The Kentucky House passed a measure on Tuesday sponsored by Rep. Samara Heavrin, R-Leitchfield, aimed at modernizing the state’s childcare sector.
House Bill 6 passed the House by an 84-11 vote.
“High-quality childcare is the key to unlocking our commonwealth’s education and workforce potential,” Heavrin said. “Currently, we have a childcare shortage and an opportunity to update rules, regulations, and infrastructure in our public agencies tasked with overseeing and supporting the childcare sector. This legislation has the goal to bring new life to our childcare centers, create pathways to reinvigorate our communities, and put in place prescriptive policies and procedures to grow our early childhood education system much like the success seen in Montana and Tennessee which have pursued similar reforms.”
HB 6 would, according to Heavrin, address several of the core shortfalls identified in the Chamber of Commerce’s Childcare Collaborative report released in May 2025. In June of 2024, the Kentucky Chamber created the Childcare Collaborative, bringing together a team of 40 stakeholders from across the commonwealth to identify and address foundational issues with childcare and its regulatory agencies.
Across 18 months, the collaborative identified 37 actionable issues to expand access, improve quality, and modernize Kentucky’s childcare sector.
HB 6 would impact the childcare sector in a variety of ways, according to Heavrin:
- First, the measure would address the regulatory environment childcare centers operate in. Modeling successful states such as Montana and Tennessee, this measure would require third-party review of childcare regulations across an extended timeline to ensure that any regulatory reform is undergone in a prescriptive manner.
- Secondly, the measure would modernize the ALL-STARS rating system by creating an outcomes-based rating model as opposed to the current theory-based model. Another regulatory component of this measure would authorize micro facilities like regulations in Indiana.
- This measure would also implement a robust data collection requirement related to the childcare industry.
- It would require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to track real childcare capacity as opposed to licensed capacity.
Other provisions of this measure would require a monthly count of childcare providers and establish fiscal transparency with an annual financial report from the Office of the State Budget Director.
Additional provisions of this measure would modernize programs established by previous sessions of the General Assembly such as reforms to the Employee Childcare Assistance Partnership (ECCAP) and bolster the Certified Childcare Communities designation available to local governments.
“We not only want to address the childcare crisis but improve the system of laws, regulations, and policies surrounding our childcare centers to ensure that these centers operate at the most efficient and safe manner,” Heavrin added. “HB 6 would ensure that we move our commonwealth forward in a responsible and prescriptive way. Our families and children are the foundation of our state, and we must ensure they have access to high-quality childcare opportunities that allow them to flourish.”
The measure now moves to the Senate.
For more information on HB 6, other legislative measures or the 2026 Regular Session, visit legislature.ky.gov.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
