FRANKFORT, KY (January 9, 2024) — The Senate Families and Children Committee held its first meeting of the 2024 Legislative Session on Tuesday. Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Benton, chaired the informational meeting, including testimony from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander and Kentucky Youth Advocates Policy and Research Director Sarah Vanover Ed.D.
Carroll, president and CEO of an organization providing inclusive early childhood education, has remained laser-focused on the issue. He prefaced the meeting by emphasizing child care as “one of the most pressing issues” for the General Assembly to address, especially in the absence of pandemic-era federal funds to subsidize child care.
In her presentation on Kentucky child care, Vanover detailed Kentucky’s accomplishments, challenges, and opportunities related to child care. She applauded the commonwealth’s progress in sustaining the Child Care Assistance Program, start-up grants for various types of child care centers, and higher education scholarships for child care providers.
Despite these accomplishments, and as federal aid that helped day care centers keep doors open during the pandemic, Vanover cited a shortage in Kentucky child care providers caused by low, non-competitive wages and a lack of benefits, among other issues. Lawmakers learned other states are seeing child care centers close as funds dry up.
Vanover further briefed the committee on the difficulties of expiring federal funds regarding stabilization payments for child care centers. The payments, largely funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), offered higher staff wages and relief for child care centers that faced financial struggles following the COVID-mandated closures. Vanover said that wages for these workers would be “in jeopardy” without these funds.
Carroll recognized the value of early childhood education but encouraged caution regarding proposals for universal public pre-K from the executive branch, which is a one-size-fits-all approach to a complex issue and would be beholden to the traditional school schedule and unable to meet the needs of many families.
“Our public schools are not currently in a position to take on additional responsibilities,” Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, added.
Though there may be disagreements on the model going forward, Friedlander commended the bipartisan collaboration on the issue by Carroll and other legislators.
Concluding the meeting, Carroll expressed appreciation for stakeholders’ engagement throughout the interim and for providing critical information as the General Assembly considers legislative options.
“Ultimately, I think we have some answers to these challenges,” Carroll said. “I think the key issue is aligning a clear vision with a holistic model to ensure we are best serving Kentucky families and supporting child care providers.”
Follow legislative activity at Legislature.ky.gov and watch live legislative coverage at KET.org/legislature. Archived footage of Senate floor proceedings and committee meetings are available at KET.org/legislature/archives.
# # #
Senator Danny Carroll, R-Benton, represents the 2nd Senate District, including Ballard, Carlisle, Livingston, Marshall, and McCracken Counties. He serves as Senate Families and Children Committee chair. He is also a Senate Education, Health Services and Judiciary committee member. Additionally, Carroll is a member of the Public Pension Oversight Board, Juvenile Justice Oversight Council, and the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee.