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Senate approves $2,000 kindergarten-readiness incentive pilot
Summary
Senate Bill 191 passed the Kentucky Senate on March 4, 2026, creating a three-year, University of Kentucky-administered pilot that provides a one-time $2,000 incentive payment or refundable tax credit per child to encourage kindergarten readiness; the final vote was 35-1.
The Kentucky Senate on March 4, 2026, approved Senate Bill 191, establishing the Kentucky Kindergarten Readiness Performance-based Child Care Initiative Pilot Program, which provides a one-time $2,000 per-child incentive payment or refundable tax credit to child-care centers, certified family child-care homes and qualifying low-income families when a child is assessed as kindergarten-ready at school entry.
Senator from McCracken, speaking as sponsor, said the three-year pilot would be administered by the University of Kentucky College of Education and would issue the stipend or refundable tax credit to the entity or family once the child meets the readiness assessment upon kindergarten entry. “The bill creates a framework to provide a one-time $2,000 per child initiative incentive payment or refundable tax credit to child care centers, fam certified family child care homes and also to low-income families,” the senator from McCracken said.
A floor amendment clarifies that any study and subsequent recommendations produced under the program must comply with applicable federal child-care regulations, the sponsor said. The amendment and the committee substitute were adopted by voice vote before final passage.
The clerk called the roll for final passage. After a brief procedural correction to record a senator’s changed vote, the final tally was 35 'yay' votes and one 'nay.' The bill passed the Senate as amended and will proceed according to legislative process.
Supporters described the program as an incentive-aligned, performance-based effort intended to improve kindergarten readiness and to direct resources to childcare providers and families whose children meet readiness benchmarks. The sponsor said the pilot will provide data and recommendations for future policy decisions by state education and human-services officials.
Next steps include administration setup by the University of Kentucky College of Education and any prescribed reporting or federal-compliance steps required by the amendment adopted on the floor.
