Update Mar. 8: Some more good news about childcare! The House of Delegates has passed a committee substitute for HB 4191, but time is running out to pass childcare legislation this session.
Status of the Bill: HB 4191 has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. It is now up to Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Jason Barrett, to put the bill on the Committee Agenda.
ACTIONS: Help get HB 4191 across the finish line.
✳️Please call Chairman Barrett’s office at (304) 357-7933 and urge him to put HB 4191 on the Finance Committee Agenda.
✳️Call or email members of the Senate Finance Committee and your Senators directly and ask them to support HB 4191. Find your Senators here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/
Senate Finance Committee emails:
jason.barrett@wvsenate.gov, charles.clements@wvsenate.gov, amy.grady@wvsenate.gov, bill.hamilton@wvsenate.gov, glenn.jeffries@wvsenate.gov, patrick.martin@wvsenate.gov, mark.maynard@wvsenate.gov, robbie.morris@wvsenate.gov, mike.oliverio@wvsenate.gov, rupie.phillips@wvsenate.gov, ben.queen@wvsenate.gov, rollan.roberts@wvsenate.gov, tom.takubo@wvsenate.gov, darren.thorne@wvsenate.gov, mike.woelfel@wvsenate.gov, jack.woodrum@wvsenate.gov
Finally, some good news about childcare! The Finance Committee of the House of Delegates has passed a committee substitute for HB 4191.
Background on HB 4191:
The Legislature has decreased funding for childcare over the past decade, which has contributed to the loss of a significant number of available childcare slots, and many areas of the state becoming childcare deserts. Childcare workers are paid very low wages, families cannot afford the true cost of childcare, and many childcare businesses cannot cover their expenses to stay open.
HB 4191 helps to #solvechildcare by taking a broad approach to help families, employers and childcare workers:
- Adds tax incentives for businesses to sponsor or provide childcare for their workers [Helps employers!]
- Requires that the state pay childcare subsidies based on the status of a child’s enrollment rather than a daily rate. This stabilizes the funding stream for childcare providers that serve lower income families . [Helps childcare providers!]
- Ensures that the government is using an accurate model to determine cost of care (right now they are paying a very low amount that doesn’t cover actual childcare costs,) when paying subsidies in the future. [Forward-looking stability!]
- Gives power to the Department of Human Services which manages state childcare funding to reduce the cliff effect that families encounter when coming off of subsidized childcare [Helps families!]
LWVWV Supports childcare as an early education tool that helps families ensure their children are cared for in a nurturing environment while also supporting a healthy workforce and economy. Childcare is also an economic development tool.
Status of the bill: HB 4191 was on first reading in the House of Delegates Monday, 3/2, and will be up for amendment phase and passage just in time to meet the crossover deadline. Assuming it passes the House, it will need to quickly go through committee and passage in the Senate before the session ends.
ACTION:
✳️ Call or email your Delegate directly and ask them to vote yes for HB 4191. Find your delegate here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/