Kentucky
Working families in Kentucky need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Kentucky. But too many working families in Kentucky are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Kentucky economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 62% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $12,740 a year (or $1,062 per month).
More than 17,000 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 20% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $281 a month.
16.3K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 11% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 33% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 58.3K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $1.7 billion each year in lost earnings and productivity.
Kentucky: In The Headlines
Audubon Head Start program exceeds federal quality benchmarks across Western Kentucky
The Owensboro Times | maRCH 13, 2026
Audubon Area Community Services’ Head Start program has exceeded federal quality benchmarks in all three domains of a national classroom review.
Millions secured to ease child care shortage in western Kentucky
Spectrum News | fEBRUARY 16, 2026
The Owensboro Family YMCA will receive $6.6 million in federal funding to build a new child care center, a move aimed at easing a critical shortage in western Kentucky.
The workforce behind the workforce: Child care costs are pushing Kentucky families to the breaking point
LEX 18 | maRCH 5, 2026
“Child care is the workforce behind the workforce. If you don’t have child care, you don’t have workers.”
Kentucky Resources & News
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FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
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