State Rep. Samara Heavrin has been selected by Kentucky House leadership to co-chair a task force devoted to studying early childhood care.
With the appointment, made by House Speaker David Osborne, Heavrin, a Republican from Leitchfield, continues to play a growing role in childhood issues in the commonwealth and will spend the next six months, along with task force members, studying early child care and education in Kentucky.
“The work group stems from the House Majority’s commitment to help address child care shortages across the state. Access to quality care was an issue before the pandemic, with parents facing long waitlists and limited hours and some areas of the state existing as virtual child care deserts for several decades,” officials said. “However, the situation grew worse as the child care industry suffered huge obstacles during the past two years. The state’s shutdown caused an immediate loss of revenue, while additional regulatory burdens, labor shortages, and increased payroll, food, and supply costs have slowly eroded what was left.”
Heavrin, who has long been interested in bettering early childhood care and development, said the task force will work with groups who have a vested interest in solving early child care issues.
“The reality is that we went into the pandemic without enough quality child care options and the situation has gone from bad to worse. But we’ve proven we can tackle big issues and I’m looking forward to working with parents, educators, employers, and other interested stakeholders to find a way through this,” Heavrin said. “We’re looking for solutions that not only address root problems but help working families and get the next generation of Kentuckians the best start in life.”
Heavrin noted that the current gap in available service is pushing the burden off on parents, with the lack of providers being one of the biggest barriers to entering and remaining in the workforce.
Studies from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce showed that 24 percent of Americans say child care responsibilities were the reason for not looking to work last year, officials noted. This also represents the largest obstacle for women to participate in the workforce.
Among several other contributing factors, the cost of high-quality care continues to rise, making it more difficult for families to afford.
“This is a quality of life issue with repercussions in so many areas, including education, economic development, and health. We need to find ways to create opportunities for a variety of child care providers – private, public, nonprofit, in-home, and centers – to thrive,” Osborne said. “Rep. Heavrin has long been a respected advocate on this issue and was a natural choice to lead this task force. I look forward to seeing the results of their work.”
As Osborne noted, the issue has a cascading effect on the state’s economy as well. Employers throughout the state continue to struggle to attract and retain workers, with an estimated 150,000 open positions and almost half of small businesses reporting they are unable to fill open positions.
“Research shows the lack of available child care in Kentucky accounts for $573 million in lost earnings, business productivity, and tax revenue,” according to state officials.
Heavrin took aim at the situation this spring with House Bill 499.
The task force will meet throughout the interim and outline policy recommendations for the 2023 Regular Session. For more information on the task force, visit the Legislative Research Commission’s website.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
