West Virginia Special Session begins: Why childcare providers hope to see more funding

WEST VIRGINIA (WOWK) – Monday marks the start to what many childcare advocates, childcare providers and parents hope will turn the page on childcare funding struggles. Lawmakers from West Virginia’s House and Senate kicked off Governor Jim Justice’s called-on special session to address a variety of important state issues, childcare being one of them.

“I know that there is mention of a childcare tax credit which is fine, but it’s not going to help solve childcare in any way. The amount of credit that parents are going to get is going to be equivalent to maybe two weeks of childcare for an entire year,” West Virginia Association for Young Children Executive Director Kristy Ritz said.

Ritz is referring to the possibility that West Virginia families could receive roughly $250 a year in funding support if lawmakers decide to allocate more funding to childcare centers in aid this special session. As of Monday, the finance committee will need to review potential childcare policy changes this Sunday.

“We do have a lot of childcare champions in the legislature, so I am confident that given the opportunity, they will step up and work for real change in childcare. Unfortunately, we don’t feel that Governor Justice has made childcare a priority,” Ritz said. “Although it is going to be mentioned on the call, we need more than tax credits in order to have a thriving childcare business.”

The direct impact of potential funding increases would help people like Kristy Lyles, the director at Bream Center Preschool in Charleston. She has worked there for 16 years.

“These families are in need of either having to choose ‘do I go to work or do I pay for preschool?’ At a time when you did have grandparents watching the kids at home, you don’t have that anymore. The grandparents are working. They have to work, and most of the time their money is going towards to pay to keep care of the kids,” Lyles said.

She continued, “I would even say the families that I have that have two parents that are two parent income, it is difficult for them to afford $700 to $1,000 a month. Some places charge $1,000 a month for childcare. Who can afford that?”

Lyles said Bream Center Preschool is understaffed, though enrollment is only reaching between 45 and 50 students. She hopes to see more funding to draw in committed workers to continue supporting the school and childcare center’s mission.

“You need funding to do that, and it would be a tragedy if Bream Center Preschool would have to close because we could not fund it anymore. Legislation, really, we need to look at this. This is important. It’s important that you get a good start, and it does start when you’re an infant, when you’re 2, 3 and 4,” Lyles said.

TANF dollars are currently being used to support statewide childcare centers until the end of 2024.

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