Program to help military families with child care

“We’re one of the first states to receive funding for this,” said Hopkinsville state representative Walker Thomas, who serves as the chair for the Kentucky House Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection committee. “It’s going to be 100% funded by the federal government.”

The goal is to encourage retention in the armed forces.

“I know when my daughter and her husband were both in the military, at one time she told me they were having to pay something like $2,300 a month for child care,” Thomas said. “This is going to be a huge help for our military families.”

The program provides child care fee assistance to eligible military families when on-base or installation care is unavailable, the governor’s office said. It benefits child care providers through the opportunity to increase income and grow their businesses by including military families.

Families taking part in the program will receive a $1,500 monthly stipend to help with child care expenses.

“This is going to be huge for our two posts around Fort Campbell and Fort Knox,” Thomas said. “Now, it’s just a matter of getting the word out so that people know it’s available.”

The funding was approved on Jan. 9 and Gov. Andy Beshear announced the program recently.

“I am proud to be governor during a time when we are making child care more accessible to our hard-working military families,” Beshear said.