Benton Advances Pair of Bills Focused on Access to Childcare

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, is working to make childcare more accessible and affordable by advancing a pair of bills bringing more early childhood educators into the classroom and improving access to care for military families. 

“The rising cost of childcare is something we’ve all seen happening, and there’s been no shortage of attention given to it in the press and within our communities,” Benton said. “But this remains a stubborn issue. All that means is that we need to try different things—to drill down and look not just at the symptoms but at the possible root causes and then plan accordingly.”  

Benton advanced the following legislation out of House committees:

• House Bill 3268: Helps address the high costs of childcare by allowing daycares to hire teachers according to a tiered system, while they work to get their qualifications–similar to an apprenticeship program. This will help address the teacher shortage and prevent the closures of so many childcare facilities across the state. 
• House Bill 3444: Specifically designed to help military families with the cost of childcare by making daycares located on military bases exempt from DCFS regulation if they are certified by the U.S. Department of Defense and a qualified national accrediting agency. 

“Childcare isn’t negotiable—when you need it, you need it,” Benton said. “That’s why making it more affordable is such an important priority. This is an issue that affects most families in most communities throughout Illinois, and solving the problem of its accessibility is a goal that everyone should be able to get behind.”

Benton’s bills now move forward to be considered by the full House of Representatives.