Bill Text: WV HCR65 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Resolution encouraging education experts to create a cost of care estimator tool
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 7-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-09 - To House Rules [HCR65 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2024-HCR65-Introduced.html
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 65
(By Delegates Crouse, Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker), Warner, Tully, Young, Fehrenbacher, Dittman, and
Mazzocchi)
[Introduced February 1, 2024; referred to the Committee on Senior, Children, and Family Issues then Rules]
Urging Marshall University and West Virginia University to lead a child care consortium, in consultation with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Education, stakeholders, and experts, to create a cost of care estimator tool, which enables the state to model actual costs of child care
Whereas, The Legislature of West Virginia understands that a childcare system that meets the needs of every family supported by stable funding streams to provide flexibility for children and families, efficient systemwide administration and infrastructure, and minimum burden for providers is critical to growth and prosperity for West Virginia; and
Whereas, The State of West Virginia has consistently been a national leader in early childhood education, having started the child care worker apprenticeship program in the nation, and being an early adopter for universal pre-k; and
Whereas, West Virginia has utilized a market rate survey to assess the basis of state-determined subsidy rates administered through the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant understanding that a market rate survey does not fully meet the true financial needs of childcare providers; and
Whereas, The Legislature of West Virginia understands that cost modeling tools can be used to inform strategic questions facing the early childhood education field and create a variety of policy-driven scenarios to ensure that public dollars are invested wisely; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby urges Marshall University and West Virginia University, to lead a child care consortium, in consultation with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Education, stakeholders, and experts, to create a cost of care estimator tool, which enables the state to model actual costs of child care. The estimator tool will be developed to meet requirements of alternative methodology for rate setting with the Administration for Children and Families under the Child Care Development Block Grant; and, be it
Further Resolved, That Marshall University and West Virginia University shall report back the findings of the child care consortium to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance no later than December 31, 2024; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct a study, prepare reports, and draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
