Early childhood education bill wins support from state Senate panel

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — An ambitious measure to expand early childhood education in Kentucky passed an early test Tuesday, winning broad support from a legislative panel as lawmakers look for ways to relieve parental stress by increasing access to childcare.

The proposal cleared the Senate Families and Children Committee on a 9-1 vote. The legislation still has several hurdles to clear in the final weeks of this year’s 60-day legislative session.

In promoting his bill Tuesday, Republican Sen. Danny Carroll recounted an email he received from a man expressing frustration over the difficulty he and his wife have had in finding a daycare for their young child. The man said they’re on four waiting lists for daycare and their prospects remain uncertain ahead of his wife’s scheduled return to work.

The man’s email summed up the situation as “ridiculous” — spelled all in capital letters to emphasize his point, Carroll said. It exemplifies the childcare challenges faced by many parents, the senator said.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Sweeping bill would expand childcare and early childhood education in Kentucky </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>

“That’s what we’re facing,” Carroll told the committee. “We as a state can decide to fall into the pit that the other states are falling in, or we can stand up and set the example for the rest of this country to follow.”

The problem has broader implications, affecting workforce participation rates and the state’s attractiveness as a place for business