VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — If you have a child, it's likely you're paying a lot for one thing: childcare. Now legislators are looking at more than a dozen bills and budget proposals that focus on addressing some access and affordability concerns with childcare.
"I'm actually looking for care for my younger daughter, my four-month-old, and everywhere is waitlist, waitlist, waitlist," Virginia Beach parent Martha Perez explained to News 3 reporter Erika Craven. " Not much space available in daycares right now."
Perez said she's glad she found childcare options at the YMCA in South Hampton Roads for her older children. She said it's been a good fit.
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"It was important for me to find somewhere where we had lower classroom numbers so that way they could learn a lot more," said Perez.
Across the board, the need for good childcare is growing.
"We have a growing demand of dual income families who work who feel the economic pressure," said Jamie Childress, VP of Youth Development at YMCA in South Hampton Roads.
Summer program registration for the YMCA of South Hampton Roads will open Tuesday night. Childress is expecting spots to fill up quickly.
"By February 15, we'll probably be at 90% capacity," explained Childress.
Last year, parents told News 3, the rush to sign up for spots was high enough to crash the registration website for a few hours.
That organization offers a variety of childcare options for parents at varying cost. Still for many around the commonwealth, childcare expenses add up.
Watch related story: Parents struggle to find child care in Hampton Roads; Chesapeake nanny agency has waitlist with 75 names
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found childcare is not affordable for most Virginia families, especially those with lower incomes, and that full time childcare for one child ranges between $5,000 and $23,000 a year.
Lawmakers are now searching for solutions. They're considering a handful of bills and proposals.
This includes H.B. 419 (from Del. David Bulova, D-Fairfax) and S.B. 54 (from Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton). Those bills could create a new funding formula.
They're looking at H.B. 407 (Del. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk), H.B. 627 (Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, D-Alexandria), and H.B. 984 (Del. Kathy Tran, D-Fairfax). Those bills could increase the number of families qualified for state assistance, expand participant pools in a child care subsidy program, and create a work study group to potentially expand Head Start programs.
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And they're considering H.B. 146 (Del. Anne Tata, R-Virginia Beach), H.B. 739 (Del. Briana Seawell, D-Prince William), H.B. 475 (Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield), H.B. 1024 (Del. Tony Wilt, R-Harrisonburg). Those bills would remove certain requirements and offer incentives to increase the provider pool.
Last December, Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed roughly $450 million in annual spending to help Virginia working parents with early learning and childcare programs.
Lawmakers are taking a look at these options as federal childcare funding from the pandemic era dries up.
