390-k. Child care availability taskforce. 1. There shall be established within the office of children and family services a child care taskforce for the purpose of evaluating the need for and availability of child care throughout the state.
2. The taskforce shall be chaired by the commissioners of the office of children and family services and the office of temporary and disability assistance, or their designees. Members of the taskforce shall serve without compensation for three year terms, but may be reimbursed for actual costs incurred for participation on such taskforce. Ensuring adequate geographic representation, members of the taskforce shall be appointed by the governor and comprised as follows:
(a) two individuals shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the speaker of the assembly, at least one of whom shall be a parent who has utilized subsidized child care;
(b) two individuals shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the temporary president of the senate, at least one of whom shall be a parent who has utilized subsidized child care;
(c) two representatives of a child care resource and referral agency;
(d) two representatives of home-based child care providers;
(e) two representatives of center-based child care providers; and
(f) two representatives from the business community.
3. The taskforce shall examine the following:
(a) access to subsidized child care, including the percentage of the eligible population receiving a child care subsidy;
(b) cost of care for families eligible for but not receiving a child care subsidy;
(c) availability of child care for non-traditional work hours;
(d) whether parents are voluntarily leaving the workforce due to lack of affordable or accessible child care, and the demographic information of such parents;
(e) whether employers have identified lack of child care as a reason for a shortage of a qualified workforce;
(f) the impact of child care, or lack thereof, on economic development throughout the state;
(g) varying levels of quality of care throughout the state;
(h) ways to address concerns identified in paragraphs (a) through (g) of this subdivision; and
(i) anything else the taskforce deems necessary.
4. The taskforce shall report its findings and recommendations in accordance with subdivision three of this section to the speaker of the assembly and the temporary president of the senate no later than December thirty-first, two thousand seventeen, and annually thereafter.
Last modified: February 3, 2019