GLI URGES KENTUCKY TO PRIORITIZE REOPENING CHILD CARE CENTERS

In a letter to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, GLI stressed the need for reopening child care centers in the Commonwealth. “At a time when we badly need to be bringing employees back to work, we fear that many will be unable to return to their places of business without wide access to child care services. This will ultimately make it even more difficult for employers to restart operations and get our economy moving again.”

Read the full letter below.

Governor Beshear,

Greater Louisville Inc., The Metro Chamber of Commerce, applauds the recent steps taken by your administration to begin reopening Kentucky’s economy. Our members agree that reopening must be done as safely and methodically as possible for businesses to welcome back employees, customers, and partners without leading to an increase in COVID-19 cases.

As you and your team continue working through reopening plans, we encourage you to prioritize bringing child care centers back online. Advocating for increased access to child care has been a long-time priority for GLI because our members recognize the barriers that inaccess to child care create for workforce participation. At a time when we badly need to be bringing employees back to work, we fear that many will be unable to return to their places of business without wide access to child care services. This will ultimately make it even more difficult for employers to restart operations and get our economy moving again. Recognizing that many child care centers have remained open over the past several weeks to serve workers at essential businesses and that the CDC has provided ample guidance for these centers, we think that a wider reopening of child care services should be able to be done safely and promptly. This will be critical to supporting both businesses and working parents in the days ahead.

Again, GLI applauds your administration’s efforts to keep Kentucky safe and to restart our economy.