Montana child care providers say access is still a major issue in the state. They spoke about possible legislative action at a summit this week.
According to state data from 2022, Montana has licensed enough providers to meet less than half the need for out-of-home child care. And the average cost of that care is more than three times what experts say is suitable for families.
While challenges to afford and access child care have long plagued the state, Helena Rep. Laura Smith says momentum is building to work on these issues in the statehouse.
“There’s been a shift in that climate where I think we have really fertile ground that’s important to utilize this session on a lot of these issues,” Smith said.
Smith spoke on a panel about the child care industry hosted by the Helena advocacy group Zero to Five.
Many at the summit applauded the expansion of a scholarship program for low-income families that the Legislature passed last session. That aims to make care more affordable. However, advocates say finding ways to support and retain the child care workforce needs to be a top priority.
Caitlin Jensen is executive director of Zero to Five.
“It’s like such hard work and it goes so unnoticed,” Jensen said.
The median wage for child care workers is about $11 an hour. The state labor department projects an average 740 jobs in the child care industry will be open each year through 2030.
Montana child care advocates hope a few policy proposals gain traction during the 2025 legislative session. Those include subsidizing child care worker wages, making degrees in early childhood education more affordable and finding ways to lessen overhead costs for providers.
Zero to Five plans to release a list of their top legislative priorities in September.
