In February, Representative Samara Heavrin (R-Leitchfield) introduced House Bill 499, which would establish the Employer Child Care Assistance Program. This public-private partnership would address the affordability of childcare, which is a major barrier to workforce participation for many families and would help employers to attract and retain talent by allowing them to double the size of this critical employer benefit.<\/p>\n
Why we need it<\/strong><\/p>\n Kentucky has historically had one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the nation, an unfortunate distinction that has only worsened since the onset of the pandemic. Since March 2020, available daycare slots have decreased by nearly 10% in Jefferson County and as many as 100,000 Kentucky women left the workforce due to the lack of reliable and affordable childcare. With the average costs of high-quality child care ranging upwards of $11,000 for an infant in some areas, the financial burden has changed the calculation for many working parents who have opted to leave the workforce altogether. This reduces Kentucky\u2019s participating workforce, impacting businesses who are struggling to attract and retain workers during this period of economic recovery.<\/p>\n