Parents with young children may soon have more flexibility throughout the day.

Florida state senator Lori Berman has introduced new legislation to extend voluntary Pre-K programs from four hours a day to eight. Currently, parents must pick up their children after four hours or pay for the second half of the day.

“Right now, if a parent has to leave work and pick up a child at 12:00, or whatever the half-day point is, it is very disruptive to a parent’s work routine,” Sen. Berman said.

Supporters of the bill argue that it is challenging for parents to interrupt their day to pick up their children or to afford the cost of the second half of the day.

According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, childcare affordability issues are costing parents and their employers $5.4 billion.

A 2023 study by the Florida Chamber Foundation found that about 30% of parents in Florida report that childcare issues disrupt their employment.

A quarter of parents reduced their work hours, and one in six left their jobs altogether to care for their children.

Sen. Berman believes that providing parents with a full-day VPK program would not only help families with childcare costs but also benefit children by allowing them to spend more time learning each day.

“Everybody wants our children to succeed. Everybody wants to make life easier for our working parents. Both of those are strong goals of this legislation,” she said.

Local Perspective

In the Tampa Bay Area, some districts are already taking steps toward expanding VPK.

Sarasota’s school board unanimously approved its legislative priorities for 2025 in August.

The priorities include extending the VPK school year from 540 hours to 720 hours and increasing provider reimbursements for high-quality instruction.

What’s Next

Sen. Berman has proposed several other bills addressing childcare costs for the upcoming session starting in March.

These bills would expand parental leave for state employees, allow campaign funds to be used for childcare, and create a universal free school breakfast and lunch program.

Although these bills were proposed last session, they did not receive any hearings. Sen. Berman remains hopeful they will pass this session.

Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Google, & X

(Image credit:  AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)