March 31, 2023 10:56am
Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program applications now open
UPDATED: Kentucky employers will now be able to apply for the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership (ECCAP) Program. This innovative public-private partnership will match state dollars with employers contributions to maximize benefits for employees with child care expenses.
GLI worked with partners to support the establishment of the ECCAP with the passage of House Bill 499 in the 2022 Kentucky General Assembly. A $15 million appropriation in the biennial budget funded this pilot program which will go into effect July 1, 2023 and will be administered by the Kentucky Division of Child Care.
Lack of available and affordable child care is one of the greatest barriers for working families. More than half of Kentucky females aged 25-54 cited taking care of family as their reason for not participating in the workforce, according to KentuckianaWorks. A fall 2022 survey of childcare providers across Kentucky found that more than 20% will permanently close and 70% will be forced to raise tuition for families when federal resources run out in September 2023. The ECCAP will help keep more working parents in the labor force by addressing affordability and provide stable revenue streams to contracted child care providers.
An employer participating in ECCAP would have their employee child care contributions matched up to 100% by the state, based on a sliding scale using the State Median Household Income (SMI). The full scale can be found here.
The Kentucky Division of Child care has made resources available for employers interested in the program. Click here for more information and to apply.