Committee approves pilot offering $2,000 incentive for kindergarten readiness tied to Kentucky All STARS

Sen. Danny Carroll presented Senate Bill 191, a kindergarten-readiness performance-based childcare incentive pilot that would operate within the Kentucky All STARS quality framework. The substitute would provide a $2,000 refundable tax credit or cash incentive when a child meets an agreed kindergarten-readiness benchmark, with UK faculty serving as research partners to evaluate outcomes and pilot effectiveness.

Nick Pace (Dean, UK College of Education) and Colin Shepley (chair, interdisciplinary early childhood education program) described the university’s role in convening practitioners and evaluating the pilot. Shepley emphasized a pilot approach to test what produces kindergarten readiness and to estimate costs before any statewide scaling.

Sen. Givens and other members praised the bill’s needs-based, measurable approach and academic partnership. The committee adopted the substitute on a motion and recorded 11 aye votes and no nays; sponsors said the pilot would help inform larger investments in early childhood education.