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 percent (279,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200 percent FPL (2023). This number represents a increase from 30 percent (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 percent FPL than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
In My of 2025, Virginia’s governor signed adjustments to the fiscal 2026 budget into law, amending the biennial budget. Total operating expenses are $92.5 billion in fiscal 2026, an increase of 3.8 percent over the original fiscal 2026 budget. General fund appropriations are $32.7 billion, an increase of 2.4 percent over the original 2026 budget. The governor vetoed 37 items from the budget totaling approximately $849.5 million, retaining a total of $900.5 million as a cushion against near-term potential risks.3
Largest Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):4
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. Virginia uses all major state and local taxes.
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.
There is no permanent state funding stream—such as lottery revenue, nicotine tax, or trust fund distributions—dedicated by statute to early childhood supports. (Examples of other states with such funding in place can be found in the Alliance’s Revenue and Early Childhood Finance resource center.)
Political Alignment:6 Divided
During the legislative session, the state’s House and Senate were Democrat controlled. The state’s Governor was a Republican.
Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:7 One
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:8
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:9
One major policy win in Virginia’s 2025 legislative session was the passage of HB1760, which lays the groundwork for a statewide Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) infrastructure. This new law directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) to develop a comprehensive plan for mental health screenings and services for children aged five and under. The plan must be developed in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education, the Department of Medical Assistance Services, and the Department of Social Services. This is a significant step toward ensuring young children’s social-emotional and developmental needs are identified and supported early—before challenges escalate. The legislation establishes a critical foundation for coordinated, statewide services that center families, providers, and children in the early years, recognizing that early relational health is essential to long-term well-being.
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 VA’s promise for early childhood success, working in tandem with stakeholders to ensure 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 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.
