Livingston, Montana – On Friday, Governor Greg Gianforte went to the PFL Learning Center to read to the children there and unveil a proposal to reduce bureaucratic hurdles in order to increase the number of Montana families’ access to cheap and high-quality child care. Carly Temyer, who is the director of child care at PFL Learning Center, highlights the difficulty that families have in locating adequate childcare options within the state.
“We are in what is called a childcare desert,” says Temyer, “So a certain percentage of families that are seeking care are not able to find it.”
Gianforte discussed the implications of these newly proposed regulations on the development of the childcare industry in the state of Montana.
“Access to quality care is critical to our growing economy in Montana. But for too long or Montana families, working families have had faced a shortage of childcare,” says Governor Gianforte.
The revised childcare licensing standards, which were improved in response to concerns from providers and industry stakeholders, eliminate needless hurdles to licensure and employment for childcare providers. This was accomplished by improving the guidelines. The administration of the Governor is looking into other regulations in addition to lowering the barriers to entry and expanding the capacity to provide quality and affordable childcare.
“DPHHS has reviewed line by its childcare licensing administrative rules, and today we’re rolling out a new simpler set of rules,” says Gianforte.
Gianforte claims that during his time as a member of Congress, he has secured more than ninety million dollars in government funds to support childcare facilities. The initiatives that his administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) have in place to improve child care go beyond simply allocating more financial resources.
“[It’s] more than just financial investments, and we also need to remove unnecessary barriers, burdensome regulations that are preventing Montana families from accessing affordable quality care that they need,” says Gianforte.
According to the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), numerous new regulations address child-to-staff ratios as well as employee credentials. Temyer thinks that the planned changes will make a significant impact.
“People can’t find affordable care. So the stabilization is huge. It affects not just people who are working in childcare, not just families who are seeking childcare it affects our entire workforce in the state,” says Temyer.
On the website of the DPHHS, you can get additional information on the plans. The DPHHS will be accepting opinions from the general public through December 2 at 5 pm.
