P O L I C Y B R I E

The Legislature’s bills proposed marginal changes, consin (like other states) has subsidized the cost of childcare decreasing to 16 the eligible age to qualify as an assistant for some families through the federal/state childcare subsidy teacher (from age 18), for example, and adding up to two program, but it rarely directly subsidizes the day-to-day oper- children to the staff-to-child ratios. [...] Table 1 provides a sum- Subsidizing the cost of childcare for low-income families mary of the Legislature’s childcare bills and the Department allows private childcare providers to charge a market rate, of Administration’s fiscal estimate. [...] In the end, the The focus on childcare this budget session reflects a growing budget included $27 million in direct childcare assistance and concern that the cost of childcare is pricing parents out of the $15 million in a revolving loan fund for providers, aimed at market. [...] minimal AB391 / SB423 Increases the number of children who can be in a group childcare center None and the ratio of the number of kids to the number of childcare workers. [...] The Leg- islature seeks to make it easier for childcare providers to op- erate and adjusts marginally the staff-to-child ratios for group About the author childcare providers, which will lower costs for providers, savings that they can pass on to childcare workers in the form Angela Rachidi, a Badger of higher wages or to families in the form of lower childcare Institute visiting fellow, is a cost.