Overview
- Eligibility limits are being eliminated and family copayments remain waived, making child care available to all residents regardless of income.
- Officials project average household savings of about $12,000 per child each year once the program takes effect.
- Rollout steps include a $12.7 million low-interest loan fund for facilities, higher reimbursement rates, and incentive payments for programs that pay entry-level staff at least $18 per hour and operate extended hours.
- The Early Childhood Trust and Land Grant Permanent Fund will help finance the expansion, and the governor plans to request roughly $120 million in additional state funding next session.
- The state estimates it must recruit about 5,000 more early childhood professionals, and some Republicans criticize extending free care to higher-income families.