In May 2024, Governor Jared Polis signed HB 1237, creating three programs that encourage local governments to improve community planning, building, zoning, and other regulatory processes that support the development of child care facilities. The programs are administered by the Division of Housing in the Department of Local Affairs and are funded by the Child Care Facility Development Cash Fund, also created by HB 1237. The bill allocated $250,000 in state funds to implement the three programs. They are: 

• The Child Care Facility Development Toolkit and Technical Assistance Program, which provides expert consultants to help child care providers, developers, employers, public schools, institutions of higher education, and local governments understand the technical aspects of planning, developing, building, and co-locating child care facilities. Both direct consultation and an open-source toolkit are available through June 30, 2028. 

• The Local Government Planning for Child Care Grant Program, which helps local governments evaluate and adopt policies that support child care development; conduct a local land and facility inventory; and/or develop aligned regulatory requirements and streamlined review processes. This program is available until July 1, 2028. 

• The Child Care Facility Development Capital Grant Program, which provides direct matching grants to local governments, public schools, or institutions of higher education to construct, remodel, renovate, or retrofit a child care facility. The program gives more weight to applicants who represent geographic diversity, serve a high percentage of families below the area’s median income, commit to compensating their staff well, co-locate with or repurpose facilities with other uses, plan to serve children in regions with low child care capacity, or serve infants and toddlers. It is available until July 1, 2029. 

learn more: HB 1237 Sources: Colorado Department of Local Affairs. (n.d.). HB 1237 Program Information. Colorado General Assembly. (n.d.). Programs for the Development of Child Care Facilities. Colorado General Assembly Legislative Council Staff. (2024). Final Fiscal Note. Colorado Department of Local Affairs. (n.d.). HB24-1237 Local Planning Grant Policies and Procedures Signed.

Passed in 2021, Washington state’s Fair Start for Kids Act invested $1.1 billion to enhance the child care system by making care more affordable, expanding access, and increasing resources to support providers. As part of this legislation, eligible employees of licensed child care facilities can receive Cascade Care Silver health coverage with no monthly premiums through Washington Healthplanfinder. This opportunity is available for employees who:

• Work in a licensed child care facility, including family home, center-based, school-age, and outdoor nature-based child care programs
• Meet household income and other program requirements (employees whose annual income falls below 300% of the Federal poverty level and who do not qualify for Washington Apple Health, the state’s Medicaid plan)
• Enroll in a Cascade Care Silver health plan through Washington Healthplanfinder.

This program is slated to end on December 31, 2023. Learn More: Washington Premium Assistance Program for Employees of Child Care Facilities Sources:Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families. (2022). Child Care Workers May Be Eligible for $0 Health Care Premiums. Start Early. (n.d.). Summary of the Fair Start for Kids Act Law.

In 2022, the Washington DC City Council established the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, which seeks to create pay parity between community-based early educators and their counterparts in the DC Public Schools. Pay Equity Fund dollars that are not going to wage increases are being used to fund free or reduced health insurance premiums for early educators working in the District. If licensed child development facilities opt to participate in the HealthCare4ChildCare program, their employees will qualify for free health insurance premiums for themselves and their dependents, as long as they are DC residents. Employees who are not DC residents will be able to take advantage of reduced premiums. Learn more: D.C. Continues to Make Strides Towards Compensation Equity Sources:Hsu, N. (2022). D.C. Continues to Make Strides Towards Compensation Equity. New America.DC Health Link. (n.d.). HealthCare4ChildCare Through DC Health Link.

In 2024, the Wyoming State Legislature passed House Bill 126, aiming to increase access to child care across the state by targeting zoning and covenant restrictions that limit capacity, particularly for home-based providers. The bipartisan legislation allows home-based child care programs serving up to 10 children that are subject to restrictive covenants or homeowners association agreements to be classified as a residential use of property.  learn more: house bill 126 Sources: Alliance for Early Success. (n.d.). Wyoming Early Childhood Policy Landscape. State of Wyoming. (2024). House Bill No. HB0126.

Since 2018, Iowa State University of Science and Technology has hosted I2D2 (Iowa's Integrated Data System for Decision Making), the state's early childhood integrated data system, in partnership with multiple state agencies (e.g., Department of Public Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Human Rights, Department of Workforce Development, Department of Economic Development, Department of Management, and Head Start Grantees). The system functions as a multifaceted data transfer platform, data management platform, and data analytics platform. It links program and deidentified individual data related to children and families, including vital records (birth and death records); DAISEY home visiting records; Child Care Assistance records; public education PK-12 enrollment, attendance, achievement, and special education records; and Head Start enrollment. Approved users can access the data for specific projects under a memorandum of agreement. I2D2 also offers a data visualization dashboard, IA Data Drive” for public use. I2D2 was authorized under Iowa Code Chapter 256i, which instituted the Iowa Early Childhood Initiative. It is funded through individual grants and contracts that support specific projects. The system has received grants from Iowa State University, Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy, and other funders. State funding and funding from the Preschool Development Grant (2019) have also supported the effort. Learn more/SOurce: Iowa's Integrated Data System for Decision Making (I2D2)

