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Minutes for SB282 - Committee on Commerce
Short Title
Establishing child care licensing requirements relating to license capacity and staff-to-child ratios, eliminating certain license fees and training requirements, permitting a 16 year-old staff member to staff a unit with children at least 12 months old without supervision, creating a process for day care facility licensees to apply for temporary waiver of certain statutory requirements and authorizing the secretary to develop and operate pilot programs to increase day care facility availability or capacity.
Minutes Content for Wed, Mar 8, 2023
Chair Erickson opened the hearing on SB 282
Staff provided an overview of the bill. (Attachment 44)
Proponents:
Eric Stafford, Vice President of Government Affairs, Kansas Chamber, spoke in favor of the bill. (Attachment 2) The bill makes several key changes to increase capacity, increase revenue for facilities to increase pay for employees and reduce costs to families who are struggling with the high cost of childcare.
Senator Chase Blasi appeared in favor of the bill. (Attachment 1) The bill does not prohibit providers from placing self imposed limits on themselves, no provider has to increase the number of spots and can require greater education and experience requirements. The bill empowers providers to create a safe place to nourish and educate the next generation of Kansans.
Andrew Wiens, on behalf of Opportunity Solutions Project, spoke in favor of the bill. (Attachment 3) The legislation is not a fix all that will magically wipe away all of these issues and solve the child care crisis overnight. It is an attempt to tackle real life barriers for childcare providers that are slowly but surely constricting this industry and forcing parents to either stay out of the workforce or find less formal childcare arrangements.
Darlene Stone, Senior Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer, Stormont Vail Health, appeared in support of the bill. (Attachment 4) The bill can help align the state of Kansas regulations more closely to other states in the nation. Modification will support both existing and new centers and will lower the risk of additional childcare center closures.
Elizabeth Patton, State Director, Americans for Prosperity Kansas, spoke in support of the bill. (Attachment 5) The bill eliminates certain license fees and training requirements, permits 16-year old staff; to staff children without supervision, and creates a process for licensees to apply for statutory waivers.
Allie Devine, Lobbyist, Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs, (clubs) appeared in support of the bill. (Attachment 6) The bill offers a path to resolving regulatory issues that faces clubs every day. Clubs are currently licensed as "drop-in-programs", by definition drop-in-programs, are child care facilities, and potentially affected by the changes in the bill. Clubs request the Committee consider an amendment that clarifies that the Secretary is authorized to use these tools in conjunction with the drop-in-programs licenses and licensees.
Nick Felder, Bright Minds Academy, appeared on WebEx in support of the bill. (Attachment 7) Mr. Felder thought it would be important to hear from a rural child care business owner to put into perspective the impact that the bill will have. Additionally, there are typically less child care options for families, so providing more available spots per child care location will make a huge impact on rural communities.
Jason P. Watkins, on behalf of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, spoke in favor of the bill. (Attachment 8) The Chamber supports the bill as it is a reasonable approach towards addressing a problem that is keeping Kansans from seeking partial or full employment.
Martha Keaton-Ferren, Miss Marty's Nursery School - Day Care Home, spoke both in support and opposition to the bill. (Attachment 9)
Written testimony in support of the bill was provided by:
Tricia Brandenburg, Grandma B's Daycare. (Attachment 10)
Kimberly Harris, Kimbers Kinders. (Attachment 11)
Kelly VanZwoll, Kansas Bankers Association. (Attachment 12)
Joanne Knight, on behalf of the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation. (Attachment 13)
Carol Flechsig, Little Steps Child Care Center. (Attachment 14)
Neutral:
Melissa Rooker, Executive Director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund (KCCTF), appeared neutral on the bill. (Attachment 15) Ms. Rooker stated that they were not here to weigh in on the pros and cons of the bill, rather to ask for time during the Interim to study the issue more fully. There needs to be more time to complete a comprehensive review of the child care licensing rules and regulations which is already under way.
