Started in 2019, the Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee program rewards early childhood educators with financial incentives based on education and employment continuity in hopes of increasing teacher retention. First funded by the City of Chattanooga over a six-month period, the program awarded $75,000 in supplements to 73 educators from 29 centers. The program was then expanded statewide by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS). WAGE$ has awarded more than $4 million in salary supplements across Tennessee to educators. To be eligible, child care professionals should earn at or below the income cap of $20 per hour, and they must work with children ages birth to 5 at least 10 hours a week in a licensed child care program. Levels of salary supplements are specific to the educator’s level of education, and supplements are issued in two six-month direct-deposit payments following completion with the same child care program. Through its department of human services, Tennessee also offers various professional development to early educators, including trainings (both in person and online), a registry, a resource-sharing platform for directors and owners, and tech coaching. WAGE$ is now funded through TDHS and is administered by Signal Centers. 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$ Tennessee Sources: Child Care Wage$ Tennessee. (n.d.). About Us. Child Care Wage$ Tennessee. (2022). Fact Sheet. Tennessee Department of Human Services. (n.d.). Child Care Incentives, Grants and Supports. Tennessee Department of Human Services. (n.d.). TNPAL, Training and Professional Development Resources.

Since November 2021, Alabama educators in licensed child care programs have been eligible for quarterly bonus payments of $3,000 (full-time employees) or $1,500 (part-time employees). These bonuses are designed to help recruit and retain educators as the early education field continues to recover from the pandemic. Bonuses are delivered to educators via a grant to the child care programs that employ them; since the program began, the state has administered grants to nearly 7,000 programs across the state. In the last quarter of 2022, nearly 12,000 educators received a bonus through this program. Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, the program is slated to end in September 2023. Learn More: Alabama Department of Human Resources Sources: Alabama Department of Human Resources. (2021). Alabama DHR Announces Grants for Stabilizing Child Care Workforce. Alabama Department of Human Resources (2023). Application period starts next week for 6th round of child care bonuses.

In 2000, House Bill 706 allocated 25% of the Kentucky Tobacco Settlement Fund to support early childhood programs. Kentucky provides three apprenticeship options in early childhood education: the Child Development Specialist Youth Apprenticeship, Early Childhood Instructor Apprenticeship, and Early Childhood Program Administrator/Director Apprenticeship. Apprentices in these programs receive a national journey worker credential, graduated pay raises, and bonuses while working in a high-quality early care and education program. Employers do not have to bear any training costs, as progressive wage increases, mentor stipends, and milestone achievements are all covered by the apprenticeship program. High school juniors and seniors are eligible for the Youth Apprenticeship. Students enrolled in a registered Apprenticeship Program can also earn 9-12 college credit hours in an Early Childhood Program through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. The majority of Youth Apprentices graduate with a Child Development Assistant certification. Learn more: Kentucky Career Center Sources: Kentucky Governor's Office of Early Childhood. (n.d.). Growing the Early Childhood Workforce: Apprenticeships. Kentucky Governor's Office of Early Childhood. (n.d.). Growing the Early Childhood Workforce: Youth Apprenticeships. Kentucky Governor's Office of Early Childhood. (n.d.). Leadership.

In 2016 and again in 2020, taxpayers in the Cincinnati Public School District approved a 5-year levy (for a total of 10 years) to expand access to high-quality preschool for the city’s three- and four-year-old children. The tax generates $15 million per year for this effort, and $33 million per year to strengthen K-12 education in the district.  The measure’s approval created Cincinnati Preschool Promise, a program that uses the levy’s revenue to help low-income families afford tuition, boost the wages of early childhood educators, and increase the quality of preschools operating in the city. As of 2023, Cincinnati Preschool Promise had provided tuition assistance to 9,878 three- and four-year-old children in both public preschool programs and preschool programs run by community providers. Most of the program’s funds have gone to expanding access to preschool, with over $53 million spent on tuition assistance. LEARN MORE: CINCINNATI PRESCHOOL PROMISE Sources: Cincinnati Preschool Promise. (n.d.). What We Do. Harris, R. (2022). Cincinnati Preschool Promise: "Where Every Kid Has Access to a High-Quality Preschool." Children's Funding Project. Cincinnati Preschool Promise. (2023). Impact Report.

In 2022, Mayor Michelle Wu announced the creation of the City of Boston Office of Early Childhood (OEC) to further the City’s commitment to universal, affordable, high-quality early education and care for all children under five, making OEC a key partner to the state Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the Boston Universal Pre-K (UPK) program. The OEC aims to expand access to early education and child care programs, invest in Boston’s early education and care workforce, and serve as a central point of entry for residents looking for information on early education and child care programming and wraparound services for young children and their families. With the support of the OEC, Boston's UPK program plans to integrate family child care programs as approved providers during the 2023–24 school year. This expansion means Boston UPK’s mixed-delivery system will include three types of settings: Boston Public Schools (BPS) classrooms, community-based organizations, and family child care. BPS and OEC will partner with 20 family child care providers, members of the UPK Advisory Board, and other experts to design the new family child care UPK program. Learn more: Boston Universal Pre-K Source: City of Boston (2022). Office of Early Childhood Created to Prioritize Wellbeing of Young Children and Families.

