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Sen. Strickland lays out multi-part childcare tax credit expansion; hearing opens for stakeholder input
Summary
Senate Bill 89 increases an existing refundable childcare tax credit, creates a new $250-per-child credit for younger children, and expands employer childcare credits; sponsor framed the bill as the first step to address childcare affordability and workforce impacts and invited stakeholders to testify.
Senator Strickland presented Senate Bill 89, a multi-part bill that modifies existing childcare tax credits and adds new credits intended to reduce childcare costs and encourage employers to provide childcare.
Strickland said the bill increases the existing refundable taxpayer credit tied to childcare expenses, creates a new $250 credit per non‑school‑age child (the sponsor used age 7 as a reference point for school entry), and expands an employer credit so more employers — including employers collaborating with others — can offer or support childcare. The sponsor described findings from a study committee showing high childcare costs and workforce impacts and said the bill is intended as an initial step rather than a full solution.
Committee members asked questions about the impact on private childcare providers, how the employer credit would work for small businesses or pooled arrangements, and whether the $250 amount and the age cutoff were sufficient. Strickland said the employee‑credit change increases flexibility (the bill moves one percentage threshold from 95% to 75% in one provision) and noted the bill's fiscal note estimates the revenue implications of the new credits. Several committee members encouraged further modeling to ensure the private market was not disadvantaged and to refine eligibility rules.
This was a hearing only; no committee action was recorded in the transcript. Multiple stakeholder groups — the Georgia Child Care Association, Voices for Georgia's Children, Metro Chamber and Georgia Chamber — were listed as supporters of the bill during the sponsor's remarks.
