Each year, about 165,000 infants and toddlers under the age of three – a number more than the combined population of Bowling Green, Owensboro, and Richmond – learn and grow across Kentucky. Many working families face daunting challenges finding safe, reliable, and vibrant child care options for these youngest Kentuckians.

Their challenges have grown even more acute. Even before the COVID-19 public health crisis disrupted the child care landscape (see Kentucky Child Care Provider Survey), child care centers across Kentucky were limiting enrollment due to challenges finding qualified employees. Far fewer Kentuckians were providing child care in their homes as a family child care provider – those who meet state standards for safety, health, and quality.