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 of Work by Maryland Ally Result in Landmark Legislation on Child Care
By any reckoning, we live in an extraordinary political moment, and the impact of these tumultuous times on young children in Maryland and nationwide remains to be seen.
One Step Forward, One Step Back in Pennsylvania
Governor Tom Wolf set the tone in his budget request by increasing state investments in early learning, and legislators from both sides of the aisle came together to prioritize Pennsylvania’s children in the 2017-18 state budget.
Illinois Prohibits Early Childhood Expulsion with Landmark Legislation
On August 14, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law HB2663, legislation aimed at ending the practice of expelling infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from their early childhood programs.
Stars Align for Early Education Workforce in Massachusetts
Dust off your telescopes because the stars are aligning. No, I’m not talking about the solar eclipse.
Louisiana Leaders Achieve Legislative Wins Despite Disappointing Budget Cuts
Louisiana legislators renewed and grew their unique package of School Readiness Tax Credits, but couldn’t protect early care and education appropriations from across-the-board cuts.
Consistent California Advocacy Results in Significant Budget Improvements for Early Learning
Over the past few years we have seen increased leadership from California legislators on early learning including from the Assembly Speaker, the Senate Budget Chair – both former early learning providers from Los Angeles – and the Women’s Caucus.
Building a Better Kansas for Children and Families
In 2016 Kansans elected a delegation of freshman lawmakers to join veteran policymakers in the Statehouse and repair the Kansas tax code.
Riding the Texas Early Childhood Policy Roller Coaster
After 140 days of ups and downs, early mornings, late nights, and passionate debates, the 2017 Texas legislative session ended June 9th.
Louisiana Capitalizes on Sudden Focus on Child Care Work Requirements
When the Louisiana Department of Education sought to change the state’s prohibitive work 30-hour-per-week work requirement for a child care subsidy, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children quickly partnered with the Center for Law and Social Policy to make the case for a significant adjustment.
Colorado Keeps the Sun from Setting on Child Care Tax Credits
The Colorado legislative session concluded in the second week in May with a number of policy wins headed for the Governor’s signature.
New Mexico Legislative Session Review
New Mexico faces challenging economic times, yet funding for early childhood programs remained protected during the latest legislative session.
RR Roundup: Rapid Response Pays Big Dividends in Kansas
When your state faces the possibility of losing funding for your entire early childhood education system, you must pull out all the stops to protect it. For Kansas Action for Children (KAC), that included accessing Rapid Response from the Alliance for Early Success. Our partners at the Committee for Economic Development, Council for a Strong America, Center for Michigan, and Arizona’s First Things First came to our aid in our moment of crisis. Read on to learn how.
