State lawmakers Friday advanced a bill aimed at making it easier for teen mothers and victims of domestic violence to get help paying for childcare.
The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso of Loveland, a Republican, waives a requirement that mothers pursue child support claims against the fathers of their children in order to qualify for the state’s daycare subsidy.
Backers of the policy change say many teen moms are unwilling to do that.
Florence Crittenton, the Denver high school for teen mothers, provides child care without the child support requirement. Senior Jazell Aldridge says that’s allowed her to stay in school. She says that if she pursued the father of her child for support it would destroy their relationship.
"I think it makes it kind of hard, to make the choice whether to put him on child support so I can go to school, or to not put him on child support and still have him be active and well involved in my son’s life," she said.
The House Public Health & Human Services Committee passed the bill 12-1.
