Advocates for early child care and education have a list of ideas to boost access and affordability heading into the 2025 legislative session.
According to state data, Montana’s child care capacity met less than half the need for out-of-home care in 2023. The state labor department says that resulted in 66,000 parents unable to fully participate in the workforce.
Data show incremental improvement in capacity since 2019. In 2023, the state expanded a state child care scholarship for low- to middle-income families. Caitlin Jensen, director of the advocacy group Zero to Five, wants to build on the momentum, especially as state revenues are strong.
“We also know that there is a surplus, and so we’re really hopeful that that can go toward supporting young children and families with young children,” Jensen says.
Advocates say there are several contributing factors to the lack of available and affordable child care: low wages for child care workers, slim margins for child care businesses and a quickly growing population. These factors also lead to higher prices for parents.
Zero to Five’s proposals include a financing program for new child care businesses, tuition assistance or wage supplements for workers, expanding scholarships, and creating a state trust fund dedicated to child care.
There are already dozens of bill requests that aim to boost child care and early education from lawmakers across the political spectrum.
