Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to direct an early childhood care and education cost estimation study to enable the state to model actual costs of early childhood care and education

This bill requests that the Joint Committee on Government and Finance conduct a study to estimate the actual costs of providing early childhood care and education in West Virginia. The study aims to determine whether current subsidy reimbursement rates accurately reflect the true cost of quality care across different program types, age groups, and geographic regions. If completed, the findings will be reported to government, health, and education committees by December 31, 2026, to help inform future budget decisions and subsidy policies. The bill directly affects state officials responsible for child care funding and policy, as well as early childhood care providers who receive state subsidies.