Child care providers across West Virginia waited anxiously to see what Gov. Jim Justice would include in his special session. They are struggling with withering pandemic aid, uncertain government funding, staffing shortages and more.
Meanwhile the state is needs more than 20,000 childcare places for working families. Dozens of vendors have closed this year due to financial problems.
“If we don’t get the funding we need, our childcare business will simply fail. As do many centers,” said Mariah Burnley, director of the Ohio Valley Child Learning Center in Wheeling.
The special session of the Judiciary included a child care bill: his plan for a child and dependent care tax credit that could benefit thousands of families who utilize child care. The special session began on September 30th.
The bill does not address the needs of child care providers nor does it create up-to-date child care spaces.
“It’s like putting a Band-Aid on the collapsing pool,” Burnley said. “This is a major problem facing our state and our nation, and the more it is ignored, the worse it will become.” The providers feel defeated.”
The bill is expected to be expanded for special sessions before lawmakers reconvene in Charleston on Sunday, Oct. 6. Some lawmakers are still hoping the justices will allow them to address child care issues by adding a handful of bills were not completed during the regular session. There are laws aimed at creating more childcare places fully fund the state child care subsidy program for low-income working families.
On Tuesday, Justice, who is running for U.S. Senate, signaled support only for his two ideas: a child care tax credit and a grant program that could facilitate child care providers. Both proposals still face an uncertain future in the Republican-dominated legislative session.
“I think this tax credit is going to cost the state of West Virginia about $4 million. Will it solve many problems? No, it probably won’t… But I think our adolescent families need to know that we’re trying,” Justice said during a virtual press conference.
He added: “I would like to do more but I can’t do it. I don’t know if I did it.”
Senate Finance Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, said the Senate Republican caucus is still discussing child care and many other issues that could be addressed in the special session.
“We have more meetings before Sunday evening when we return from break,” he said. “I believe there could be a majority that supports the governor’s proposed child care tax credit. That being said, I don’t think there is currently broad agreement on additional child care laws [Tuesday] Evening.”
House Democrats said they will support the child care tax credit. Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, wants lawmakers to have the opportunity to consider other child care bills, including legislation like this expand a state tax credit for companies that develop on-site childcare.
“The House of Representatives, including House leadership, has strongly emphasized the importance of child care,” she said. “The House is still screaming, ‘We have to do something,’ but we’re not hearing any action from the Senate or the governor’s office.”
Young called on the justices to prioritize funding for the state’s child care subsidy during the special session.
The Department of Human Services used Temporary Assistance for Needy Families needed federal dollars to fund the program after the state recently made a change to federal funding rules a deficit of $34 million for the program. Last year, around 15,000 children took advantage of the program, which requires parents to work or complete training.
Without legislative funding, 2,000 children would be excluded from the program, Young said.
“As far as I know, the legislature agrees with it. I don’t agree with that,” she said, pointing out that lawmakers have been working to understand the “elaborate web” of state childcare funding in the EU newly created DoHS.
Bunley’s daycare cares for 70 children; 50% of these children take advantage of the state child care subsidy program. She stressed that the level of subsidies needed to be increased as inflation had impacted operating costs.
“We lose money taking these children in, but we recognize that they are the ones who need to be in our care,” she said. “Private families have to pay this difference. Our price is currently high. This is the only way we can increase our sales.”
justice The proposed child and dependent care tax credit would create a state tax credit equal to 50% of the allowable federal child and dependent care tax credit. For a family earning more than $43,000 per year, the tax credit would likely be $300 for one child or $600 for two or more children.
The governor is still working with lawmakers to get support for his child care subsidy program, which could be included in the amended special session call.
“What I wanted is still out there … direct $20 million of our surplus dollars — one-time money — to our child care agencies and process it through a grant program that runs through Workforce [West Virginia] and work out a performance-based deal,” he said. “I still believe we can do it.”
Jennifer Trippett, The owner of Cubby’s Child Care Center in Bridgeport described Justice’s idea for a grant program as “frustrating” while child care providers wait to see what happens with other bills.
“We will not have child care available in this state to participate in this pilot program if funding for enrollment and grant increases are not provided,” she said. “Why waste $20 million when we can’t afford to keep our programs open?”
She added: “It is disappointing that the governor does not seem to understand the critical child care crisis and its impact on families, businesses and the economy.”
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