Child care: Hundreds of Montana providers, parents concerned about plan to overhaul industry

Carly Graf, Missoulian, 04/21/26

Nearly 380 early education professionals, parents and advocates are urging the group tasked with revitalizing child care in Montana to change course and refocus efforts on addressing the industry’s longstanding workforce shortages.

In question is how a governor-appointed state board is planning to spend $10 million to make it easier for families to access child care, a stubborn challenge that’s taken parents out of the workforce and hindered employers. Starting with seed money set aside by the 2025 Legislature, the Montana Early Childhood Account grows over time through interest earnings that are doled out by a governor-appointed board to fund child care initiatives.

Early choices from the board reflect plans to invest in technology grants and a workforce research study; yet hundreds of people have expressed concerns through a joint public comment letter that this approach won’t address immediate workforce shortages and high costs, core problems plaguing providers, and, therefore, will fail to move the needle.

“While the early childhood account [was] described as a way to begin addressing these problems, we waited and hoped that supporting the struggling workforce would be the first priority of the early childhood account board,” the letter says. “But when the board brought forward two proposals for consideration … we were dismayed.”

Though she didn't directly reference the written public comment, Lt. Governor Kristen Juras endorsed the board's activities so far at the group's meeting last week.

“You have to get it right, and you will find being in your position, sometimes it’s uncomfortable,” she said. “Even if it’s not what everyone would like to see you do, part of your duty as a public officer is to take the time to make the right decision.”

House Bill 924, the controversial $900 million spending package that put money towards a variety of causes important to a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, was framed as a middle ground on child care among a legislative session’s worth of proposals that would have poured more state dollars into the industry.

One such bill was Senate Bill 565 from Helena Democrat Sen. Laura Smith. Her proposal would have used the same mechanism as the Growth and Opportunity Trust, HB 924, to create a self-sustaining source of child care funds, but starting with $150 million rather than $10 million.

Another was House Bill 456 from Rep. Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula, which would have expanded an existing pilot program that provides tuition subsidies to child care workers who want to put their own kids in day care. That measure was vetoed by Rep. Gov. Greg Gianforte, who said the early childhood account would do enough to help providers and families.

The board, made up of 10 members representing a mix of state agency officials and early childhood education providers, voted last month to pursue plans to create grants up to $1,500 to offset technology costs, especially those that improve virtual learning opportunities, and conduct a study into why it’s so hard to hire and retain child care workers. They also said they’d distribute no more than $3.5 million this year in order to make sure changes can be sustainable and ensure there’s more money in the pot to accrue interest. 

A handful of child care advocates have for months been pushing the board to roll out funds at a faster clip, but a much larger group rang the alarm on the board’s choices in the public comment penned by Grace Decker from the Montana Advocates for Children and submitted with more than 380 signatures on April 12.

“Technology grants will be appreciated by those who get them, but are not a tool to recruit or retain staff,” Decker wrote. “A research study on workforce … is a disappointing approach to the urgent and immediate problem of workforce shortages which lead to classroom and program closures.”

Some of that money, the board has said, can also be distributed through flexible grants that can go to providers for a wider range of topics; although a number of advocates last month raised concerns that this piecemeal approach would not bridge the gap. 

Individuals who signed onto the public comment submission were also able to anonymously submit additional information about their reasons for pushing back.

One parent from Hobson in Judith Basin County said “investments that directly offset staffing costs, improve compensation and reduce administrative burden will have the greatest and most immediate impact.”

What was billed as a one-of-its-kind multi-million dollar investment in child care has left some underwhelmed and asking for swift, decisive action that will help families and providers. 

A child care professional from Bozeman said the price of operating a day care has soared, and many employers must choose between passing the costs to families in the form of tuition, paying low wages that don’t attract workers or running at a loss. Another from Helena said there’s no need to study why it’s hard to get people to work in the industry, just look at the pay — the median wage for a child care worker in 2021 was $11.19 per hour.

Last week Juras urged the board to stay the course. 

“I think you have chosen the right pace and continue making thoughtful, deliberate decisions in the long term," she said. "It’s going to save everybody time and money if you make the right decisions coming out of the chute."

A spokesperson for Gianforte also backed the board’s authority to make decisions on how to best use the money.

“As outlined in House Bill 924, the board is authorized to make recommendations for the use of funds for identified priorities with the first being workforce development,” the spokesperson said.

“The governor believes the board is considering all recommendations to meet the identified needs.”

Editor's note: This story has been updated to provide additional context on the board's activities.