In April 2024, Governor Andy Beshear signed HB 561 into law, which created the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program, which aims to increase the supply of child care and early education services by encouraging local governments to take voluntary actions related to zoning rules and regulatory fees. It also intends to promote local engagement in solving child care challenges.
The Certified Child Care Community Designation Program is operated jointly by the Council of Area Development Districts and the Cabinet for Economic Development. It encourages, but does not mandate, local governments, area development districts, and community stakeholders to work together to obtain the “Certified Child Care Community” designation. Local governments receive this designation by removing zoning and regulatory barriers that, according to advocates, discourage people from becoming in-home providers. The designation also encourages initiatives such as creating local child care councils and adopting best practices for local regulations related to child care.
Though HB 561 has been signed into law, it has yet to be fully implemented due to insufficient funding. The law was one of 20 bills and two resolutions passed during the 2024 legislative session without enough funding attached for Governor Beshear’s administration to implement them.
HB 561 also made recommendations for local governments to use when evaluating local ordinances, regulations, and land-use rules related to child care services.
Sources:
Ladd, S. (2024). House bill encouraging local governments to meet child care challenges moves to full Senate. Kentucky Lantern.
Kentucky Collaborative for Child Care. (2025). A Foundation for Action: Shared Solutions to Child Care Challenges in Kentucky.
Vanover, S. (2024). KYGA24: Sustaining the Child Care Sector. Kentucky Youth Advocates.
Ladd, S. (2024). House committee advances child care bill that could free up zoning issues. Kentucky Lantern.
Connections to Key Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) Findings:
High-quality, affordable early education and care supports children’s healthy development and allows families to work, engage in their own educational pursuits, and/or participate in other aspects of community life. To support children and families in these instrumental ways, research suggests there is a need to expand the availability of early education opportunities across the mixed-delivery system.
Findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) show:
- Families rely on a range of formal (e.g., Head Start, center-based care, public pre-K) and more informal (e.g., home-based, relative care) early education settings; when choosing a setting for their child, families balance many logistical constraints and personal preferences.
- But for many families – and especially low- and middle-income families – early education choices remain tightly constrained due to issues of affordability and supply.