky Chamber Center for Policy and Research Executive Director Dr. Charles Aull noted the new initiative is an exciting way to identify clear points of consensus and build a unifying plan around advocacy to ensure increased access to high-quality child care.

Mariah Levison, the CEO of Convergence, said the group uses evidence-based methodology to find solutions among groups with differing opinions on a topic and is a “fiercely nonpartisan organization” that is neutral on the solutions brought forth by the groups they help convene to find compromise.

As for who will be part of this group, which kicks off their work on Thursday, the initiative will bring together a variety of perspectives and expertise from early childhood education, business, health care, K-12 and postsecondary education, economic and workforce development, state and local tax policy, human resources, government affairs, public policy, the nonprofit sector, philanthropy, and more. 

The group will produce a blueprint for action report following months of discussion and collaboration with the groups.

The struggles Kentucky faces with child care impacts up to 110,000 prime age Kentucky adults who are not working due to a lack of child care. This issue has caused kindergarten readiness to be down, among many more issues.

One of the barriers to success in addressing this issue, Aull said, is a lack of a shared long-range vision.

Ashley Novak Butler of the Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation told lawmakers their group prioritizes early childhood education because funding has a huge return on investment. Supporting young families and their children sets up a path to success for many areas of Kentucky, and Novak said they are excited to engage in statewide conversations to increase quality child care for Kentuckians and find solutions that truly benefit Kentucky families and communities.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) also testified in front of the committee Wednesday about the child care deserts across Kentucky and the fact that many providers are at capacity while families also struggle to be able to afford care.

Andrea Day from the CHFS Division of Child Care said this has always been seen as a family problem but also is an economic development and a community issue.

Day noted that only 35% of the state’s registered child care facilities are considered “high quality” because “many are now just focused on keeping their doors open rather than quality.”

The Cabinet noted that there is more interest than ever in the Employee Child Care Assistance Program, the result of legislation supported by the Chamber and passed by the General Assembly to provide an innovative way for Kentucky employers to help workers afford quality child care and attract and retain top talent. Through this program, an employer can partner with the state to help reduce the out-of-pocket cost of child care for their employees. If the employer is willing to contribute financial assistance that goes directly to the employee’s child care costs, the state will match that assistance.

Find a list of the groups involved in the Kentucky Child Care Collaborative below: