Kentucky's Innovative Solution to Child Care Worker Shortages Yields Positive Results

Kentucky has found a creative solution to address staffing shortages in the child care sector by making child care free for all child care employees, regardless of household income. This incentive has led to an increase in the number of children receiving state subsidies for child care and has allowed child care centers to fully staff their operations. Other states are now looking to replicate this model to attract and retain child care workers. However, some child care centers still struggle to afford offering free or discounted child care, leading to waiting lists and challenges in retaining qualified staff.