Recent data indicates that more than 25,000 West Virginia families do not have access to child care. While a childcare crisis is being felt nationwide, West Virginia’s ongoing workforce issues make policy solutions urgent but more complicated.
Del. Kathie Crouse, R-Putnam, appeared Thursday before the House Health and Human Resources Committee to introduce three bills she hopes can improve child care access.
House Bill 2730 would establish a pilot program where the state, an employer, and an employee each pay one-third of total child care costs.
Krouse told the committee this legislation aims to make child care more affordable and accessible to working families.
House Bill 2731 would create the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership, where employers contribute to their employees’ child care costs with matching state funds from the West Virginia Department of Human Services.
“This benefit reduces child care costs for working families, encourages employers to invest in workforce retention, supports economic growth by increasing access to child care, and if successful, could be expanded statewide,” Crouse said.
Lastly, House Bill 2780 would provide a child care subsidy to child care employees working a minimum of 20 hours per week.
The bills were moved to the markup stage in committee.