It's not childcare.

Daycare or babysitting for one Kentucky state senator.

The child care industry is more than just chaperoning.

It's early childhood education.

Without help from the state.

One in five child care facilities could permanently close its doors.

But a new Senate bill called the Horizons Act may be the rescue this industry needs.

Our Clayton Dalton breaks it down in tonight's legislative update.

During the COVID 19 pandemic, child care facilities across the country were supported by ARPA funds.

Emergency money from the federal government.

In Kentucky, those dollars are about to dry up.

And without intervention, the future of child care looks grim.

I think the name of this bill, the Horizons Act, says everything about this bill and every connotation you can use that word.

A 2022 report shows that without government investment, 70% of Kentucky child care providers will raise tuition, 40% will cut staff wages, 30% will lay off staff, and 20% will permanently close dark horizons.

If we fail to act Bright Horizons, if we do act and we act properly.

Broadening horizons is another term to describe this.

The Horizons Act is expected to cost $300 million over two years.

Do I think it's worth 300 million?

The investment that we need to make?

Do I feel like the dividends are going to be worth more than what we're investing?

Absolutely.

I do.

Without question, ten years, we have lost half of our providers in this state.

Imagine what's going to happen if we do nothing.

We anticipate another 20% will close their doors.

If you can't feed your family, if you can't make a living opening up these centers and operating these centers, you're going to close your doors.

The bill provides money for the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps families pay for childcare.

These dollars also help child care facilities ensure a steady stream of income for operating costs like utilities, insurance and salaries.

Kathleen Donelon, a child care provider, explains the impact of potentially closing her doors.

I don't want to close, but if I did close, I would impact 80 families and that would be people leaving the workforce.

There would be 25 teachers that I employ that would be out of work.

That would impact over 120 children not having care.

And that would include ten infants, 27 pilots and 84 preschool children that I would not be able to care for.

Charles all with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, says the bill will also help bolster Kentucky's workforce.

And so I think Chairman Carroll's legislation would do is that it would ensure that more parents can access and afford quality early childhood services, which in turn would help us mitigate our unsustainable workforce trends.

Senator Carroll says the bill is not only good for parents and businesses, but also for Kentucky's children.

We know that our kids start learning from the moment they are born.

We know that between birth and age five, 85 to 90% of the brain is developed.

These years lay the foundation for an age.

All the educational career that follows.

Kentucky Free, a conservative policy organization, believes bailing out the child care industry is a bad idea.

Subsidies result in higher prices over the long term.

The cost of health care and higher education are informative.

If policymakers are concerned about the cost of child care for families providing permanent subsidies, this is the last thing that should be under consideration.

Still, Senator Carol thinks Kentucky has an opportunity to send a message.

For once, I want Kentucky to be the one that gets out in front in six sets the example for this entire nation.

And we have an opportunity to do that.

No vote was held today, but Chairman Carroll hopes to hear the bill in committee for its first vote next week.

He says after rallying more support from his colleagues for Kentucky Edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.