SB21-236 (Story & Sonnenberg/Tipper & Van Beber) Increase Capacity Early Childhood Care & Education
Summary
The bill would advance five strategies to support the capacity of the early care and education system in Colorado. It would make technical amendments to the Child Care Sustainability and Emerging and Expanding Child Care Grant Programs created by HB 20B-1006 during the Special Session, and institute four grant program strategies designed to support employer-offered child care. This would help support the early care and education workforce, as well as innovation in the early care and education sector.
Position
The Children’s Campaign supports the bill. Colorado’s economic recovery will hinge on ensuring people can get back to work. Access to child care is a necessary work support and disruptions in care arrangements or inability to find child care disproportionately harms workforce participation among women and people of color. Unfortunately, higher costs of operation, reduced revenue due to payment policies tied to child attendance, and low levels of public investment have pushed the child care industry to the brink. Many providers are struggling to keep their doors open and, sadly, many have closed their doors permanently. If we fail to act now, we will see our economic recovery hamstrung by the inability of parents to return to work due to a lack of child care.
Current Status
Senate concurred with House Amendments. The bill repassed the Senate unanimously and now heads to the Governor for signature.
Previous Statuses
May 28, 2021
Passed out of the House Education Committee on a vote of 7-2 and now heads to the Appropriations Committee.
April 23, 2021
Passed the Senate Education Committee unanimously and now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
April 16, 2021
Introduced in Senate and assigned to the Senate Education Committee where it is scheduled to be heard on April 22 at 1:30 p.m. You can listen online here.
