Bill > HB456

This bill expands the Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program to include child care workers as eligible recipients, in addition to low-income families. Specifically, child care workers will be eligible for scholarships if they are employed at a licensed day-care center or registered family or group day-care home for at least the minimum number of hours established by the department, and have a household income less than two times the state median income. The bill modifies existing law to broaden the program's scope, setting income eligibility thresholds for workers at no higher than two times the state median income. To support this expansion, the legislation appropriates $5.5 million from the general fund to the Department of Public Health and Human Services for each year of the 2025-2027 biennium. The changes are designed to provide financial support to child care workers, potentially helping to address workforce challenges in the child care sector by offering additional financial assistance to those working in licensed and registered day care facilities. The bill will become effective on July 1, 2025.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry, Health and Social Services

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1787