In July 2020, Colorado passed HB 20-1053 to improve career and educational pathways for early childhood educators, including an apprenticeship program, the Child Care Development Specialist Federally Registered Apprenticeship Program, funded by approximately $5 million in federal stimulus money through September 2024 and administered through Red Rocks Community College. It is expected to address the workforce shortage in early childhood programs. Apprentices can earn an associate or bachelor’s degree and train to qualify as a child care center director. The program requires a 2-year commitment, and applicants must be at least 16 years old and either currently employed or willing to work full time in an early childhood program. The program requires 306 education hours and 4,000 hours of on-the-job learning with a mentor teacher. This program is the only federally registered apprenticeship for early childhood education in Colorado. Learn More: Red Rocks Community College Sources: Red Rocks Community College. (n.d.). Child Care Development Specialist Apprenticeship Program. Red Rocks Community College. (2018). Child Care Development Specialist. Brundin, J. (2021). Apprenticeships Aren’t Just For The Trades. It’s Also A Way To Bolster Colorado’s Early Childhood Workforce. Colorado Public Radio. Ellison, G. (2022). Colorado promotes apprenticeships for early childhood educators. Broomfield Leader.

In 2021, Minnesota established a grant fund, administered by the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), to fund solutions to reduce the child care shortage and support economic development across the state. The state authorized $2.5 million in spending from this fund in fiscal years 2022 and 2023. Funding is provided in the form of grants to local communities; at least 50% of the funds must go to communities outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The grant can be used toward the cost of acquiring a building as well as rehab or renovation costs; applicants may request up to $300,000. DEED uses approximately 3% of appropriated funds to administer and monitor the program. Learn more: child care economic development Grant Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. (n.d.). Child care economic development.

In 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to licensed child care providers to expand capacity in Nevada "child care deserts," defined as any census tract with more than 50 children under age 5 years that contains either no child care providers or so few options that there are more than 3 times as many children as licensed child care slots. 18 proposals out of 92 were approved. Learn More: Nevada's Child Care Expansion Grant Source: Nevada Recovers. (n.d.). Child care centers approved for federal funds.

In 2022, the Idaho Legislature approved $15 million in one-time American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for grants to create more seats in high-quality child care facilities and offset start-up costs for child care businesses and providers that want to expand. An additional $15M is requested in the FY24 budget for the WDC to continue funding the expansion of child care. The Workforce Development Council (WDC) administers the grants to the organizations administering child care. The program permits grant recipients to use the funds for needs such as facility updates, staffing, and/or renovation of buildings; any project that exceeds $1 million in capital expenditures requires additional written justification under the ARPA program. The return on investment is measured by the total number of child care seats available two years after the contract’s end date. Learn More: Idaho's Child Care Expansion Grants Sources:Idaho Workforce Development Council. (n.d.). Child Care Expansion Grants.Idaho Workforce Development Council. (2021). Child Care Expansion Grant Policy.

In 2021, in an ordinance related to its COVID-19 response, Seattle created a new fund and amended its 2021 budget to allocate funds specifically for child care capital improvements. Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funds were established under the American Rescue Plan Act to help households, businesses, and nonprofits in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The Human Services Department provided up to $5 million of these funds and up to $1 million in Community Development Block Grant funding to increase licensed capacity in preschool and child care facilities across the city. Eligible providers could apply for grants between $10,000 and $2 million; they were required to have experience serving children from birth to 5 years. Eligible activities for the grant include construction, renovation, or rehabilitation of facilities that increase the licensed capacity of direct service delivery space; and construction of new facilities that expands licensed capacity to serve children, either from the ground up or by substantially remodeling existing buildings. Awards were first issued on September 9, 2022, and will continue until December 31, 2024. Learn More: Seattle Child care facilities grant Sources:Seattle Department of Human Services. (n.d.). 2022 Child care facilities fund RFP.Seattle Department of Human Services. (2022). Question and Answer 2022 Child Care Facilities RFP.City of Seattle. (2021). Ordinance 126371.

In 2022, New Jersey created the $54.5 million New Jersey Child Care Facilities Improvement Program to provide grants to New Jersey child care providers for facilities enhancements. The program is part of the Child Care Revitalization Fund, passed by the New Jersey State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy in July 2021. Phase 1 of the program provides almost $15 million in grants of up to $200,000 to licensed child care centers in New Jersey toward the costs of facility improvements.The funds can be used to cover labor and materials costs for interior and exterior facility improvements, plus "soft" costs such as architect fees, permit fees, construction management, freight and shipping delivery, and environmental assessment. Learn More about New Jersey's facilities improvement program. Sources:New Jersey Economic Development Authority. (n.d.). New Jersey child care facilities improvement program.New Jersey Department of Human Services. (2022). New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy Launches NJ Child Care Facilities Improvement Grant.Child Care Aware of New Jersey. (n.d.). NJEDA child care facilities grant program.New Jersey Economic Development Authority. (n.d.). Child care facilities improvement pilot program.

