Policymakers Stabilize. Innovate. Build.
Why Policy Matters
Early childhood policies greatly impact the lives of children and families across Montana.
Whether through child care assistance for low-income families or providing resources for new and expecting parents, sound policies make a valuable difference in the lives of families with young children. By prioritizing children and families, we can ensure that parents have what they need to care for their children and can get to work, allowing businesses to have a strong, reliable workforce while our economy strengthens.
Our 2023 Policy Agenda
The 2023 Legislative Session brings an opportunity for Montana’s lawmakers to address the vast challenges impacting young children and families in our state.
Montana continues to lack crucial investments needed in a child’s first five years of life, and we are hopeful lawmakers will respond to the calls to action from parents, early care and education providers, and small business owners.
We are so excited to share the 2023 Zero to Five Montana Policy Agenda with you. This was developed with broad stakeholder engagement through input by over 40 partners (thank you!).
We are already seeing an unprecedented number of early care and education bill drafts, and are encouraged elected officials will support families by investing in child care, early education, the early care and education workforce, and long-range planning to ensure kids today have career and education opportunities well into the future. As the 2023 Montana Legislative Session quickly approaches, we are working diligently to meet with policymakers, wrap up policy research, track bills drafts, and do so much more to ensure the best start possible for our children and grandchildren.
Policy Priority Resources
Tax Credits
74% of Montana voters agree that tax credits help parents offset the cost of raising a child.
- Child Care Tax Policy Overview (Zero to Five Montana)
- Early Care and Education Providers Deserve Credit (Zero to Five Montana)
- Child Tax Credits (Zero to Five Montana)
- Tax Incentives (Zero to Five Montana)
- Child Tax Credit Options for Reducing Poverty in Montana (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy)
- The Expanded Child Tax Credit is Helping Families, But National Survey Shows Continued Outreach Remains Essential (Center for Law & Social Policy)
- Child tax credit proposal would strengthen state’s pro-family standing (CommonWealth Magazine)
- The State of Our Families – Child & Dependent Tax Benefits in the States (Niskanen Center)
- Pathways to High Quality Child Care: The Workforce Investment Credit (Committee for Economic Development)
- Giving Credit Where It’s Due: School Readiness Tax Credits Benefit Louisiana Families and Communities (Louisiana Policy Institute for Children)
- The Importance of Financial Supports for Child Care Teachers During the Pandemic: New Findings from Virginia (Virginia Early Childhood Foundation)
Early Learning
78% believe the Montana state government should play a role in providing a public early education option.
- Early Literacy in Montana (Zero to Five Montana)
- The Bedrock of American Business – High Quality Early Childhood Education (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
- Early Childhood Education: Quality and Access Pay Off (Heckman)
- Invest in Early Childhood Development: Reduce Deficits, Strengthen the Economy (Heckman)
- Learning to Read: Reading to Learn (National School Boards Association)
- Early Childhood: High Return on Investment (The Center for High Impact Philanthropy, Penn Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania)
- Studies show long-term benefits of quality preschool exceed costs (Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes)
- The State of Preschool Yearbook 2021 (National Institute for Early Education Research)
- Early Literacy (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Child Care
75% Believe Montana state government should play a role in reducing the cost of child care for parents.
- Child Care Trust Fund – HB 967 (Zero to Five Montana)
- Early Care and Education Providers Deserve Credit – (Zero to Five Montana)
- Child Care and the Workforce (Zero to Five Montana)
- Child Care Supply and Demand in Montana (Montana Department of Labor & Industry)
- Lost Possibilities: The Impacts of Inadequate Child Care on Montana’s Families, Employers & Economy (Bureau of Business and Economic Research, University of Montana-Missoula)
- Piecing Together Solutions: The Importance of Child Care to U.S. Families & Businesses (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation)
- Impacts of Child Care on the Montana Workforce (Montana Department of Labor & Industry)
- Child Care Deserts – An Analysis of Child Care Supply and Demand Gaps in Montana (Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services, Montana KIDS COUNT)
- Child Care is a Business: Parents and Employers Depend on it (Committee for Economic Development, The Public Policy Center of the Conference Board)
Our Policy Briefs & One Pagers
See our policy briefs and one pagers to understand various early childhood related topics. Want to learn about something that’s not listed? Just reach out to us!
Take Action
Our Policy Work
Local governments, state legislators, and other elected officials all play a role in creating a brighter future for the next generation.
To make important policy decisions, our leaders should understand the needs of young children and the challenges that parents face.
At Zero to Five Montana, we work with legislators and others to improve the lives of young children, so that families, businesses, and communities can thrive.
Through our work, we help policymakers, employers, and communities understand the early childhood system landscape in Montana. We can support efforts to locate and interpret early childhood data, research other state early childhood policies and pathways, and engage in candidate education and outreach.