In May 2024, the Illinois House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 1, which authorized the creation of the Illinois Department of Early Childhood. Spearheaded by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, the new agency will aim to improve access to early education and care services by better aligning and coordinating programs, data, and policies. The Department of Early Childhood will bring together programs that previously operated under the Illinois State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. It will oversee preschool funding, regulations, and program licensing, as well as early intervention, home visiting, and child care financial assistance programs. Housing everything under one agency, advocates say, will support efficiency and transparency, increase savings, and eliminate duplicative services that confuse providers and families. Although the Department of Early Childhood came into existence on July 1, 2024, it will not be fully functional until July 1, 2026. To make a smooth administrative transition without an interruption in services, Governor Pritzker formed a task force  to develop a plan for the new agency.  learn more: illinois department of early childhood Sources: Start Early. (2024). Start Early Statement on Illinois Department of Early Childhood. Vinicky, A. (2024). Bill Creating New State Agency Focused on Early Childhood Programs Headed to Pritzker’s Desk. WTTW Chicago. Smylie, S. (2024). Bill creating new state Department of Early Childhood clears key Illinois House committee. Chalkbeat Chicago. Vevea, B. (2023). Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces new agency to oversee early childhood. Chalkbeat Chicago.

In FY 2023, Governor J.B. Pritzker allocated $12 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to pilot an apprenticeship program for early childhood educators. The program, administered by the Illinois Department of Health and Human Services Division of Early Childhood, partners with four early learning programs and six institutions of higher education. It combines classroom learning at two- and four-year colleges, on-the-job training in early learning programs, and mentorship with seasoned providers. The program aims to keep talented early childhood educators in the workforce while they acquire a credential, license, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree. The program supports sites that  sponsor apprentices with wage supplement contracts that allocate funding to increase staff compensation. The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) serves as the apprenticeship intermediary, coordinating the pilot program across employers and institutions of higher education. The pilot program will run until 2025 and culminate with recommendations to the state for expansion and sustainability. LEARN MORE: ILLINOIS EARLY CHILDHOOD APPRENTICESHIP Sources: Illinois Department of Human Services. (n.d.). Illinois Early Childhood Apprenticeship Pilot. Illinois Office of Management and Budget. (2023). Illinois Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship Pilot.

Since 2006, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) have coordinated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to host the Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM). The Early Childhood Asset Map is a data visualization tool that provides demographic and program data on early childhood programs (e.g., licensed settings, Preschool For All, Head Start, and more), health factors, socioeconomic factors, and geographic regions related to services for children from birth to five. The tool is for public use and has begun to support the state’s data integration initiatives. IECAM was developed after the state’s Early Learning Council called for a web-based tool to support decision making. The IECAM is funded through the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Human Services. Learn more: Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM) Other sources:Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (2023), EC Learning IL

Created in 2009, the Illinois State Board of Education’s Longitudinal Data System is a P-20 longitudinal data system that includes data on state-funded pre-K, special education early childhood programs, and infant and toddler programs. The system functions as a warehouse and linking mechanism across state agencies, including the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development. The system links program and individual data ranging from early childhood education and care to K-12/higher education to the workforce. The individual data is deidentified with a unique identifier. Data is available internally for agencies and authorized users. The Illinois Longitudinal Data System was created through Public Act 096-0107. The system has been funded by a federal Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems Grant and the Statewide Longitudinal Data System Recovery Act Grant, which authorized the expansion of infant and toddler data collection. Learn More: Illinois Longitudinal Data System Project Sources:State of Illinois (2014). Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge 2014 Annual Performance ReportEducation Commission of the States. (2021). Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems: Illinois.REL Blog (2018). Building a coordinated data system to support early childhood education

In 2006, Illinois launched its Preschool for All (PFA) Program, which was expanded in 2017 using dollars from a federal Preschool Development Grant. The program, which operates in nearly every county in the state, is a targeted one, serving children who are considered at-risk based on both economic and developmental factors. As of 2022, Illinois served 31% of 4-year-olds and 21% of 3-year-olds. Learn More: Illinois Preschool for All Sources:Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). Preschool for All (PFA).Illinois State Board of Education. (2023). Illinois Preschool for All Expansion Program Eligibility and Weighted Priority Enrollment Form.National Institute for Early Education Research. (2022). Illinois

North Carolina’s Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$ Plus program provides supplemental pay to infant-toddler educators based on their education level and commitment to their early education program. This program is designed to retain and support the professional development of early childhood educators; in turn, this creates a more stable workforce with the skills needed to support young children's healthy learning and development. It also responds to inequities within the early education system, where infant and toddler teachers typically receive less financial and professional support than their colleagues who work with older children. Bonuses range from $600 to $4,000 per educator per year, with an average payment of $2,576. Amounts increase as educators obtain more formal education, and educators must remain in their early education program for at least six months to qualify for an award. In FY22, Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$ Plus North Carolina provided supplements to 1,337 educators; turnover among recipients was 16%, which is lower than the estimated 26-40% turnover rate among educators in licensed child care programs nationwide. Learn More: Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$ Plus Source: Child Care Services Association. (n.d.). Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$ Plus.

In 2024, the Minnesota Legislature approved House File 5327, which provided supplemental appropriations for a range of child- and family-facing programs.   Among other actions, HF5327 authorized the state’s Department of Education to use up to $12 million in Early Learning Scholarship funds to build information technology systems for the program, and up to $2.4 million annually to maintain those systems. The bill required the department to have certain systems in place by January 1, 2026, and to consider integration with the Great Start Scholarships program when creating these systems.  learn more: Information Technology Systems for Early Learning Scholarships Sources: Child Care Aware of Minnesota. (2024). Final 2024 Legislative Update.