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:
New Mexico Coalition Wins Guaranteed Income Pilot for Immigrant Families
A coalition of New Mexico advocates recently launched the New Mexico Guaranteed Income Pilot Program for Immigrant Families, an 18-month initiative to address poverty and economic security. The program’s evaluations are showing participating families reporting increases in housing and job security, as well as improved education outcomes for their children.
Michigan Allies Advance Permanent Policy Solutions to Address Maternal Health Equity
Advocates in Michigan continue to fight not only for prevention resources, but for culturally congruent policies and programs aimed squarely at racial disparities in death rates. This includes advocating for an effective perinatal care quality program to be added to the state’s public health code.
In Effort to Entice Child Care Staff, More States Follow Kentucky’s Lead
While Kentucky was the first state to make child care staff automatically eligible for subsidies, about a dozen states have followed the lead of the Bluegrass State and either implemented a similar policy or are actively considering it. It is estimated that about 234,300 child care workers with children under the age of six and 294,000 children would benefit from the Kentucky model if all 50 states plus D.C. implemented a similar policy.
Communications Strategy Was Center Stage in Texas Advocates’ Win of Postpartum Medicaid Extension
The road to success for a recent 12-month postpartum Medicaid extension in Texas in 2023 was paved with years of advocacy work on the ground. For years, advocates at Texans Care for Children and other organizations have worked to build trusting and collaborative relationships among all the groups working to advance the crucial maternal health issue.
Massachusetts Shows the Power of a Big, Trust-Based Coalition
In Massachusetts, early childhood advocates across the state are collaborating like never before to build a new, stronger early childhood system. This historic project, called The Early Childhood Agenda, is a first-of-its-kind effort to bring together “hundreds of parents, providers, advocates, and community partners to discuss the state’s pressing early childhood challenges and propose effective, family-centered, sustainable solutions.”
In California, Parents and Child Care Providers Work Together to Make Meaningful Change
Things are looking up for young children, parents, and child care providers in California thanks to transformational legislative wins over the summer of 2023. These policy achievements did not happen by chance, but were the result of a coordinated effort that was fueled by the grassroots organizing of parents, providers, and thousands of organizations speaking with one voice.
Idaho Advocates Use Innovative Early Learning Collaboratives to Move the Needle on Early Care and Education
In Idaho, where there is no state funding for pre-k, advocates are working at the community level to demonstrate families’ interest in — and the impact of — early care and education. Community-led collaboratives are uniting various stakeholders, including educators, parents, community leaders, and business owners, to create a holistic approach to early learning, tailored to local needs.
California, Connecticut, and Oklahoma Among the States Taking Action to Support Family Child Care Providers
Family child care providers typically must navigate an incoherent and often conflicting set of regulations, as well as frequent opposition from landlords, homeowners associations, and condo associations. The good news is that states across the political spectrum are beginning to take action to address these difficulties.
Marijuana Tax Is Now a $5 Million Win for Alaska Child Care and Early Education
Anchorage, Alaska will soon benefit from an additional five to six million dollars per year in funds for child care and early education thanks to voter approval of Proposition 14 in April, also known as the “Care for Kids” measure. The five percent sales tax on marijuana purchases has existed for years, but the funds will now be used for the benefit of young children and their families rather than going into the city’s general fund.
Kentucky “Fragile Ecosystem” Report Helps Advocates Win Child Care Stabilization Funds
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prichard Committee and a team of statewide partners released data capturing the pandemic’s impact on Kentucky’s child care sector. The latest report on the survey results, “Fragile Ecosystem IV: “Will Kentucky Child Care Survive When The Dollars Run Out?,” played a big role in spurring the state to commit additional stabilization funding to the sector.
Minnesota “Coalition of Coalitions” Turns Years of Work into a String of Big Wins for Children and Families
From a new nation-leading child tax credit that will cut child poverty by a third, to $1.3 billion for expansion of mixed-delivery child care, to continuous medicaid coverage for children to age 6, to a long list of other wins for young children and their families, there were almost too many advancements to count in the 2023 legislative session. The secret to all these wins? A long-standing “of coalition of coalitions” in the state the centers communication, equity, cooperation, and authentic power sharing.
Idaho Providers Get Loud to Reverse Child Care ARPA Funding Cuts
When Idaho’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted to strip away $36 million in ARPA funds and another $43 million in additional federal dollars, child care providers panicked, then organized, and then made their voices heard. The committee restored the funding, and the issue of child care is much more visible going into the 2024 legislative session.
