Now that the legislative session has ended and the budget is set, we are back at the bargaining table to negotiate rate increases for child care providers.

While we are disappointed that legislators did not pass revenue reform this year, we successfully fought back against proposed reductions to the ERDC program and secured some funding for our contract. On July 12, the State presented a proposal to raise our rates by 1.5% on January 1, 2018. Their proposal also included $200,000 in funding to provide free classes to providers through the Resource and Referral network.

We’re pleased to see some money on the table, and we’re glad the State recognizes the importance of free training for child care providers. But now we need to make sure that the available funding goes as far as possible. We know child care providers are used to doing a lot with a little, so we need to hear from you! What training classes would you like to see added or expanded? What would a rate increase mean to you and your family? Click here to share your story!

We meet with the State again on July 27, and we’re looking forward to a productive session and winning fair rate increases for providers!