In 2022, under Governor Janet Mills, Maine’s Office of Child and Family Services in the Department of Health and Human Services established the Child Care Infrastructure Grant Program. The program is part of a $25 million child care initiative in the governor’s Jobs Plan that includes $15 million for early childhood education. The grant program allows Maine residents to open child care businesses in their homes, transform existing buildings into quality child care spaces, and construct new child care facilities; existing child care providers may expand the number of children they serve. Priority is given to sites in rural areas that care for infants and toddlers, and that participate in the child care subsidy program. Home-based child care businesses may apply for 75 percent of their start-up costs (up to $8,500). Grants are available through 2024 or until all funds are awarded, whichever comes first. In total, the funds awarded through the Child Care Infrastructure Grant Program are expected to add more than 3,500 child care slots. Learn More: Child Care Infrastructure Grant Program Sources: State Government of Maine. (n.d.). Child care infrastructure grant program.State of Maine Office of Governor Janet T. Mills. (2022). Governor Mills Announces Launch of $10 Million Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan Grant Program to Help Child Care Businesses Start or Expand.Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (n.d.). Maine state child care infrastructure grant program.

In 2022, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte announced $18 million for the Child Care Innovation and Infrastructure Grants program, funded by the American Rescue Plan. The 31 Recipients, with grants ranging from $142,000 to $1 million, included child care providers, health care organizations, community groups and local governments working to improve child care affordability, increase access, and provide high-quality, sustainable services. The funding was intended to target areas with significant observed shortages of child care capacity (“child care deserts”), defined as any geographic area where child care supply meets less than a third of the potential demand; care during nontraditional hours; or increasing access for infants, toddlers and vulnerable populations. Learn More: child care innovation and infrastructure grants Source: Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Child care innovation and infrastructure grants.Silvers, M. (2022). Montana Free Press. Montana child care providers to receive $18 million in federal grants.

The Child Care Provider Wage Boost Program, funded in 2023 by the American Rescue Plan Act, helps eligible child care service providers with funding to bolster and preserve their existing programs in the form of a wage boost for early educators. This funding allows providers to retain or hire new employees at competitive rates. Providers who are approved for the program will be able to submit reimbursement requests to cover cost increases associated with either 1) increasing the hourly wages of existing employees, or 2) hiring new employees to meet increased child care demands.   A total of $1 million in funding is available for eligible providers, including up to $50,000 over two years per provider. The program will reimburse wage boost costs at 100% in the first year and 50% in the second year, but only up to the grant cap of $50,000. LEARN MORE: CHILD CARE PROVIDER WAGE BOOST PROGRAM Sources: City of Scranton. (2023). ARPA Childcare Service Provider Grants. City of Scranton. (2023). Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Child Care WAGE$ Iowa provides supplemental pay to early childhood educators based on their education level, quality rating level, and commitment to their early education program. WAGE$ is designed to retain and support the professional development of early education professionals; in turn, this creates a more stable workforce with the skills needed to support young children's healthy learning and development. Bonuses range from $525 to $9,200 per educator per year, with an average annual payment of $2,462. Amounts increase as educators obtain more formal education, and educators must remain in their early education program for at least six months to qualify for an award. In FY22, Child Care WAGE$ Iowa provided supplements to 1,341 educators in 585 programs. Turnover among recipients was only 8%, much lower than the estimated 26-40% turnover rate among educators in licensed child care programs nationwide. This program is part of the national Child Care WAGE$ Program. After initially launching in select counties, it is now available statewide. The Child Care WAGE$ Program supports educators and directors in center-based, family child care, and other licensed child care programs serving children from birth to 5 years old. Learn More: Iowa WAGE$ Sources: Iowa AEYC. (n.d.). Iowa WAGE$. Iowa AEYC. (2022). T.E.A.C.H. and W.A.G.E.$ Annual Report. Iowa AEYC. (2022). Child Care WAGE$ Iowa FY22 Results.

Child Care WAGE$ Nebraska provides supplemental pay to early childhood educators based on their education level and commitment to their early education program. WAGE$ is designed to retain and support the professional development of early education professionals; in turn, this creates a more stable workforce with the skills needed to support young children's healthy learning and development. Bonuses range from $300 to $3,500 per educator per year, with an average annual payment of $2,134. Amounts increase as educators obtain more formal education, and educators must remain in their early education program for at least six months to qualify for an award. In FY22, Child Care WAGE$ Nebraska provided supplements to 35 family child care educators; turnover among recipients was only 3%, much lower than the estimated 26-40% turnover rate among educators in licensed child care programs nationwide. This program is part of the national Child Care WAGE$ Program and is currently available in select counties across the state. The Child Care WAGE$ Program supports educators and directors in center-based, family child care, and other licensed child care programs serving children from birth to 5 years old. Learn More: Child Care WAGE$ Nebraska Sources: Nebraska AEYC. (n.d.). Child Care WAGE$ Nebraska. Nebraska AEYC. (n.d.). Child Care WAGE$ Nebraska: FY22 Results

Child Care WAGE$ North Carolina provides supplemental pay to early childhood educators based on their education level and commitment to their early education program. WAGE$ is designed to retain early childhood educators and support their professional development; in turn, this creates a more stable workforce with the skills needed to support young children's healthy learning and development. Bonuses range from $450 to $6,250 per educator per year, with an average payment of $2,406. Amounts increase as educators obtain more formal education, and educators must remain in their early education program for at least six months to qualify for an award. In FY22, Child Care WAGE$ North Carolina provided supplements to 4,018 early educators; turnover among recipients was 14%, which is lower than the estimated 26-40% turnover rate among educators in licensed child care programs nationwide. This program is part of the national Child Care WAGE$ Program and is available in many counties across the state. The Child Care WAGE$ Program supports educators and directors in center-based, family child care, and other licensed child care programs serving children from birth to 5 years old. Learn More: Child Care WAGE$® Sources:Child Care Services Association. (n.d.). Child Care WAGE$® Child Care Services Association. (n.d.). Child Care WAGE$ Results.