The League of Women Voters of Montana supports:
1. An active partnership among parents, caregivers, the private sector, and government to enable children to become well-adjusted, successful, and contributing members of society.
2. A system of high quality, affordable, developmentally-appropriate child care facilities, including:
3. Enforcement of standards of safety, health, nutrition, and staff/child ratios.
4. Recruitment and training of caregivers.
5. Economic incentives for employer involvement.
6. Local referral programs to link families to appropriate child care.
7. Registering and licensing pre-schools.
8. Before-and-after-school care, utilizing the public school system.
9. Transitional care and a sliding-fee schedule for low income families.
10. Interagency cooperation to identify needs and solutions.
11. Public awareness.
Changes in the work force have had dramatic consequences for families and children. The need for high quality, affordable child care has far exceeded the supply. Recognizing the societal importance of child care, the State League began a study of child care in 1987, and adopted a Position in 1989.
