On July 5, 2023, the Iowa Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) launched a two-year pilot program to expand access to the state’s Child Care Assistance (CCA) program in an effort to better support childcare workers and enhance the quality of childcare. The pilot allowed child care workers to qualify for CCA even if their household income exceeded the standard eligibility limit.  The pilot builds on the existing CCA program, which is funded by state general funds and federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).  To qualify, a parent or guardian must:

• work at least 32 hours per week in a direct care position at a licensed child care center, or; 
• be registered as a child development home provider, or;
• operate as a non-registered child care home that accepts CCA. 

Applicants must meet all CCA eligibility requirements other than household income. Once approved, the child must be cared for by someone other than their parent or guardian. However, they can attend the same child care location where their parents work, as long as someone else provides their care. Families are eligible to apply if their children are under 13 years old, or under 19 if the child has special needs. The families will be assessed for how much they need to pay in co-pay and to help the state know how much funding to provide. The program was approved on May 20, 2025 to be extended for another year; parents can apply until June 30, 2026.  learn more: child care workforce pilot program Sources: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. (2025, October). Child Care Assistance (CCA) for the Child Care Workforce Frequently Asked Questions. Page, R. (2023, July 6). Child Care Assistance (CCA) Pilot Program for the Child Care Workforce. Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral. Iowa Office of the Governor. (2025, May 20). Gov. Reynolds advances child care solutions with full-day continuum of care grants and new statewide fund. Iowa Legislative Services Agency. (2016, September 20). Budget Unit Brief FY 2017. 

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 June 2022, the San Carlos City Council unanimously approved an amendment to the San Carlos Municipal Code to charge developers a child care impact fee for any new commercial, industrial, or office projects in the city. The Childcare Development Impact Fee can range from $1.60 to $5 per square foot, depending on the type of project.  Fee revenue is used for capital projects including building new child care centers, acquiring land to be used for child care services, or providing grants to child care programs to upgrade or expand their spaces to serve more children. Grants were first awarded in 2024. Nonprofit, for-profit, faith-based, and in-home early learning programs that serve children ages 4 and under are eligible to apply for up to $100,000 in funding. The city has five years after a permit is requested to use the collected impact fees.  Developers can avoid paying the impact fee by building a child care center on-site and contracting with a licensed child care provider to run it. On-site programs must meet state licensing requirements and local regulatory requirements.  As of August 2024, San Carlos had collected over $1 million in impact fees.  learn more: childcare development impact fee Sources: City of San Carlos Finance Division. (2022, November 28). City of San Carlos Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. City of San Carlos. (2022). San Carlos Municipal Code, Chapter 8.52: Child Care Development Impact Fees. Mata, A. (2024, August 14). San Carlos pilots child care grant program. San Mateo Daily Journal.

In August 2020, the Seattle City Council voted unanimously to pass the Childcare Near You ordinance, amending the city’s Land Use Code to allow child care centers to operate in all commercial and residential zones, including areas zoned for single-family housing.  Advocates for the ordinance hoped that it would remove regulatory barriers to creating new in-home child care businesses in Seattle by reducing the time and costs associated with the permitting process.  learn more: childcare near you ordinance Sources: Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections. (n.d.). Childcare Ordinance - What & Why. Peha, J. (2020, August 17). Councilmember Strauss’ Childcare Near You Ordinance Passes. Seattle City Council Blog. Bicknell Argerious, N. (2020, August 21). New Seattle Law Opens Door to Childcare within a 15-Minute Walk of Every Home. The Urbanist. Childcare Near You Ordinance (2020).

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 July 2021, the Massachusetts Legislature allocated $418 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) funds to create the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) Grants, a program to ameloriate the financial burdens that early education and care providers faced during the pandemic. Administered by the Department of Early Education and Care, the non-competitive monthly grants support licensed early education and care providers’ day-to-day operational and workforce costs.  C3 Grants can be used for personnel costs, benefits, stipends, and other supports for recruitment and retention; professional development; supplies, and classroom materials; and rent or mortgage payments, utilities, facilities maintenance and improvements, or insurance.  In FY2023, C3 Grants were funded using $468 million in both federal and state resources; in FY2024, with federal relief funding no longer available, the program was funded using $475 million in state general funds and funds from the Early Education and Care Trust Fund. In FY2025, the governor committed to fund C3 at $475 million, using general funds, the remaining amount in the EEC Trust Fund, and income surtax resources.  learn more: Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) Grants Sources: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. (n.d.). Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) Grants. Bergeron, V. (n.d.). Importance of C3 Continuation for the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Taxpayers Association. Reale, H. (2024, July 24). Mass. lawmakers step up child care funding with $1.5 billion proposal. GBH.

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.  LEARN MORE: COMMUNITY COLLEGE TUITION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM 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.