Recent State Policy Advances
Expanded investment. Restructured agencies. New caucuses, committees, and coalitions. Read about all the ways our allies on the front lines are making their state a better place for each and every child to reach their full potential.
State By State:
Years in the Making, One Session to Land: How West Virginia Finally Passed Its Child Care Bill
West Virginia passed a sweeping child care package this spring, and it was not an opportunistic bill that was introduced spontaneously. The legislation was the product of years of relationship-building, two close calls, a strategic retreat held in October 2025, a contracted lobbyist who knew which doors to knock on, and thousands of West Virginians who picked up the phone or typed a message to their legislators and their governor.
Vermont Set Out to Make Early Childhood Education a Licensed Profession. Here is How They Got This Far
Vermont’s educator-led effort to license early childhood education could create clearer career pathways, stronger standards, and greater professional recognition.
California Advocates Create an Advocacy Framework That Gives Parents of Children with Special Health Needs Resources, Support—and Agency
Advocates at Children Now believe families of children with special health needs should have a say in the policies that affect their kids. That belief drove the creation of the Caregiver Advocacy Circle, an organizing hub created by and for caregivers of children with special health care needs, designed to provide resources, advocacy support, and policy mentoring to caregivers and to fill a critical gap in the advocacy ecosystem.
Nevada Becomes First State to Create a Child Mental Health Professional Credential
Nevada’s SB 165 creates the nation’s first child mental health credential, funding training programs and Medicaid coverage to fight youth crises early. More than two years before SB 165 was introduced, the Children’s Advocacy Alliance of Nevada (CAA) began the process of gathering providers, families, youth, and elected officials to talk honestly about what was happening on the ground.
Oklahoma Advocates Celebrate a Hard-Won Benefit for Child Care Workers
When state funding passed for Oklahoma’s Teacher Recruitment & Retention Program (TRR) in 2025, the program became one of the first in the nation to appropriate a budget for free child care benefits to eligible employees working in licensed child care facilities. Advocates say it’s a big step in directly addressing the recruitment and retention crisis that has long destabilized Oklahoma’s child care workforce.
Now in its Third Year, Microgranting Program is Building Collective Power in Alaska
Alaska Children’s Trust is rethinking how advocacy happens. Since beginning in 2023, a microgranting strategy is redefining who gets to participate in advocacy and is helping to build the collective power necessary to elevate children and family issues across the state.
Colorado Becomes the First State in the Country to Expand Paid Family and Medical Leave Program to Include Parents with Children in the NICU
Colorado has become the first-in-the-nation to expanded its paid family and medical leave program to include paid NICU-specific leave. The benefit became available in January of 2026.
Rhode Island Advocates Leverage Alliance Responsive Support to Quickly Backfill SNAP Cuts With State TANF Funds
In fall 2025, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was suddenly threatened during the federal government shutdown, when the federal administration halted payments. In response, Rhode Island advocates leveraged Alliance responsive support to help backfill SNAP cuts with state TANF funds.
Beyond Tri-Share: What Child Care Cost-Sharing Can Look Like When Communities Lead
FIELD NOTES | By Brian Schmidt | With debate swirling about “tri-share” and other child care cost-sharing models, Kids Win Missouri’s Executive Director makes the case that states should focus less on debating models and more on designing to the state’s unique needs and landscape.
Nebraska Advocates Turn Child Care Tax Credits into a High-Demand Tool for Families and Providers
Nebraska advocates demonstrated how the Alliance for Early Success’s flexible funding and expert support can help state advocates turn a promising idea into measurable progress for young children and the adults who care for them. Advocates recognized that tax credits could be a powerful tool for strengthening the state’s child care system—but only if families, providers, and employers actually used them. First Five Nebraska designed a package of credits paired with a communications and outreach strategy. Their approach also offers a simple playbook for other states.
Wisconsin and Louisiana Advocates Mobilize Dads at State Capitols to Support Child Care Funding and Family Policies
Geaux Far Louisiana and Kids Forward organized dads across Louisiana and Wisconsin to rally at their state capitols for kids and families. Father-led advocacy is laying the foundation for future change. Kids Forward is now working with members of the Wisconsin State Assembly to launch a bipartisan Wisconsin Dads Caucus. In Louisiana, a state senate resolution was introduced and passed to establish a state fatherhood task force.
In a Year of Economic Uncertainty, Differing State Approaches to Spending on Young Children
Several states including Maryland, Arkansas, and Indiana have opted to reduce funding for early learning programs, while others, such as New York, Texas, and Illinois, managed to strengthen their programs despite fiscal headwinds.