Committee backs statute to tighten Idaho child-care program, amid provider and foster‑care concerns

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send Senate Bill 14-19 — a measure that would recodify and tighten rules for the Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) — to the Senate floor with a due‑pass recommendation.

Representative Jordan Redmond, the bill sponsor, told the committee the measure "brings strong common sense reforms to Idaho Child Care Assistance Program and puts parents first," including new work and training-hour requirements, tighter income and asset limits (he cited an eligibility floor of 135% of federal poverty guidelines and an asset cap change), and a two‑year sunset to force legislative reauthorization.

The Department of Health and Welfare described separate administrative work it has already done. Juliette Sharon, the department director, said the agency "concluded our 360 review" and "we have taken an administrative action … terminating providers, suspended licenses … for 28 providers within the program." She added a fuller report on the review would be provided to the committee within a week.

Supporters of the bill emphasized program‑integrity measures and giving the attorney general concurrent jurisdiction for prosecuting intentional program violations; supporters said the bill would help root out fraud, waste and abuse. Opponents — including Idaho Voices for Children and several small providers — raised concerns that moving rule language into statute created gaps and could unintentionally exclude foster families or impose unaffordable audit or licensing costs on small nonprofit and faith‑based providers. Christine Tiddens, executive director of Idaho Voices for Children, told the committee the draft ‘‘does not give the Department of Health and Welfare authority to promulgate new rules for this new ICCP chapter’’ and urged the committee to hold the bill for more stakeholder work.

Committee members also discussed budgeting: the department said the program holds roughly $76 million in federal funds, of which about $54 million are subsidy‑related in recent accounting. Members noted a separate $14 million carryforward request for provider capacity grants was removed from the maintenance budget earlier in the session.

After further discussion, Senator Lenny moved to send SB 14-19 to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation; the motion carried in committee and the bill proceeds to the next stage.

The committee recorded the next procedural step rather than final enactment: sending the bill to the floor for further House/Senate consideration and floor voting. The department and the bill sponsor said no new state appropriation is in the bill itself; funding decisions would be handled separately by budget committees.