Child care programs have never been financially stable, but that fragility has increased, and more centers are operating with the lowest level of adult-to-child ratios allowed under state law to remain licensed, explained Sarah Vanover, policy and advocacy director for Kentucky Youth Advocates.
"Our child care programs don't get the same type of special education funds that the K-through-12 school system does," said Vanover, "even though there are just as many children under the age of five that typically have those types of needs."
According to a Cabinet for Health and Family Services report, the number of serious injuries in licensed child care centers increased by 64% between 2022 and 2024, and the number of substantiated child abuse and neglect cases in all centers jumped by 73% during that same timeframe.
Hotline complaints about centers also increased by 46%.
One of the biggest challenges facing child care centers is the lack of resources for children with disabilities and behavioral issues.
Vanover said about one-in-five children have some kind of diagnosed developmental delay or disability, and in some cases, that can make them the target of abuse.
"And so with these large numbers of children that have new staff members with limited training," said Vanover, "we're just seeing that staff members are stressed, and just the same as when parents get stressed, it can escalate to an abuse level."
According to the Face It Issue Brief released by the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement and Kentucky Youth Advocates, requiring child care providers to obtain training on classroom supervision and supporting children with disabilities could help reduce incidents of abuse.
It also recommends increasing investments in child care programs to shrink classroom sizes and boost wages.
