LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Some Louisville families who previously did not qualify for child care assistance can now receive financial help through a new pilot program launching Monday.
Thrive By 5 Louisville, a nonprofit funded in part with $5 million in Louisville taxpayer dollars, is offering early learning scholarships for children ages 3 to 4. The program is designed to help families cover the high cost of child care and expand access to early childhood education.
The pilot program includes 225 scholarships backed by $1.4 million. Support ranges from 50%, 75% to 100% of child care costs, with about 75 children served in each income tier.
Families must meet several requirements to qualify:
Child must be 3 or 4 years old
Child must not have been enrolled in child care in the last six months
Child must plan to attend a licensed child care center full time
Family must meet income guidelines, up to $132,000 a year for a family of four
Applications are first-come, first-served and available through the Thrive By 5 Louisville website.
The program aims to address a growing affordability gap that providers say is forcing some families to make difficult decisions.
"They have to make the decision whether they're going to put food on the table or pay for childcare," said Dr. Asia Rivers.
Rivers, owner of Talk Childcare to Me, said she experienced those challenges firsthand as a single mother of three children under five.
"It was definitely a struggle looking for those resources in my community," Rivers said.
Program leaders say the high cost of care is a major barrier for families across Jefferson County.
"The average cost of care in Louisville is about 14,500 dollars so if you have a child or maybe 2 or maybe 3 under the age of 5 its nearly impossible for families to afford that," said Reylene Robinson, executive director of Thrive By 5 Louisville.
According to the organization, the scholarships are part of a broader effort to improve access to early education and better prepare children for kindergarten while also supporting working families.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the program is intended to strengthen both families and the local workforce.
"This pilot is another exciting step forward that provides much-needed support to hardworking Louisville families," Greenberg said.
"I'm proud to continue working with Thrive By 5 Louisville to set our community up for long-term success by making high-quality early learning opportunities more affordable and accessible."
Once approved, families will be contacted within three business days to discuss next steps and identify a child care provider. Scholarships will continue until a child enters kindergarten, even if a family’s income later rises above eligibility limits.
The goal of the program is to ease the financial burden of child care while helping more children enter school ready to learn.
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