According to a Montana Free Press-Eagleton Poll conducted in January and February, 71% Montanans were concerned about the cost of child care. About 64% said they were concerned about the availability of child care in their community.
Democrats expressed more concern about child care overall than Republicans. Of Democrats, 58% were “very concerned” about its cost, twice the 29% of Republicans polled who felt the same way. In terms of availability of care, 49% of Democrats polled were “very concerned,” compared to 23% of Republicans.
The MTFP-Eagleton Poll surveyed more than 900 randomly selected respondents through telephone interviews and text-to-web questionnaires. Data collected in late January and early February has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4.1% after being weighted to reflect the state’s demographics.
The higher a person’s education level, the more concerned they were about the cost of care. About 55% of individuals with graduate-level experience were “very concerned” with the expense, in contrast to 31% with a high school diploma or less reporting being “very concerned.”
Those who earned more were also concerned about the availability of care, with 46% of Montanans with a household income of $150,000 or more a year responding they were “very concerned” about its availability. In contrast, about 29% of families making $50,000 or less were “very concerned.” Women were more likely than men to indicate they were “very concerned” about child care availability.
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A number of bills related to child care are currently making their way through the Legislature. Sen. Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, has proposed legislation that would provide tax credits in acknowledgment of the rising costs of child care. Senate Bill 321 would provide a $1,200 tax credit for low- and middle-income parents of children under 5. The bill would also provide $1,600 in income tax credit for child care workers with young children in addition to offering businesses up to $5,000 for each employee they provide direct child care support to. SB 321 is currently waiting for a hearing in the Senate Taxation Committee.
Two proposals from Minority House Whip Rep. Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula, aimed to expand the number of Montana families that would be eligible for Best Beginnings, an almost 20-year-old state-federal program that assists low-income families with the cost of child care.
House Bill 457 would have shifted the income threshold for Best Beginnings from 185% of the federal poverty level to 85% of the state median income at a cost of $31 million annually. It was voted down in the House on March 21.
Karlen’s other bill, House Bill 456, would automatically qualify child care workers for the program and estimates a cost of $5.5 million annually. The bill was heard in the House Appropriations Committee on March 24.
Two bills from Sen. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings, would have revised regulations for child care facilities, including changes to how they hire, staff and structure their facilities. Both Senate Bill 269 and Senate Bill 285 died on the Senate floor in early March.
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Rep. Melissa Romano, D-Helena, put forward House Bill 360, which would have provided state funding to support child care providers’ efforts to recruit and retain employees. The bill was tabled in committee on Feb. 10.
Other proposals to amend state requirements for certain child care facilities and bills to expand early education opportunities for children under 5 are also under debate.
- Alex Sakariassen contributed to this report.
This story was originally published by Montana Free Press at montanafreepress.org.
