GLI is working with other organizations throughout Kentucky to ensure that child care workers have early access to the COVID-19 vaccine. In communications to Governor Andy Beshear’s Office and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, GLI has stressed the importance of prioritizing child care workers alongside K-12 personnel in Phase 1b of Kentucky’s COVID vaccine distribution plan.

GLI has long advocated for increased access to child care and more sustainable support for the industry from the state and federal governments. Child care is critical to advancing early childhood education and allowing more individuals – especially women – to actively participate in the workforce.

The pandemic has hit child care providers particularly hard, already resulting in the permanent closure of numerous centers throughout the country. This has significantly damaged workforce participation and has had an outsized impacted on women in the workplace.

GLI strongly advocates for efforts to help stabilize this sector, and this includes appropriately prioritizing child care workers alongside K-12 personnel in the state’s vaccine distribution plan.