In 2002, voters first approved a levy to support early childhood education through property taxes. It was renewed in 2008 with the approval of 72 percent of voters, in 2013 with 74 percent, and in 2018 with 83 percent. The levy requests $0.4026 per $1,000 of assessed property value, generating approximately $27 million annually. Funds from the levy support citywide early childhood, after-school, mentoring, child abuse prevention/intervention, foster care, and hunger relief programs. In the 2021-22 grant cycle, the Children’s Levy devoted 27% of its funds, or $7.4 million,  to early learning – its largest concentration of investment by far. Learn More: Portland Children's Levy Sources: League of Women Voters of Portland. (n.d.). Renew Portland Children’s Levy for five years. The Oregonian Editorial Board. (2023). Editorial endorsement May 2023: Voters should renew Portland Children’s Levy and seek investment shift. The Oregonian.

Georgia's FY2023 and FY2024 budget bills both included an increase in the base salary of state pre-K assistant and lead teachers. These increases were particularly notable for their inclusion of assistant teachers, who have not typically benefitted from pay increases in the past. Prior to the passage of the FY23 legislation, assistant teachers made $16,190 annually (regardless of experience or education). These pay increases were primarily paid for using Georgia State Lottery funds. Learn More: Georgia FY2023 Budget Sources: Georgia House Budget and Research Office. (2023). FY2024 Budget Tracker. Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. (2022). Overview: 2023 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.

New Jersey's first publicly funded pre-K program, the Abbott Preschool Program, was created as a result of a 1998 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling on school funding. Today, New Jersey's pre-K programs serve children in public-school, Head Start, and community-based programs; more than half of all participating children are served in Head Start or community-based settings. Starting and ongoing pay parity is required for community-based educators who have education and experience levels comparable to those serving in the public schools. Paid planning and professional development time parity is also required. Learn More: Strategies in Pursuit of Pre-K Teacher Compensation Parity: New Jersey Pre-K Source: Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley & The National Institute for Early Education Research. (2017). Strategies in Pursuit of Pre-K Teacher Compensation Parity: Lessons from Seven States and Cities | New Jersey Pre-K.

Georgia's pay parity policy, first enacted during the 2015–16 school year, was introduced primarily in response to a high rate of turnover among pre-K educators, who frequently left for better-paying K-3 positions in the public schools. All settings participating in Georgia's pre-K Program, including community-based and public-school settings, are require to pay a base salary that is equivalent to the salary paid to public-school K-3 educators with a similar level of education and experience. All pre-K educators are compensated for an 8-hour work day, which includes 6.5 hours for instruction and 1.5 hours for planning. Pre-K teachers are also paid for an additional 10 days of planning and professional development time. Georgia's pre-K Program, including salaries for pre-K educators, is funded through the Georgia Lottery. Learn More: Strategies in Pursuit of Pre-K Teacher Compensation Parity Sources: Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley & The National Institute for Early Education Research. (2017). Strategies in Pursuit of Pre-K Teacher Compensation Parity: Lessons from Seven States and Cities | Georgia's Pre-K.

Preschool Promise—funded by Montgomery County, the City of Dayton, and local philanthropists—is a nonprofit organization that helps young children get ready for kindergarten; it "promises" one year of affordable, high-quality preschool for all four-year-olds in the county. Established in 2016, Preschool Promise partners with families, providers, and community leaders to ensure that quality early childhood experiences are accessible from the prenatal period to age five, particularly for Black children and children from lower-income families. The nonprofit has partnered with over 120 licensed preschool and child care sites, which collectively care for and educate over 3,000 preschoolers each year.  In 2016, voters in the City of Dayton approved a 0.25% earned income tax increase to support Preschool Promise, which went into effect in 2017. The eight-year levy, which has raised an estimated $11 million annually, passed with 54% of the vote.  LEARN MORE: Preschool Promise Sources: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Preschool Promise EIR - Conscious Discipline Impact Study.EditSign

California offers various professional development resources provided by the Early Learning and Care Division (ELCD) to train professionals in the childcare field, including the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC), which leads institutes for child care professionals on topics such as social-emotional development, quality group care, cognitive and language development, and cultural and family issues. The PITC program offers subsidized on-site training, mentoring and coaching to eligible child care programs in California. Through these programs, care providers, teachers, program directors and home visitors can access interactive training services and events, technical assistance, and coaching. Companion CDE resources are also available to in-home and family child care providers, infant/toddler care teachers, program directors and home visitors. There is also an Academy for Family Child Care (FCC), which includes a six-session virtual training on the unique assets and challenges of FCC and specialized training to support infant/toddler care. Learn More: California Early Learning and Care Division Professional Development Training Sources: California Department of Education. (n.d.). Professional Development Training. Program for Infant Toddler Care. (n.d.).

