Rhode Island’s Early Educator Pandemic Retention Bonuses were issued to eligible employees in 2022 using $18.7 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund (SFRF). This program invested in early educators by offering bonuses to direct care staff employed at  Rhode Island Department of Human Services – licensed child care programs.   In spring 2022, the state’s Pandemic Relief Office authorized additional funds from the ARPA SFRF to extend this grant program for FY23 and FY24. Eligible educators received up to $3,000 annually, issued as four quarterly bonuses.  learn more: early educator pandemic retention bonuses Sources: Rhode Island Department of Human Services. (2024, June 3). Early Educator Pandemic Retention Bonus Program Overview. Rhode Island Department of Human Services. (2024, June 3). Frequently Asked Questions. Rhode Island Children's Cabinet. (n.d.). Funding Opportunities.

Since 2018, through the City of Burlington’s Early Learning Initiative (ELI) Capacity Grant Program, child care providers have been eligible for grant funding for construction and capital improvements to public or commercial buildings so that they can serve more infants and toddlers. The ELI grants fund projects that increase the availability of high-quality infant and toddler child care slots for children from Burlington families of all income levels. From 2018 to 2022, the Capacity Grant program awarded $785,000 to help create three new child care centers, support construction and capital improvements, and stabilize 166 enrolled spots at high-quality child care centers.  The ELI has increased access to high-quality child care for low-income Burlington children by providing scholarships and creating additional spots in high-quality childcare programs in Burlington for children from birth to three years old. The Capacity Grants are a component of that effort, focused on increasing the number of infant and toddler child care slots available in the City of Burlington. The ELI was founded in 2017 to help all Burlingtonians access high-quality, affordable child care, specifically for infants and toddlers. ELI achieves this by (1) giving direct financial support to families in need through the First Steps Scholarship, and (2) supporting childcare centers in individual and organizational learning. LEARN MORE: BURLINGTON EARLY LEARNING INITIATIVE Sources: City of Burlington Early Learning Initiative. (n.d.). Programs for Child Care Providers. City of Burlington Early Learning Initiative. (2021). Capacity Grant Application.

The Early Learning Facilities program in Washington State offers $15 million in annual funding opportunities to support the expansion, remodeling, purchase, or construction of early learning facilities for children from low-income households. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, public entities, K-12 schools and districts, tribes, and for-profit businesses. Funding consists of competitive grants, direct appropriations from the State Legislature, and a grant and loan program. Grants are provided only for capital projects, such as acquisition, design, engineering, construction management, construction, and capitalized equipment costs. The State Legislature established the program via RCW 43.31.565 to 43.31.583. Direct appropriation projects receive awards through the capital budget. In 2024, Washington provided $26.9 million for early learning facilities across the state, including $4.5 million for competitive grants, $2.35 million for minor renovation projects, and $20.38 million for 14 designated projects.  Learn More: Early Learning Facilities Program Sources:Washington State Department of Commerce. (2021). ELF Direct Appropriations #2 Program Guidelines.State Government of Washington. (2021). Substitute House Bill 1080.

In July 2023, the City of Providence, in partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), distributed grants through the Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program to early learning facilities and family child care providers to help them plan space renovations, conduct assessments of overall suitability of spaces, and proceed with capital building improvements. Funded by both the American Rescue Plan Act and the city's general operating budget, the program enables providers to address urgent health and safety issues, expand their physical capacity, or come into compliance with licensing regulations. In the program's first year, 24 child care centers—including 16 home-based providers and 8 center-based providers— received a total of $1 million in total grants. The Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program will run for two years.  Learn more: early learning infrastructure support program Sources: City of Providence. (2023). Mayor Smiley, LISC Awards 24 Early Child Care Providers Over One Million Dollars in Infrastructure Grants. Providence Business News. (2023). Providence awards $1M in Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program grants.

