U.S. Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on March 11 introduced bipartisan legislation that would authorize the award of grants to develop, administer and evaluate early childhood education apprenticeships.
Sen. Young sponsored the Early Educators Apprenticeship Act, S. 3445, with original cosponsors Sen. Capito and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) to support apprenticeships in early childhood education.
“Our bill supports the role of apprenticeships in improving child care affordability and provides professional development opportunities to potential child care workers,” Sen. Young said. “This is especially critical in rural areas, including many communities in Indiana, where finding affordable child care is particularly challenging.”
If enacted, S. 3445 aims to equip apprentices with specialized knowledge and skills required in early childhood education work; increase the number of apprentices with a recognized credential or degree; promote recruitment and retention of apprentices; provide a pathway to career advancement for apprentices; and remove regulatory burdens restricting the presence of home-based child care providers in rural areas, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers’ offices.
“Access to quality and affordable child care can be particularly challenging in rural areas like those in West Virginia,” said Sen. Capito. “The Early Educators Apprenticeship Act is a commonsense solution to this issue and will help bridge that gap by strengthening our early childhood education workforce.”
Sen. Capito added that providing educators with a clear pathway to successful careers “allows us to increase the quality and coverage of care, providing relief to both families and childcare workers in our state.”
Supporters of the bill include the Bipartisan Policy Center, Child Care Aware of America, KinderCare Education, the National Head Start Association, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Save the Children Action Network, among others.