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Committee hears bill to pay parents for at‑home infant care, supporters cite child development evidence
Summary
House Bill 835 would create an at‑home infant care subsidy (sponsor cited about $2 million to serve roughly 200 families, an estimated $800 per month) with eligibility and a 36‑month cap per family. Early childhood advocates and pediatricians testified in favor, while DPHHS staff said rulemaking would likely push implementation to October 1 rather than July 1.
Representative Neil Durham presented House Bill 835 to the House Health and Human Services Committee, describing a program that would provide direct financial support to parents who choose to provide at‑home infant care. Durham said the bill aims to support about 200 families with approximately $2,000,000 in general fund money and estimated a benefit in the range of $800 per month; the bill contains eligibility criteria and a maximum of 36 months of at‑home infant care per family.
Proponents included parents who described the emotional and developmental benefits of parental care in a child’s first years; early‑childhood advocates and pediatricians emphasized research on brain development from birth to age three and framed targeted financial support for infants as a public health investment. Caitlin Jensen, an early‑childhood executive director, recommended a modest amendment to clarify whether families may receive subsidies for other children in the household.
Mary Caferro and other witnesses recalled a prior pilot program and said many recipients were rural families and two‑parent households; Caferro described strong bipartisan support for earlier iterations of the program. Dr. Lauren Wilson, a pediatrician and advocacy chair for the American Academy of Pediatrics (Montana chapter), said financial supports targeted to young children are effective public‑health interventions that reduce toxic stress and improve long‑term outcomes.
Tracy Moseman, administrator for the Early Childhood and Family Support Division at DPHHS, said the department could administer the program but that rulemaking by July 1 would be a substantial lift; she recommended an October 1 start date as more realistic so that rulemaking and implementation tasks can be completed.
Representative Durham closed by framing the proposal as an additional option for families making difficult care choices and urged the committee to pass the bill. The hearing was closed without a recorded vote.
