LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's a vital industry that's in dire need of more funding and more staff -- early childhood education.
And the head of Kentucky's largest postsecondary institution said he wants to be a bigger part of the solution.
Ryan Quarles is nearly 70 days into a new job overseeing the Kentucky Community and Technical College System's (KCTCS) more than 70 campuses as president.
This includes Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC).
"The access to childcare was always a problem, and it's only been amplified in the recent years and we want to be part of the solution," he said.
Quarles walked WHAS11 through the Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology Center.
"The job demand that's out there right now, even in downtown Louisville, for people who know how to work with their hands," he said.
And also work with the community's youngest population.
"Access to affordable, quality child care is one of the biggest impediments with our workforce development crisis in Kentucky," Quarles said.
KCTCS has programs across many of its schools for early childhood education preparing students for a career in teaching young kids. And now, there's a bill making its way through the Kentucky Senate calling to expand that effort.
"We know that our policy makers want to see action on this," Quarles said.
The Horizons Act would require KCTCS offer an associate degree program, specifically to teach students how to launch and manage these childcare centers. Which as we know, there simply aren't enough of.
"We are very aggressive and very open to any strategy, any good idea that can allow Kentuckians to gain an associate's or technical degree while at the same time take care of daycare needs that we know are preventing people from joining the workforce," Quarles said.
The bill calls for the curriculum to include business design, budgeting, marketing, and, of course, hiring and managing staff.
"We want to make sure that KCTCS provides solutions in this area," Quarles said.
It would also establish a work ready scholarship program for this field to take any financial constraints out of the picture. Though the bill's lofty price tag could prove to be one of the biggest hurdles for lawmakers to overcome.
That early childhood education bill, or the Horizons Act, also offers grants to providers to offset rising wages and material costs. Another fund would provide start-up funding for providers in private homes or businesses in childcare deserts.
The bill's sponsor, Senator Danny Carroll, is asking for a $300 million investment to be split over the next two years.
The bill has passed a Senate committee, but still has to pass the full Senate before it can go to the House for consideration.
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