In 2023, leaders in Harris County allocated $16.4 million in Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to launch the Early Learning Quality Networks (ELQN) program. ELQN aims to elevate community voices, foster local solutions, and strengthen local leadership and capacity. Overseen by Harris County’s Early Childhood Initiatives Team, ELQN is funded through 2026.  ELQN empowers four Local Network Organizations (LNOs) in five targeted Harris County communities to develop and implement Child Care Quality Action Plans (CCQAPs) tailored to their needs. Through this community-driven approach, ELQN encourages parents, child care providers, and other local stakeholders to identify challenges and opportunities related to early care and education, ensuring that each action plan reflects the unique needs of the community it serves.  The program is supported by a Network Support Hub, Children at Risk, and four local partner organizations: Harris County Public Library, VN Teamwork, East Harris County Empowerment Council, and the YMCA of Greater Houston. These organizations work closely with the targeted communities by forming advisory committees to gather insights on local child care conditions, design Child Care Quality Action Plans, and mobilize resources to implement these strategies effectively.  LEARN MORE: EARLY LEARNING QUality networks program Sources: Harris County Public Library. (2023, October 20). Harris County Commissioners Court Boosts Early Learning Initiatives with Child Care Quality Improvement Grants. Children at Risk. (2024, November 22). Harris County Early Learning Quality Network (ELQN) Announces Next Project Phase to Invest in Early Learning Environments.

In 2022, Harris County launched the Brighter Futures for Harris County Kids Initiative, a comprehensive effort to enhance the well-being of young and vulnerable residents through an $84 million investment of ARPA funds. The initiative includes five programs for children ages zero to three, including the Early Reach Program. Early Reach aims to establish 1,000 new high-quality childcare slots, using a $26 million budget allocated from ARPA funds. This pilot program, which will run for 2-4 years with the potential to be continued by the Harris County Commissioners, targets children aged 0-4 in high-need areas. learn more: early reach program Sources: Defender Network News Service. (2022). Brighter Futures for Harris County Kids Initiative launched. Gordon, M. (2023). Affordable day care is hard to find. A new Harris County program could help fix that. Houston Landing. Early Reach.(n.d.). What is Early REACH (Raising Educational Access for Children in Harris County)?

In 2017, Pennsylvania established the Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship Program, a career pathway that combines college coursework, coaching, and on-the-job learning assessments. Participants can transition from a Child Development Assistant certification to receive an associate degree and/or a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education while working in an early childhood classroom. Each apprentice works with a peer coach who provides onsite coaching and mentorship. The program is funded through the 1199c Training & Upgrading Fund. Employers can support apprentices through a combination of credit-bearing on-the-job learning, classroom instruction, mentorship, and credit for prior learning, and employers are expected to provide incremental wage increases as apprentices advance in their training. Learn More: The Pennsylvania Key Sources: The Pennsylvania Key. (n.d.). Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship. National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning. (n.d.). The Pennsylvania ECE apprenticeship program. Child Trends. (2019). Spotlight on Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship Program.

Created in 2005, the Education Legacy Trust Account (ELTA) supports educational priorities in Washington state, including early learning and child care. ELTA originally prioritized K-12 schools and access to higher education, but Washington’s legislature added early learning and child care as temporary allowable uses in the 2015-17, 2017-19, and 2019-21 Biennia, before permanently adding these uses through the Fair Start for Kids Act in 2021.  ELTA was originally funded by estate and cigarette taxes but is now funded by a 7% excise tax on capital gains over $262,000 (that is, gains generated from the sale or exchange of long-term capital assets). This tax was authorized by the state legislature in 2021 and went into effect in 2022. The revenue it generates — which came to just under $900 million in 2023, the first year of collection — is distributed through ELTA according to a formula set by statute. It includes a $386 million appropriation to the state’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in the 2023-25 budget.  DCYF’s ELTA appropriation supports early learning by funding portions of the Fair Start for Kids Act that were previously funded by federal stimulus dollars. This includes funding for the Working Connections Child Care and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), the state’s child care subsidy programs. The funds are allocated  for expanding income eligibility and reducing family copayments for Working Connections, increasing child care provider rates, enhancing the rate for infants, and covering other costs to DCYF for implementing the Fair Start for Kids Act.  The capital gains tax has survived notable pushback, including a 2022 lawsuit challenging the tax’s constitutionality brought before the Washington State Supreme Court. It also survived a 2024 ballot initiative to repeal it, spearheaded by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood.  learn more: education legacy trust account and capital gains tax Sources: Washington State Budget and Policy Center. (n.d.). Washington state’s capital gains tax boosts investments in kids from Omak to Ocean Shores. Start Early Washington. (2024, July 24). The Education Legacy Trust Account, Capital Gains and Early Learning in Washington State. Washington State Department of Revenue. (2024, January 17). Capital Gains Excise Tax generates $896 million for education, school construction. Blanford, Stephan. (2022, March 24). Big Win for Washington Kids and Families! Court Upholds Capital Gains Tax. Children's Alliance. Washington State Legislature. (2024). Chapter 82.87: Capital Gains Tax.

