Building consensus and a shared vision to increase access to high-quality child care in support of Kentucky’s children, families, and economy.
In partnership with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation and the Kentucky Chamber Center for Policy and Research.
Generously Supported by Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation
The Problem
Many different stakeholders have been advocating for child care solutions in Kentucky. While access to high-quality child care has received increased attention in Kentucky since the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains a need for consensus among stakeholders on a path forward to envision an early care and education ecosystem that can deliver for Kentucky children, families, and our economy.
At 48 percent, less than half of Kentucky kids meet state standards for Kindergarten readiness.
(Kids Count Data Center)
Workforce participation in Kentucky is 5.4 percentage points lower today than it was 25 years ago, creating a greater need to remove barriers to work and employment, especially for parents.
(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
The number of licensed or certified child care providers in Kentucky has declined 46 percent since 2012.
(KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services)
Project TIMELINE
Starting in Fall 2024, this Collaborative began with extensive stakeholder interviews and a custom action-oriented project design, captured in the Discovery and Design report. The multi-sector working group then began meeting monthly to build trust, develop a shared understanding of these complex issues, and forge consensus solutions. In addition to the full group meetings, smaller workgroups have been meeting to focus on specific components of the issues including the role of employers, the child care workforce, child care business models and existing programs, and key definitions and framing.
WHAT'S NEXT
The group will continue meeting monthly and finalize their Blueprint for Action in late Spring 2025. Starting in the summer of 2025, the participants will enter the next phases of the project working together to share, socialize, and refine the solutions developed during the collaborative problem-solving process and taking action to pursue meaningful change through advocacy and implementation.
Collaborative members
Charles Aull, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Marli Baumann, Baumann Paper Company
Emily Beauregard, Kentucky Voices for Health
Candance Brake, Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce
Susan Brewer, Gray Construction
Candra Bryant, KY Council of Society for Human Resource Management
Kenneth Calloway, Century Aluminum
Rachael Chamberlain, Frost Brown Todd
Kristin Collins, Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
Seth Cutter, CVG Airport
Amanda Davenport, Kentucky Association for Economic Development
Alison Davis, University of Kentucky
Sarah Durand, KYFREE
Cathe Dykstra, Family Scholar House
Rina Gratz, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence
Todd Griffin, Kentucky Retail Federation
Julie Hager Love, Kentucky United Methodist Children’s Homes
Colby Hall, Shaping our Appalachian Region (SOAR)
Mike Hammons, Learning Grove
Dustin Howard, Clark County Public Schools
Gus LaFontaine, LaFontaine Preparatory School
Kristin LaFontaine, LaFontaine Preparatory School
Daniel London, Lincoln Trail Area Development District
Mandy Marler, Community Coordinated Child Care & Child Care Council of Kentucky
Andrew McNeil, KY FREE
Liz McQuillen, Metro United Way
Adam Meier, Cicero Institute
LaKisha Miller, Kentucky Chamber Foundation
Beth Morton, Baptist Health
Ashley Novak Butler, Lift a Life Foundation
Scott Porter, KY Catholic Conference
Emily Robertson, Wonderschool
Jean Scott, PNC
Kate Shanks, KY Chamber of Commerce
Lesile Sizemore, KY Council on Postsecondary Education
Lawrence Smith, Kentucky Baptist Convention
Sarah Vanover, Kentucky Youth Advocates
Will Warren, Shaping our Appalachian Region (SOAR)
Jennifer Washburn, Ikids
Ashli Watts, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Iris Wilbur Glick, Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation
Theresa Zawacki, Russell Place of Promise
In the News
In an October 24th The Bottom Line News piece, Jacqueline Pitts, writes about the new Kentucky Collaborative on Child Care. The Collaborative is a partnership between Convergence, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Center for Policy and Research. The first convenings began this week. The goal of the Collaborative is for many groups across the state to find the best path forward on child care.
Building off the Convergence Collaborative on Supports for Working Families, Convergence is working with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Center for Policy and Research on a project focused on convening a stakeholder group of leaders from different backgrounds to build consensus on increasing access to high-quality child care in support of Kentucky’s children, families, and economy.
The initiative is supported by the Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation.
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