CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — Many people were hoping there would be a Special Legislative Session this week to deal with childcare problems in West Virginia, but it didn’t happen. However, that did not stop people from coming to the Capitol to lobby anyway.

The West Virginia Capitol is busy this week with the monthly interim committee meetings, but the whole legislature is not here. That’s because a Special Session has yet to be called.

Still, dozens of advocates for childcare, and their kids, rallied outside and inside the building.
They want childcare tax credits to make it more affordable for families, and they also hope the state provides more subsidies to keep struggling childcare providers in business.

“And there are families who need to get back into the workforce. They want to get back into the workforce. And it’s impossible because there’s sometimes a year-long waiting list to get a child into childcare,” said Kristy Ritz, of the WV Association for Young Children.

“Childcare is the biggest expense that most families have. It costs more than college out of pocket and most families don’t have that kind of extra cash laying around. It costs about $200 a week per child. So, it’s not a small expense by any imagination,” said Del. Kayla Young, (D) Kanawha.

Last week, Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) and the Department of Human Services announced millions of dollars in childcare subsidies for providers to keep them funded until the end of the year.

The big question is what will happen when that funding runs out? In 2025, the regular legislative session begins in February.

Next month, the interim committee meetings are being held in Parkersburg, so a Special Session may not be feasible there.

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The first opportunity to call everyone to Charleston might be in early October, a month before the election.

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