Committee backs childcare bill to count preschool work for educator relicensing, allow small HTRZ funding for facilities

The House Economic Development Workforce Services Committee unanimously approved first substitute HB 410, childcare amendments, and later adopted an amendment clarifying language to allow construction or expansion of childcare facilities and to use the term "relicensing" consistently.

Sponsor Representative Tracy Miller told the committee the bill makes two policy changes: it directs the State Board to consider employment duration as a preschool teacher in a licensed childcare program as equivalent to employment in a district, charter or accredited private school for relicensing purposes; and it adds expansion or construction of childcare facilities as an allowable use of Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone (HTRZ) funds, capped at 1% of HTRZ funds.

Why it matters: Supporters said the changes remove barriers that deter early-childhood educators from working in licensed childcare and would fund physical childcare capacity near jobs and transit. "These are some of the most important developmental years of a child's life," Elizabeth Garvey of United Way of Salt Lake told the committee. United Way cited a joint study with the Salt Lake Chamber and U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimating a $1,360,000,000 economic impact from lack of childcare in Utah.

Committee questions focused on the effect on workforce dynamics and how HTRZ allocations would be prioritized. Representative Fifield asked whether equating preschool experience to K–12 experience for relicensing would create unintended workforce shifts; Miller said the State Board already practices this in some cases and expects it to add flexibility for educators who move between settings. On HTRZ prioritization, Miller said the HTRZ agreement and local decisionmaking would govern how funds are allocated to childcare projects.

Two public witnesses supported the bill: Elizabeth Garvey, vice president of public policy for United Way of Salt Lake, and Audrey Wood, representing the Utah Private Child Care Association, both describing the economic and developmental importance of expanding childcare.

The committee adopted substitution and amendment 1 (which replaced wording to clarify "construction or expansion" and made the licensing/relicensing wording consistent) and then favorably recommended first substitute HB 410 as amended to the House floor by unanimous voice vote.

Next steps: HB 410 (first substitute, as amended) will move to the House floor with the committee’s favorable recommendation.