Virginia, 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: Increasing
Approximately 32% (279,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% FPL (2023). This number represents a increase from 30% (269,000) in 2021.1
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% FPL than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
On May 13, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed the state’s two-year budget bill for fiscal 2025 and 2026. The budget totals $87.5 billion in all funds in fiscal 2025, an increase of 5.1 percent over adjusted fiscal 2024, and $89.1 billion in fiscal 2026, an increase of 1.8 percent over fiscal 2025. General fund spending totals $31.8 billion in fiscal 2025, an increase of 3.7 percent over adjusted fiscal 2024, and $32.0 billion in fiscal 2026, an increase of 0.6 percent over fiscal 2025. The revised general fund revenue estimate for the bill is $28.6 billion in fiscal 2025, an increase of 1.0 percent over adjusted fiscal 2024, and $30.3 billion in fiscal 2026, an increase of 6.0 percent over fiscal 2025.3
Key Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):4
State Budget Rules:4
Virginia uses a biennial budget. The legislature is not required to pass a balanced budget, the governor is not required to sign one, and deficits may be carried over into the following year. However, the state has budget rules that require lawmakers to balance revenues and expenditures. Virginia does not have any tax and expenditure limits. The state does limit total authorized debt and debt service incurred by the state.
Political Alignment: Divided
During the 2024 session, the state’s House and Senate were Democrat controlled. The state’s Governor was a Republican.4
Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:5 One
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:6
A Virginia coalition of advocates is working with Child Care NEXT funding on a sustained effort to pursue bold transformation for the state’s child-care ecosystem.
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:7
HB 419 aims to support families in accessing affordable and high-quality early childhood care and education services. It requires state general funds to be allocated for these services, with the Department of Education providing an annual report on projected funds needed to maintain current slots and meet growing demand. The funds will be based on the per-child cost for various programs and eligibility criteria. Regional entities, school divisions, and localities must indicate their slot needs, and the Department of Education will reallocate slots, make adjustments based on family preferences, and prioritize state funds. If there are still waitlists, the bill establishes the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund to address the remaining demand and preferences.
After nearly a decade of advocacy educating lawmakers on the importance of Virginia becoming a “Kin-First” state, the kinship as foster care prevention program will become law in July. HB 453 will allow for relatives or fictive kin to gain custody of their relative children who would otherwise enter foster care and receive financial assistance, wrap around supports for DSS, and support from Virginia kinship navigators.
Advocates are working to develop a robust statewide, school-based mental health program and were excited to support HB 603, a mental health education bill. This bill creates directs the Department of Education to develop a mental health curriculum that will be taught in the physical education course; which represents a major win for preventative measures to support and strengthen young people’s mental health. Virginia has historically been reactive in addressing the mental health needs of its young people.
SB 118 requires health insurers, corporations providing health care subscription contracts, and health maintenance organizations whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for obstetrical services to provide coverage for doula care services provided by a state-certified doula. The bill requires such coverage to include coverage for at least eight visits during the antepartum or postpartum period and support during labor and delivery. The bill provides that health insurance carriers are (i) not required to pay for duplicate services actually rendered by both a state-certified doula and another health care provider and (ii) prohibited from requiring supervision, signature, or referral by any other health care provider as a condition of reimbursement for doula care services, except when those requirements are also applicable to other categories of health care providers. Such provisions of the bill are subject to a reenactment clause. The bill also requires the Health Insurance Reform Commission to consider coverage for doula care services in its review of the essential health benefits benchmark plan and to include such coverage in its recommendation to the General Assembly unless a compelling reason for excluding such coverage is identified.
HB 607 establishes the Virginia Commission to End Hunger. The bill states that the purpose of the Commission is to develop an action plan every two years for ending hunger in the Commonwealth, review the progress of such plan, and ensure cross-collaboration among government entities and community partners toward the goal of ending hunger in the Commonwealth.
Our key allies in Virginia are the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) and Voices for Virginia’s Children. VECF is the non-partisan steward of Virginia’s promise for early childhood success, working in tandem with diverse stakeholders to ensure equitable opportunities for all families with young children to thrive. Voices for Virginia’s Children is the commonwealth’s only independent, multi-issue child policy and advocacy organization and is the KIDS COUNT data center for Virginia. Using this data and independent policy research, they determine unmet needs and threats to child well-being, recommend sound policy solutions, provide objective input to policymakers, and educate and mobilize leaders and concerned citizens to support policy initiatives.
The Alliance’s lead grantees in Virginia 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-3 Education
Preschool and Pre-K
Child Welfare
Early Intervention (0-3)
Home Visiting
Infant and Child Health
Maternal Health
Family Economic Security
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Data Systems
Early Childhood Finance and Cost Modeling
Early Childhood Governance
Click here for more information on advocates’ policy agenda.
Virginia advocates have have turned the Child Care NEXT principles and support into a string of wins for children, including, in the 2024 session, an historic commitment by the governor and legislature that means $1.1 billion will be available for child care services for low to moderate income families over the next two years.
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 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, March 2023, NCCP analysis of ACS 1-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2021.
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024.
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.
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© 2024 Alliance for Early Success
The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.
