The funds assist childcare personnel in moving through a credentialing system that begins at entry level and proceeds through post-secondary education. The quality of childcare is closely associated with the education and training levels of the childcare providers. Childcare workers are among the most poorly paid individuals in the workforce and therefore need assistance and incentive to increase their educational achievement and to permit workers to move up the career ladder in early childhood. Additional licensing personnel dedicated specifically to childcare who will bring expertise to upgrade childcare quality by having smaller caseloads consisting only of childcare facilities. High case numbers preclude anything but monitoring for compliance with minimal standards and leave no time for assessing quality.
Few workers have backgrounds in early childhood.
To provide personnel to train and educate childcare providers and parents in health, safety, nutrition, and the benefits of early intervention. Emphasis is also placed on the prevention of communicable diseases in-group settings. Approximately 103,000 of Kentucky's young children are in childcare. According to national standards, much of Kentucky's childcare is judged to be of poor quality and yet providers often cannot afford the expense associated with increasing quality. Funding through councils will offer seed money to make needed improvements according to specified criteria through the use of non-recurring dollars.