In 2019, Jared Polis was elected governor of Colorado; his first term in office saw the passage of several significant pieces of early childhood legislation, including the creation of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. This new agency combined all early childhood programs previously housed in the departments of Human Services and Education. The Department Early Childhood and Universal Preschool Program (HB22-1295) bill created the new Department of Early Childhood responsible for implementing the state’s universal preschool program and included $13 million or key administrative functions. High-level political leadership and a cabinet-level position paired with authority and commitment from the executive and the legislature can elevate and strengthen early childhood outcomes across the state or city. While the creation of a new department will not automatically create better outcomes for children, it can provide the structure and coordination needed to improve early education quality and accessibility across a state or city (Kagan, 2015). Learn More: Early Childhood System | Colorado General Assembly Sources:Department Early Childhood And Universal Preschool Program | Colorado General AssemblyEarly Childhood Leadership Commission (n.d.). Statewide Listening Tour.Bipartisan Policy Center (2023). Integrated Efficient Early Care and Education SystemsConnors-Tadros, L., Northey, K., Frede, E., Hodges, K. & Jost, T. (2021). Effective State Offices of Early Learning: Structural Features, Enabling Conditions, and Key Functions in Four States. Research Report. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research.Kagan, L. and Gomez, R. (Eds.). (2015) Early Childhood Governance: Choices and Consequences. Teachers College Press.

In 2020, Colorado voters approved Proposition EE, which more than tripled state taxes on cigarettes, tobacco, and vaping products, and established a dedicated funding stream for the state's universal pre-K program. Proposition EE generated $208 million in tax revenue in fiscal year 2021-22, about $22 million more than was estimated. In 2023, a follow up proposition, Proposition II, was approved to allow the state to retain and use the $23 million excess revenue from increased and new taxes established by Proposition EE, instead of refunding it to distributors and wholesalers. In addition, Proposition II maintains the same tax rates as Proposition EE. Learn More/Source: Proposition EE, Nicotine Tax Measure for Universal Preschool, Cruises to Victory

In 2023, Colorado launched its Universal Preschool Program to provide free, high-quality preschool education to all four-year-olds in the state, with special provisions for three-year-olds from low-income families or those who meet other qualifying criteria. Overseen by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), the program uses a streamlined enrollment process to make quality preschool more accessible. It also includes a family matching system, which lets parents choose from a range of licensed preschool providers, including school-based, community-based, and home-based options. Licensed preschool providers can participate in the program by agreeing to uphold its quality standards. Learn More: Colorado Universal Preschool program Sources: Zelinger, M. (2023). Proposed rule change for Universal Pre-K could help Coloradans next year. 9News Denver. Colorado Department of Early Childhood. (n.d.). Universal Preschool Family Information.

In 2022, the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) established the Community College Tuition Partnership Program, which is funded by the San Diego Quality Preschool Initiative (SDQPI) and First 5 San Diego. SDCOE partners with community colleges across the county to offer free tuition for early childhood educators to attain their associate degree in child development. The program also covers costs associated with technology, books, and other necessary resources. Those eligible for tuition assistance include teachers, instructional aides, support staff, and administrators employed at sites that participate in SDQPI.  Sources: San Diego County Office of Education. (n.d.). Workforce Investment Program Tuition Assistance. San Diego County Office of Education. (2022). SDQPI and First 5 San Diego Partner to Provide Free Tuition to Early Education Providers.

First implemented as CARES 2.0 using funds from fiscal years 2017 and 2018, CARES 3.0 is the newest version of a stipend program designed to support more than 2,000 early educators working across San Francisco's city-funded center-based and family child care (FCC) programs. The city anticipates investing $60 million annually to support this program. To be eligible for stipends, educators must:

• Be employed by an Early Learning Scholarship (ELS; San Francisco’s subsidy system) or Preschool for All (PFA) program that has been deemed eligible by the Department of Early Childhood, and;
• Work directly with children for at least 20 hours per week

Awards are determined based on educator role, part-time or full-time status, education level and experience, and proportion of subsidy-eligible children served. Stipends begin at $4,000 and increase to $39,100 per educator or FCC owner per year; higher amounts are reserved for those with the highest educational attainment and percentage of subsidy-receiving children served. FCC owners are eligible for the highest stipend amounts.This program is paid for through a commercial rent tax passed in 2018 (Prop C, referred to as "Baby" Prop C, a Commercial Rent Tax for Childcare and Early Education). Learn More: CARES 3.0 Sources: San Francisco Office of Early Childhood. (2023). CARES 3.0. San Francisco Office of Early Childhood. (2023). CARES 3.0. Eligible Programs. San Francisco Office of Early Childhood. (2023). CARES 3.0 FAQs. San Francisco Office of Early Childhood. (2023). CARES 3.0 Stipend Amounts.

Announced in November 2022, New Mexico’s Competitive Pay for Professionals (CPP) program provides a $3-per-hour pay increase for all eligible child care employees, including educators, administrative staff, food services staff, and others with an active background clearance. Licensed centers and homes providing child care services, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, and Tribal Child Care and Development Block Grant funded programs are eligible to participate in the program, which will reach an estimated 16,000+ early education staff across the state. The program was initially funded using $77 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars. Learn More: Competitive Pay for ​Professionals Grant Opportunity Sources: New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department. (2022). Competitive Pay for ​Professionals (CPP) Grant Opportunity.

Launched in 2021 by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Connecticut’s ECE Reporter is an integrated data system for internal use that replaced the state’s former Early Childhood Information System. The system acts as a warehouse of demographic, program, and individual data collected from state-funded early childhood programs. All program- and child-level data is private and accessible only to administrators from the Office of Early Childhood; program- and child-level data for individual programs is also accessible to the lead administrator at each program. Other agencies may receive aggregate, deidentified information, which may be linked to the Department of Education's statewide longitudinal data systems (e.g., Connecticut P-20). The data is used for program payment, public funding, reporting, and research on early care and education. Learn More: Connecticut ECE Reporter