(a) The general assembly finds that:(1) Access to affordable, reliable child care is essential to workforce participation, economic stability for working families, and the long-term well-being of children;(2) Employers across multiple sectors in this state report that the lack of available and affordable child care is a significant barrier to employee recruitment and retention;(3) The child care workforce experiences persistent shortages and high turnover, in part due to the cost of child care for workers with young children; and(4) Strategic, targeted investments in child care assistance can strengthen the workforce, support employers, and promote economic growth.
(1) Access to affordable, reliable child care is essential to workforce participation, economic stability for working families, and the long-term well-being of children;
(2) Employers across multiple sectors in this state report that the lack of available and affordable child care is a significant barrier to employee recruitment and retention;
(3) The child care workforce experiences persistent shortages and high turnover, in part due to the cost of child care for workers with young children; and
(4) Strategic, targeted investments in child care assistance can strengthen the workforce, support employers, and promote economic growth.
(b) The purpose of this part is to establish the promising futures fund to support pilot programs and targeted child care assistance initiatives that:(1) Strengthen and stabilize this state's child care workforce;(2) Support employer participation in shared child care cost models;(3) Expand access to child care for working families who are ineligible for existing subsidy programs; and(4) Provide accountability, transparency, and data-driven evaluation to inform future programming and policy decisions.
(1) Strengthen and stabilize this state's child care workforce;
(2) Support employer participation in shared child care cost models;
(3) Expand access to child care for working families who are ineligible for existing subsidy programs; and
(4) Provide accountability, transparency, and data-driven evaluation to inform future programming and policy decisions.