Kentucky Youth Advocates group provides House Bill 6 update

WARREN COUNTY, Ky. – House Bill 6 is a large bill that brings communities and the government to one table, and its ultimate goal is to help children and families who use childcare.

For a single-parent family, 23% of that family’s income can go toward childcare. For a two-parent household, it’s 10%. The cost of care is similar across the state of Kentucky, but the market rate is usually much lower. House Bill 6 has several benefits and will give families a higher subsidy.

Sarah Vanover, the policy and advocacy director at Kentucky Youth Advocates, says, “We go by the market rate. So in any community, in any county, we’ll ask that the state ask every child care provider what rates they choose. And then they kind of take an average in that county for infant, toddler, preschool, school age, and then whether it’s full-time or part-time. Unfortunately, that usually doesn’t cover the cost of care. That’s just what parents can pay.”

Part of the bill will shift to what’s known as a cost model, and instead of asking what can parents pay on average, they’re going to say what it actually costs for this kind of child care. The next steps for House Bill 6 is at the Senate floor.

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