Haas passes bill to address childcare shortage

State Representative Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) passed legislation in the House of Representatives last week aimed at increasing the number of childcare providers in Illinois.

“The passage of House Bill 4059 is the first step in addressing the critical shortage of licensed daycare providers in the state of Illinois,” said Rep. Haas. “This bill ensures the Department of Children and Family Services continues to host at least two licensing orientation programs in each district for individuals interested in becoming daycare providers.”

House Bill 4059 ensures access to daycare licensing programs statewide by requiring the Department of Children and Family Services, or any State agency that assumes daycare licensing responsibilities, to host licensing orientation programs at least twice annually in each representative district in the State to help educate potential day care center, day care home, and group day care home providers about the child day care licensing process

Rep. Haas continued, “If we want to address the shortage of daycare providers, we need to start by creating pipelines for interested applicants from all corners of Illinois. Addressing this shortage is a bipartisan issue that affects every district in the state, and I look forward to seeing the legislation receive similarly high support when it’s taken up by the Senate.”

The bill won unanimous support in the House and will now be taken up by the Senate.