HB 5465 Summary

• Establishes a salary enhancement grant program administered by the Office of Early Childhood, effective July 1, 2023, providing annual grants to early childhood care and education programs based on the difference between employee base salaries (as of December 31, 2021) and prescribed compensation schedules, plus a $7,500 benefits amount per employee.

• Provides fixed salary enhancement grants to family child care homes: $20,000 per licensee, $6,000 per full-time assistant or substitute staff member, and $3,000 per part-time assistant or substitute staff member.

• Creates an early childhood educator loan forgiveness grant program through the Office of Higher Education for persons with at least 4 years continuous employment at licensed child care facilities and an associate or bachelor's degree with concentration in early childhood education, forgiving remaining federal or state educational loans.

• Increases per-child costs for school readiness programs from $9,000 to $10,027 annually and increases child care subsidy program income eligibility from 50% to 75% of state-wide median income, while establishing subsidy payments at minimum 75% of market rate.

• Expands family child care home capacity from 6 to 9 children with an approved assistant and allows conversion of unused school readiness spaces to infant and toddler spaces at equivalent per-child costs.