Child care providers can be of crucial importance in a child's future success, inspiring West Virginia to pass a bill earlier this month which aims to improve the quality and quantity of child care in the state.

"It has been proven by studies nationally and locally that the best investment of dollars you can make from a public standpoint is in early care and education," Senate Education Committee Chairman Robert Plymale of West Virginia, said recently, according to the Charlston Daily Mail.

Plymale sponsored the bill, which offers financial incentives to child care providers who meet higher quality standards. These include grants for programs that serve children from low-income families, increasing the salaries and benefits of child care workers and offering financial help to families below 200% of the poverty line.

According to the 2008 Kids Count Data Book, there were about 338 licensed child care centers in West Virginia, 93 child care facilities and 1,918 registered family day care homes in 2008. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be over 1.6 million child care workers in the U.S. by 2016, as employment in the field grows at 18% from 2006 until then.