Written testimony provided as Neutral was provided by:
Tara Mays, Kansas Hospital Association. (Attachment 16)
Tim McKee, CEO, Olathe Chamber of Commerce. (Attachment 17)
Dennis Kriesel, Executive Director, Kansas Association of Local health Departments. (Attachment 18)
Wesley McKain, Policy & Development Manager, Unified Government Public Health. (Attachment 19)
Michelle Howard, Director, Christ Lutheran Early Education Center. (Attachment 20)
Chris Stanyer, Chief Mission and People Officer, Goodwill Industries of Kansas. (Attachment 21)
Opponents:
Ashley Goss, Deputy Secretary for Public Health, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, appeared in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 22) The Department shares the desire to increase the availability of high-quality child care services to Kansans, but, as currently written, the bill creates new challenges that will impact the state's ability to continue streamlining the delivery of early childhood services. Currently the Department is undertaking a thorough review of the regulatory structure and identifying areas where the Department could improve, streamline, and innovate current regulations. Acting on this bill will negatively impact this effort and prevent the agency from moving forward in this work.
Kely Davydov, Child Care Aware of Kansas, spoke in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 23) The bill while well-intentioned, will not effectively achieve shared goals, and may in fact jeopardize the safety and well-being of infants, toddlers, and other young children across the state.
Emily Barnes, Vice president for Child Care Providers Coalition of Kansas (CCPC), spoke in opposition of the bill. (Attachment 24) By moving regulations into statute, the ability has been removed for advocates and stakeholders to work together nimbly to address barriers with the system and specific localities.
Tiffany Mannes, At Home Play School, appeared in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 25) Before Lexie's Law passed Childcare in Kansas is now ranked 28th in the nation, if the bill is passed Childcare in Kansas will return to the bottom of the list.
Daniel Klaassen, Education Policy Advisor, Kansas Action for Children, spoke in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 26) The bill attempts to tackle the regulations side of child care and the perceived barriers to increasing child care spots, it does nothing to address the underlying causes of the child care crisis in Kansas.
Logan Stenseng, Policy Coordinator, Thrive Allen County and Zero to Thrive, appeared in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 27) Kansas legislators aiming to champion early childhood education can improve the availability of new child care in their communities while supporting quality child care by addressing the root of the child care problem - a burned out, undervalued child care workforce.
Written testimony in opposition to the bill was provided by:
Vera Stroup-Rentier, Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities (KCCTO). (Attachment 28)
David Jordan, President and CEO, united Methodist Health Ministry Fund. (Attachment 29)
Charles Hunt, M.P.H., Johnson County Department of Health and Environment. (Attachment 30)
Ann Elliot, Executive Director, Family Resource Center and Jenny Ehling, Director of Early Childhood Services. (Attachment 31)
Reva Wywadis, Executive Director, ERC Resource and Referral, INC. dba ChildCare Aware of Eastern KS. (Attachment 32)
Jennifer Adhima, Executive Director of the Kansas Head Start Association (KHSA). (Attachment 33)
Paula Neth, President & CEO, The Family Conservancy. (Attachment 34)
Christina Turner, Self. (Attachment 35)
Tristen Cope, President, Kansas Association for the Education of Young Children. (Attachment 36)
Leigh Ann Montoy, Child Care Licensing Coordinator, Salina County Health Department. (Attachment 37)
Jessica Pickering, Salina County Health Department. (Attachment 38)
Annell Harmon, Harmon and Harmon Family Child Care. (Attachment 39)
Monica Murnan, Self, Pittsburg, KS. (Attachment 40)
Dawn Flores, Self, Pittsburg, KS. (Attachment 41)
Jamie Downs, Director Butler County Health Department. (Attachment 42)
Matt Connell, Self. (Attachment 43)
Chair Erickson closed the hearing on SB 282.
The next meeting is March 9, 2023. The meeting was adjourned at 11:43 am.
