Idaho, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 41percent (86,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200 percent FPL (2022). This number represents a decrease from 46 percent (97,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200 percent FPL than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
In 2025, Idaho’s governor signed a series of bills comprising the state’s fiscal 2026 budget. The enacted budget calls for $5.62 billion in general fund appropriations, a 6.8 percent increase over original enacted levels for fiscal 2024. The budget is based on general fund revenues, before tax policy changes, of $6.40 billion for fiscal 2026, representing projected growth of 5.6 percent compared to fiscal 2025 estimates. When incorporating income tax changes, property tax relief, and other tax reductions, as well as transfers to various other state funds, total resources or net revenues for fiscal 2026 (including the beginning balance) are estimated at $6.06 billion. The state’s estimated general fund ending balance for fiscal 2026 is $440 million. Additionally, the state is projected to end fiscal 2026 with combined reserves in the Budget Stabilization Fund, Public Education Stabilization Fund, Higher Education Stabilization Fund, 27th Payroll Fund, Idaho Millenium Fund and Emergency Funds totaling $1.308 billion, or 22.1 percent of the fiscal 2026 general fund revenue estimate.3
Key Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):4
Charges ($1,773 per capita)
State Sales Tax ($1,536 per capita)
Idaho uses all major state and local taxes. Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls.
State Budget Rules:4
Idaho uses an annual budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. Idaho further limits spending growth with a formula related to the state’s personal income growth. The rule is binding and requires a legislative supermajority to override it. The state also limits total authorized debt and debt service.
Idaho has no permanent state funding stream—such as lottery revenue, nicotine tax, or trust fund distributions—dedicated by statute to early childhood supports.9 (Examples of states with such funding in place can be found in the Alliance’s Revenue and Early Childhood Finance resource center.)
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During the 2025 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Republican.6
Types of Ballot Measures Available: Five
Key State Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:8
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:9
The 2025 Idaho legislature passed a budget bill that included a record investment for the state’s foster care system, and while signing the bill, Idaho’s governor celebrated the budget’s 20 percent increase as a major step forward for the children facing the biggest hurdles to success. SB 1208 adds $23.2 million in new funding for foster care services and 63 additional staff to build the system’s capacity. This win follows several years of significant progress in foster care policy, as child welfare advocates and lawmakers have worked in partnership with foster youth to pass a variety of bills—from ending the use of short-term rentals as a foster placement option to creating a new child welfare ombudsman’s office.
During the 2025 legislative session, advocates led a vigorous opposition to HB 243, a bill that prioritizes deregulation over the safety of Idaho’s youngest children and rolls back key regulations governing child care licensing. Child care advocates, including parents and providers, rallied into action in opposition to the bill and changed lawmakers’ minds with personal stories, testimony, and passion for the safety of young children. The sponsors amended the bill last-minute to preserve child-to-staff ratios and protect basic safety standards. While advocate pressure led to the bill being successfully amended to remove these most dangerous provisions, the final bill signed into law relaxes child-to-staff ratio requirements, eliminates local authority, requires the transfer of all childcare business city licenses to state licenses, and loosens childcare supervision definitions.
Our lead allies in Idaho are Idaho AEYC and Idaho Voices for Children. Idaho AEYC is the leading expert in early childhood education and connected to child care providers, early educators, and parents of young children. Idaho Voices for Children is the leading child policy advocacy group in the state. Together, they work to create an informed voice on what policies are needed to establish sustainably funded, high-quality early childhood systems for Idaho.
Idaho AEYC & Idaho Voices for Children are working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
K-3rd Grade
Preschool and Pre-K
Early Intervention (0-3)
Infant and Child Health
Maternal Health
Child Welfare
Family Economic Security
Home Visiting
Early Childhood Governance
A multi-sector coalition representing different groups and industries from across the state set out to improve Idaho renter policy. By showing the impact of housing on economic mobility— especially for children—advocates are already making gains.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 through 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, October 2024, NCCP analysis of ACS 5-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2018-2022.
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2026.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, April 2025.
5 Alliance for Early Success, State Examples of Dedicated Funding Streams, 2025
6 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2025 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, January 31, 2025.
7 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, 2025.
8 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.
9 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2025.
