A FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM V: KENTUCKY VOTERS DEMAND ACTION ON THE CHILD CARE CRISIS
October 2023
This report, A Fragile Ecosystem V: Kentucky Voters Demand Action on the Child Care Crisis, demonstrates broad public consensus on the need for Kentucky’s General Assembly to deliver key investment and policy changes required to sustain gains in access and quality and grow access to quality early education for more of Kentucky’s 3 and 4-year old population. A Fragile Ecosystem V demonstrates the importance of child care, Kentucky’s workforce behind the workforce, to developing an early childhood sector reflective of the need to keep parents in the workforce by providing children with the strong start required for success in school, career, and life.
A FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM IV: WILL KENTUCKY CHILD CARE SURVIVE WHEN THE DOLLARS RUN OUT?
September 2022
Nearly three years into the pandemic, Kentucky’s child care sector remains on shaky ground, and the sector is bracing for more challenging times ahead. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, The Prichard Committee and a team of statewide partners released data capturing the pandemic’s impact on Kentucky’s child care sector in the survey series A Fragile Ecosystem: COVID-19’s Impact on Kentucky’s Child Care Sector. The survey series is now releasing its fourth edition with this publication, A Fragile Ecosystem IV: Will Kentucky Child Care Survive When The Dollars Run Out?
A FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM III: COVID-19’S CONTINUED IMPACT ON CHILD CARE FOR KENTUCKY PARENTS AND FAMILIES
December 2020
The Kentucky Child Care Survey – Continuing Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Parents and Families is the third in a series begun in May of 2020 to gather information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child care providers, parents and families. From November 16th through December 18th, 2020, we asked Kentucky parents and families to share their thoughts and concerns about the continuing impact on child care of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 1,400 responded. The survey was also provided in a Spanish translation. Their responses will hopefully help child care providers, community leaders, and policy makers better understand child care needs and plan for a future that ensures a high-quality, sustainable child care ecosystem. Parents and families are facing many challenges coping with the impact ofCOVID-19. School is open, but may be virtual. Child care may be difficult to find. Work situations have changed. Juggling work, learning at home, and child care is not easy.
A FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM II: KENTUCKY PARENTS RESPOND TO CHILD CARE CRISIS FOLLOWING COVID-19
July 2020
From June 24th through July 14th we asked Kentucky parents and families to share their thoughts about child care and what’s next as Kentucky reopens the economy. Over 1,500 responded. Their responses will hopefully help child care providers, community leaders, and policy makers better understand child care needs and plan for a future that ensures a high-quality, sustainable child care ecosystem. The COVID-19 crisis is impacting our system of child care that was already fragile and suffered from inadequate public support. According to the Kentucky Division of Child Care, the number of regulated providers in Kentucky dropped from 4,400 in 2013 to 2,400 in 2019. Moreover, as noted in the 2017 Cost of Quality report, support for child care is insufficient to provide quality, full-day care to enough working families. The results of our previous child care provider survey - and this just completed survey of parents and families - clearly show the need for greater financial support from Congress, and for a continued substantial, engaged planning with providers at the state level. Both are critical in ensuring that Kentucky’s child care infrastructure is sustained immediately and in the long term.
A FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM: THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON KENTUCKY'S CHILD CARE PROVIDERS
June 2020
The results of our child care provider survey (May 2020) and the surveys of parents and families (July 2020 and January 2021) clearly show the need for greater financial support from Congress, and for a continued substantial, engaged planning with providers at the state level. Both are critical in ensuring that Kentucky’s child care infrastructure is sustained immediately and in the long term.
