Oregon Senate passes bipartisan bill aimed at easing child care shortage by allowing services in rental homes

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With overwhelming bipartisan support, Senate Bill 599 passed the Oregon Senate Wednesday. The legislation requires housing providers to allow child care services to operate in rental homes, when certain conditions are met. 

Backers said SB 599 will deliver relief in Oregon’s child care shortage by significantly expanding the operational space available to child care providers. Here's the rest of their news release:

Rural communities and communities of color who live in child care deserts and those in need of culturally appropriate care should see results from this legislation. It also supports housing providers with liability protections, ensuring these child care facilities can operate in rental properties without incurring significant cost.

“This bill is an important step to provide more affordable child care options so that working families can stay in their communities. This security will have a compounding effect on increased workforce performance, longer tenure of employees, and more stable homelives. I applaud the efforts of the child care advocates and housing providers for their work on this bill, which has been a multi-year, multi-session project by many dedicated individuals. I appreciate their work, consensus, and compromise.” said co-Chief Sponsor Senator Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City).

“I am thrilled that we were able to deliver such a strong bipartisan win for working families in Oregon. Too many parents are struggling to afford child care – if they can even find a place in their community that provides it. This is one small but important step towards making sure every Oregon kid has a safe place to learn and play while their parents are at work,” said co-Chief Sponsor Senator Elizabeth Steiner (D-Portland).