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. In 2024, Governor Phil Murphy announced $17 million in surplus American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to bolster the Child Care Facilities Improvement Program, noting that the state expects to fully fund the projects of all eligible applicants in the program’s first phase.  The same year, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Board approved a second phase of the program, authorizing $5 million to provide grants between $10,000 and $20,000 to registered family child care programs to make upgrades to facilities or equipment. As of August 2025, applications for Phase 2 were still being reviewed.  Learn More about New Jersey's facilities improvement program Sources:New Jersey Economic Development Authority. (n.d.). New Jersey child care facilities improvement program.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 March 2024, Governor Kay Ivey signed HB 358, creating the Alabama Child Care Facility Tax Credit, which supports the expansion, improvement, and operation of child care facilities through tax credits for child care providers.   Alabama child care providers who own and operate a qualified child care facility licensed by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, and who participate in the Quality Rating and Improvement System (Quality STARS) and the Child Care Subsidy Program, are eligible for the tax incentive.   Through the tax credit, a child care provider can receive $1,000 to $2,000 per child who is enrolled and receiving child care assistance, depending on the facility’s quality rating under the Alabama Quality STARS program. An eligible child care provider may receive a credit of up to $25,000 per year, which can be used for income taxes, financial institution excise taxes, insurance premium taxes, or utility license taxes.  The tax credit has an annual aggregate cap of $5 million for all child care providers; 25% of that is reserved for child care facilities that operate exclusively in rural areas. The tax credits went into effect on January 1, 2025, and will end on December 31, 2027, unless the legislature extends them.  learn more: child care facility tax credit Sources: Women's Foundation of Alabama. (2024). Alabama Child Care Tax Credits: Understanding the Basics. Alabama Department of Revenue. (2025). Facility Tax Credit — General Guidelines. Alabama Department of Revenue. (n.d.). Procedures for Childcare Facility Tax Credit.

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.

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.

In 2024, New Hampshire legislators passed SB404, directing the state’s Department of Health and Human Services Division of Economic Stability to establish a pilot program to provide child care assistance  for the child care workforce. The legislature appropriated $2.3 million to  administer and manage the program, which began on January 1, 2025 and will formally end June 30, 2027. However, participating educators will receive child care assistance for only six months. The remainder of the program will be spent determining whether the assistance benefit for child care professionals produced a positive outcome for the child care workforce.  Under the program, child care providers in households earning up to 100% of the state’s median income will have their child care costs capped at 7% of their household income. Eligible participants must work in a New Hampshire– based, licensed child care center, licensed home child care center, or license-exempt center that is registered and enrolled with the state of New Hampshire to accept child care scholarships . Educators may apply through New Hampshire’s existing child care scholarship program.  learn more: Child care workforce assistance pilot program Sources: New Futures. (2025, January 2). Child Care for Child Care Teachers Pilot Program in Effect. Legiscan. (2024). Bill Text: New Hampshire Senate Bill 404.