To support more people working in early childhood education, U.S. Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on Feb. 2 introduced a bipartisan bill that would direct the U.S. Secretary of Labor to award grants to fund a variety of related apprenticeships.
“Addressing the childcare workforce pipeline issue is critical for many Hoosiers, especially those in rural communities where finding affordable child care is particularly challenging,” Sen. Young said. “Our bipartisan bill supports the role of apprenticeships by providing career-specific development opportunities, which will ultimately strengthen the child care workforce and improve child care affordability.”
The Early Educators Apprenticeship Act, S. 236, which Sen. Young sponsored alongside original cosponsors Sen. Capito and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), would authorize the Labor Secretary, in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Secretary of Education, to award grants to eligible partnerships to pay the federal share of the costs for developing, administering, and evaluating apprenticeships, according to the text of the bill.
“Giving our educators a clear pathway to successful careers opens the door to higher quality and better coverage of care, helping both families and childcare workers in West Virginia,” Sen. Capito said.
A grant under the bill could be used for activities such as equipping apprentices with specialized knowledge, skills, and competencies required to work in early childhood education; increasing the number of individuals who complete an apprenticeship program and obtain a credential, degree or a certificate of completion of an apprenticeship program; promoting recruitment and retention of apprentices; assisting apprentices in completing an apprenticeship; tracking individuals who have completed an apprenticeship to determine effective program strategies; supporting apprenticeships in underserved or rural communities; and supporting partnerships with institutions of higher education in the state where the eligible partnership serves, or will serve, among other provisions, the text says.
If enacted, S. 236 also would remove regulatory burdens restricting the presence of home-based child care providers in rural areas.
“Access to quality and affordable child care can be challenging in rural areas like those in West Virginia,” added Sen. Capito. “The Early Educators Apprenticeship Act is a common-sense solution that will help bridge that gap by strengthening our early childhood education workforce.”
The bill has been endorsed by the the [sic] Bipartisan Policy Center, the Council for Professional Recognition, the Early Care and Education Consortium, the Educare Learning Network, KinderCare Education, the National Head Start Association, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Save the Children Action Network, among several others.