West 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: Declining
Approximately 49% (79,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% FPL (2022). This number represents a decrease from 50% (88,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and 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
In April of 2025, West Virginia’s governor signed the fiscal 2026 budget with 29 objections. General revenue appropriations in the bill prior to the objections totaled $5.3 billion, an increase of $133.2 million, or 2.6 percent, over the fiscal 2025 general revenue enrolled budget. The general revenue fund estimate for fiscal 2026 (as noted in the fiscal 2026 Budget Report) is $5.3 billion, an increase of 1.1 percent over fiscal 2025.3
Key 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. West Virginia uses all major state and local taxes.
State Budget Rules:4
West Virginia uses an annual budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. West Virginia does not have any tax or expenditure limits. West Virginia does limit total authorized debt incurred by the state but not debt service.
There is no permanent state funding stream—such as lottery revenue, nicotine tax, or trust fund distributions—dedicated by statute to early childhood supports.9 (Examples of states with such funding in place can be found in the Alliance’s Revenue and Early Childhood Finance resource center.)
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During the 2025 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Republican.6
Types of Ballot Measures Available:7 One
Key State Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:8
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:9
In spite of significant state budget constraints, advocates successfully collaborated to achieve a budget increase and a new dedicated state budget line-item for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs. Advocates across the state emphasized the critical role of CASA volunteers in ensuring safety and positive outcomes for children involved with the child welfare system. While the funding increase was below recommended levels, it represented meaningful progress in strengthening child welfare supports during a challenging fiscal year.
Advocates also successfully advocated for $12.9 million in state funding for VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) supported programs including CASA, domestic violence services, rape crisis centers and other programs addressing family violence. This funding was necessary to offset federal funding cuts that have limited access to federal VOCA funds.
Advocates also successfully improved a problematic school discipline bill, SB 199, ensuring that harmful provisions were revised before passage. Advocates persuaded lawmakers to change the bill to support a more balanced approach to school discipline with additional supports for children and reduce the likelihood of overly punitive measures affecting young learners, including school suspensions, which was the initial framework for the proposed legislation.
Advocates also mobilized when the House Finance Committee advanced legislation that would enact a trigger to automatically repeal Medicaid expansion in the state if the FMAP rate for the expansion population was reduced in any way.
A strong coalition effort blocked the repeal. Legislators heard from patients, rural hospitals, Managed Care Organizations, physicians and others. Advocates also convened a press conference, had a few hundred people at the Capitol, and mobilized hundred of calls and emails opposing the bill. Facing opposition in the GOP caucus, the bill was removed from the active calendar. Defeat of the bill preserved access to health coverage for approximately 160,000 low-income families, including many with young children.
Our grantee in West Virginia, TEAM for West Virginia Children (TEAM), works with communities and families to advance the well-being of children, making their needs and healthy development a priority. TEAM partners with an integrated network of programs to advocate for children, champion family-friendly communities, educate the public, and strengthen families. They convene a Legislative Action Team of the state’s leading organizations to monitor pending legislation and advocate for policies and legislative proposals that benefit children.
TEAM for West Virginia Children is working to advance early childhood policies in several areas:
Child Care
Maternal Health
Paid Family Leave
Child Welfare
Home Visiting
Family Economic Security
Click here for more information on advocates’ policy agenda.
TEAM for West Virginia Children is offering the community advocacy stipends to help partner organizations keep up the pressure and urge legislators to support funding for child care and other early childhood policies. Hundreds of community members and more than 50 policymakers have already participated in local events supported by the community stipends.
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.