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation administers the Project Pathfinders scholarship to early childhood professionals in preschool and child care settings. Recipients can use the scholarship toward community college coursework and credentials, and they must set a specific credentialing goal to be eligible for additional funds to cover the costs of books and fees. Priority is given to applicants working with at-risk children (e.g., those eligible for child care subsidies, qualifying for free or reduced lunch, or participating in public preschool programs like Head Start or Virginia Preschool Initiative). Pathfinder awards are applied to a recipient’s account after other financial aid and grants (such as Pell grants) have been applied. Funds for the program first became available in the 2019–20 biennial budget enacted by Governor Ralph Northam and the 2018 General Assembly. Learn More: Virginia Project Pathfinders Sources: Virginia Early Childhood Education. (n.d.). Project Pathfinders. Virginia Early Childhood Education. (n.d.). Project Pathfinders: Overview of Scholarship Opportunity for the Early Education Workforce. Virginia Early Childhood Education. (n.d.). Project Pathfinders Archive.

In 2020, the Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties, a collaboration between Pasco County and Hernando County, funded and launched the Promise Institute, a educational training platform that provides comprehensive training and educational resources for early childhood educators. The Promise Institute also includes programs such as Nemours Brightstart for Early Literacy Success which aims to improve reading readiness by offering an effective instructional curriculum for parents and educators and START Initiative which aims to provide tools and strategies for relationship-based parenting for families. In 2023, the Early Learning Coalition expanded the Promise Institute to include a new Family Education training platform for parents and caregivers. This strategy represents a collaboration between Pasco County and Hernando County. It is cross-listed under Hernando County here. Sources: Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando. (n.d.). The Promise Institute.  

In 2020, the Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties, a collaboration between Pasco County and Hernando County, funded and launched the Promise Institute, a educational training platform that provides comprehensive training and educational resources for early childhood educators. The Promise Institute also includes programs such as Nemours Brightstart for Early Literacy Success which aims to improve reading readiness by offering an effective instructional curriculum for parents and educators and START Initiative which aims to provide tools and strategies for relationship-based parenting for families. In 2023, the Early Learning Coalition expanded the Promise Institute to include a new Family Education training platform for parents and caregivers. This strategy represents a collaboration between Pasco County and Hernando County. It is cross-listed under Pasco County here. Sources: Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando. (n.d.). The Promise Institute.  

In November of 2023, Texas voters passed Proposition 2, approving a constitutional amendment that will allow counties or municipalities to authorize a property tax exemption on all or part of the appraised value of property used to operate child care facilities. The exemption must equal at least 50% of the property’s appraised value. Advocates for the amendment were aiming to alleviate some of the financial burdens that Texas child care facilities face. For a child care facility to be exempt, it must be both licensed and part of the Texas Rising Star Program, a quality rating and improvement system for child care programs that participate in the Texas Workforce Commission’s Child Care Services. At least 20% of the children enrolled in the facility’s child care program must receive subsidies or scholarships from the Texas Workforce Commission. Home-based child care facilities will not be eligible. Proposition 2 will go into effect in January 2024.  Learn more: property tax exemption for child care facilities amendment Sources: Ballotpedia. (2023). Texas Proposition 2, Property Tax Exemption for Child-Care Facilities Amendment. KXAN. (2023). Proposition 2: Texans vote on child care property tax exemption.

In 2014, Seattle voters passed a referendum to increase local property taxes to provide dedicated funding for the Seattle Preschool Program. The tax increase allocates 11 cents of every $1,000 in assessed value to fund the program. The measure was sent to a wider vote in 2018, where it passed to secure funding for 7 more years. The tax contributes roughly $6.8 million per year toward the preschool program. learn more: Seattle property tax referendum Sources: Seattle Times. (2018). Seattle City Council sends $600 million-plus education levy to November ballotSeattle Office of the Mayor. (2018). Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy Fact Sheet.Seattle Office of the Mayor. (2018). Mayor Jenny Durkan Statement on Voters’ Approval of Her Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Plan.

In December 2024, the City of Boise approved $925,000 in property tax relief for certain groups of residents, including licensed in-home child care providers. Providers are eligible for up to $500 in property tax relief if they are licensed, own their home, and are actively providing child care services.   The city’s Property Tax Rebate Program was authorized by the Idaho Legislature’s House Bill 550, passed in March 2022, which allows Idaho municipalities to offer property tax rebates using general funds. The program went into effect in 2023, though child care providers were not eligible during the first year.   learn more: property tax rebate for family child care providers Sources: City of Boise. (2024, December 3). Boise Property Tax Rebate Program Begins This Week, Expands To Eligible Childcare Providers. Carr Lee, M. (2024, October 29). Good Ideas for Cities: Creative Tactics Cities are Using to Address the Child Care Shortage. Mayors Innovation Project.