From Deserts to Dollars: The Childcare Crisis Senator Williams Ignores

At a Families and Children committee meeting, Senator Gex Williams let us all know Gex Doesn’t Get It—But Voters Do

At an LRC Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children (see above) meeting on August 27th, 2025, Senator Gex Williams revealed his priorities: he insisted that some highly educated women in his “unique” district (especially those in Southern Baptist and Roman Catholic churches) prefer to stay home with four or five kids and dismissed the need for childcare funding, saying he wouldn’t know “how to explain it” to those women and families. The truth is, he’s trying to paint a Kentucky that does not exist. That’s not leadership—it’s willful detachment. Take a look at Carroll Countians– they’re paying roughly $10,412 (median) for childcare on an annual basis, according to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, which is 15.4% of the median income for a family there.

Kentucky Families Don’t Fit a Narrow Narrative

The average family size in Kentucky is three people, not four or five. (source)
36% of Kentucky children live in single-parent families. (source)
Over 103,000 households are led by grandparents. (source)
Nearly 1 in 3 adults in the state live with a disability—making accessible childcare essential. (source)

Childcare Is Unaffordable—and Providers Are Vanishing

Almost 25–30 counties in Kentucky are full-blown “childcare deserts,” where there are over 3 children per slot—and some counties face even worse ratios. Cabinet for Health and Family Services
In rural and underserved areas, entire counties have no licensed childcare services at all. Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Running childcare is expensive—infant care in centers averages $48.96/day, toddlers around $46.32, and preschoolers $40.69 in the Northern Bluegrass region (which includes Boone, Carroll, Gallatin, Kenton, and Owen counties). ChildCare Aware KY

County-by-County Reality Check

Using the accepted “childcare desert” measure (>3 children per slot):

County	Desert Category
Franklin	Safe (approx. 2.2 children per slot) Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Gallatin	At-risk (~3.5 children per slot) Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Boone	At-risk (~3.7 children per slot) Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Carroll	At-risk (~3.0 children per slot) Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Owen	At-risk (~5.1 children per slot—clear desert) Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Kenton	Safe (~2.6 children per slot) Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Franklin County Snapshot (State Capital Area)

27 licensed daycares (24 centers + 3 home-based) serve Franklin County. CareLuLu
The average cost of full-time daycare here is about $494 per month. CareLuLu
Providers range from large centers like Creation Kingdom to family-run homes. (CHFS)
Yet, Franklin County is still at risk, with just enough slots to stay within “safe” thresholds—but that’s not enough when costs are skyrocketing and demand is growing.

Senator Williams’ remarks dismiss the families he’s supposed to serve: single moms, grandparents raising kids, families with disabilities, working parents, and parents in counties where care is nearly impossible to find.

The bottom line

Parents are drowning under childcare costs. Providers are vanishing. Some counties, like Owen, are already in crisis, while others are precariously balanced.

Kentucky deserves representation that reflects the realities, not romanticized myths.

Senator Williams’ remarks dismiss the families he’s supposed to serve: single moms, grandparents raising kids, families with disabilities, working parents, and parents in counties where care is nearly impossible to find.

Childcare is not a luxury. It’s a fundamental economic necessity.

Kentucky Deserves Better

Senator Williams’ remarks aren’t just out of touch—they dismiss the very families he is supposed to serve: single moms, grandparents raising kids, families with disabilities, working parents, or parents in counties where care is nearly impossible to find.

Kentucky needs leaders who see that childcare is not a luxury, but a fundamental economic necessity, especially in areas where providers are disappearing, and parents can’t afford daycare.

Let’s fund child care.

For Boone, Gallatin, Carroll, and Owen—stop the decline in supply and protect struggling providers.
For Franklin and Kenton—boost capacity and financial support so families can work and thrive.
For all of Kentucky—fund childcare like a public good, not a boutique preference.

Gex doesn’t get it. Voters do.

If you believe Kentuckians deserve affordable childcare…
If you believe investing in families strengthens our economy…
Then vote for me.

I’m Stella Pollard, running against Gex Williams because Kentucky belongs in the 21st century, not the 19th.

If you have the desire and means to do so, please consider donating $5 to the campaign. Your $5 can make a difference. It helps us reach more voters, run digital ads, and support volunteers talking to neighbors about the future of Kentucky. Every dollar counts—chip in today and help us fight for families.

Donate $5 to Stella Pollard

Here are some slides I found to be very interesting from the committee.