Created in 2022 with funding from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Empower to Educate is a workforce development program offering financial support, free training options, job skills training, job placement support, and connections to mentorship opportunities. Participants can also receive ongoing support from a local Workforce Advisor. Empower to Educate provides one-on-one, individualized support to each participant. Workforce Advisors can help participants navigate the early education system for individual coursework, complete the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, and make connections to college-level courses and T.E.A.C.H. scholarship opportunities. Learn more: Child Care Aware Minnesota Sources: Child Care Aware Minnesota. (2022). Empower to Educate is Launched. Child Care Aware Minnesota. (n.d.). Professional Development.

Launched in March 2020 as part of Illinois' broader ExceleRate Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), the 3-year ExceleRate Pilot Project sought to test new approaches to quality improvement, including a "compensation first" strategy for promoting retention and enhancing program quality. 38 programs participated in the pilot project; all programs were in rural counties and served a relatively high proportion of subsidy-eligible children (at least 40%). Participating programs were required and supported to pay a minimum baseline salary according to a salary scale based on educators' and directors' educational attainment and role. In FY2022, minimum compensation ranged from $12.25 per hour (for a teacher assistant with no credential) to $20.50 per hour (for an employee with a Level III Illinois Director Credential). This pilot was implemented through a partnership between the Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development and the Illinois Department of Human Services using federal Preschool Development Grant Birth-Five dollars. It will continue in the future under the "Smart Start Quality Support Program (SSQS)" name. Learn More: ExceleRate Pilot Project Sources: ExceleRate Illinois. (n.d.). Pilot Project. ExceleRate Illinois. (2022). FY22 Salary Scale.

In 2022, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an Executive Order on Inclusion of Daycare Facilities (IDF), which helps expand access to high-quality child care options throughout the city. For the previous 30 years, the IDF zoning regulations had required certain large developments to build child care programs on-site or contribute to the creation of off-site child care programs by contributing to a fund that supports and enhances child care across the city. The amount of each child care contribution had been subject to negotiation, resulting in inconsistencies in enforcement. The 2022 executive order instead establishes a transparent formula for developers to adhere to, based on a Boston Planning and Development Agency assessment. In turn, their contributions are directed to a child care fund (instead of creating child care programs), providing a stable funding source for the City’s Office of Early Childhood to expand high-quality child care programs. As of May 2023, about 3 million square feet of development was under review, which is expected to generate an estimated $3.5 million in contributions to the child care fund. The Office of Early Childhood will use this money to expand high-quality child care programs and services in high-need areas of Boston by issuing grants to providers and providing training and technical assistance opportunities. Learn More: Boston's Child Care Zoning Regulations Source: City of Boston. (2022). Executive order issued to strengthen child care zoning regulations.

The California Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Early Educator Apprenticeship Program provides apprenticeships for educators in family child care (FCC), center-based child care, and Head Start programs. The FCC Apprenticeship provides training for family child care providers and covers the cost of tuition, books, a laptop, a Child Development Permit application, and the required background check. Participants receive monthly "wage enhancements" of $100 to $450 after completing four months of the program. The program is run as a cohort model, and coaches visit apprentices twice per month. FCC apprentices earn credentials that culminate in California’s Child Development Permits. Permits are not mandated for licensed FCC providers, but FCC providers who choose to enroll in the state’s Quality Rating Improvement System, Quality Counts California, will earn points tied to funding as they obtain credentials. Funding comes mostly from state and federal initiatives for workforce development. Since its inception, Early Educator Apprenticeship Program staff have raised over $4 million in grant funding, primarily from the California Apprenticeship Initiative and the Workforce Accelerator Fund, with roughly $1.2 million supporting the FCC program. The program has been supported by two California Apprenticeship Initiative grants, four Workforce Accelerator Fund grants, and in-kind donations from individual program sponsors. Learn More: California Department of Education Sources: Franchino, E. (2020). An Apprenticeship in California Designed for Family Child Care Providers. New America. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. (2019). Strengthening the Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Identity of Early Educators. Learning Policy Institute. (2019). Promising Models for Preparing a Diverse, High-Quality Early Childhood Workforce.