Childcare in Montana covers less than half of the estimated need in the state according to 2021 data from the Department of Labor and Industry. A bill that passed a final vote in the Senate 29-20 Friday would allocate $7 million more a year to the Best Beginnings scholarship program so more Montana families can afford to pay for daycare.
Under House Bill 648 parents would pay no more than 9% of their monthly income on daycare, and the state would pick up the rest of the cost. Families that make 185% of the federal poverty line would qualify. For a family of four, that would be $55,500 a year.
Democratic Representative Alice Buckley from Bozeman is the sponsor of the bill but Republican Senator Steve Fitzpatrick from Great Falls carried it in the Senate. He said this bill was one of the best childcare solutions proposed this session and could help working families.
“My wife works and we both work. And we had to pay for childcare. And then there were some months where the amount we paid on childcare was more than our mortgage. It was hundreds of dollars more than our mortgage just for us to be able to send our kids to a place where we could have a good quality childcare and so that we could both work,” Fitzpatrick said. “And I looked around and I thought, if this is hard for me, it’s gotta be hard for everybody. There is no way that childcare is affordable in this state, and there’s no way we’re gonna be able to keep people in the workforce if it’s expensive as it is.”
Sen. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings opposed the bill, saying it would cost too much money.
“This concept is adding another $7 million a year to a program that we’re funding at $30 million,” said Lenz.
The bill will now move onto the governor’s desk for a signature or veto.
Elinor Smith is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service.
