Which states are moving fastest on childcare access?

Requires DHS to establish an Early Learning Services Contracts Program by July 1, 2026 that contracts licensed infant, toddler, and group child care centers to reserve seats for families eligible for federally funded child care subsidies, stabilizing provider operations via fixed contracts; sunsets June 30, 2028.

Expands eligibility for the Preschool Open Doors program to include children aged two to five, removes the prior requirement that providers be accredited, and supports affordable early learning with minimal parent copayments.

Establishes an Early Learning Apprenticeship Grant Program at the University of Hawaii providing financial support to early learning providers in approved apprenticeship programs, prioritizing infant/toddler providers and covering wages, training, mentorship, and administrative costs.

Establishes an Early Learning Cooperative Program in DHS to address high childcare costs and access, blending professional care with structured parental involvement and Native Hawaiian cultural/place-based learning, with phased expansion, training, and legislative reporting.

Establishes a pilot to create two state-employee child care centers on Oahu (near the capitol and in Kapolei) to provide affordable care for eligible children of state employees, with DAGS operating them at minimal fees; repeals June 30, 2030.

Redirects Early Childhood Educator Stipend Program repayment funds into the Early Learning Special Fund and repeals the separate Early Childhood Educator Special Fund, consolidating funding mechanisms (effective date set far out at July 1, 2050).

Renames the Employment Related Day Care subsidy program the 'Oregon Child Care Affordability Program,' revises and expands eligibility, payment structures and quality incentives, enhances background checks, mandates stakeholder engagement to reduce waitlists, and updates childcare-related tax credits.

Directs the Department of Early Learning and Care to establish a child care provider incentive program (including micro centers) financed by a dedicated Child Care Provider Incentive Fund, offering loan repayment subsidies, stipends, scholarships and housing assistance, with eligibility criteria and fund prioritization.

Authorizes school district boards to provide play-based learning during instructional time for students in prekindergarten through grade five, defines play-based learning, and directs the Department of Education to provide professional development in play-based pedagogy for educators and childcare providers.

Establishes a statewide unified public-private early childhood care and education system so every child enters kindergarten ready to learn; requires DOE to maintain funding-need calculations by cost methodology and parental demand to allocate and expand child care slots, especially in underserved regions.

Senate companion establishing a unified statewide public-private early childhood system with funding calculations based on cost estimates and parental demand, multi-agency coordination, and annual reporting on funding needs and slot allocations.

Expands the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education to 32 members charged with recommending and tracking financing for a comprehensive birth-to-five system, using a cost-of-quality model and longitudinal data to improve access, affordability, and workforce.

Establishes a phased subsidy reduction model so families do not abruptly lose child care assistance from small income increases, replacing a hard eligibility cutoff with incremental income tiers.

Establishes a statewide unified public-private early childhood system with a cost-of-quality funding formula, an Early Childhood Care and Education Fund, and annual reporting on slot needs and revenues.

Mandates a phased reduction model for the Child Care Subsidy Program with income tiers and proportional subsidy reductions capped at 10% per tier to prevent sudden loss of assistance.

Creates the Maine Child Care Affordability Program Child Care Award to support child care costs for eligible providers and educators, introduces a tiered Salary Sustainability Program to raise wages for child care professionals, implements scholarship and apprenticeship programs for workforce training, updates early-childhood CTE offerings, and requires a long-term financial sustainability plan.

Expands public preschool programs to include 3-year-old children (including those with disabilities) beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, revising funding, enrollment eligibility, and implementation rules to increase access to early childhood education.

Concept-draft bill to update state law with support and sustainability measures for Maine's child care workforce, addressing current challenges facing early childhood educators.

Makes supplemental General Fund and other-fund appropriations across state government for FY2026 and FY2027, including funding touching Health and Human Services and Education early-childhood functions among many departments.

Increases reimbursement rates tied to the minimum wage for essential support workers, improves workforce data collection, advances technology to mitigate staffing shortages, and standardizes training and credentialing over a five-year plan (touches the child care workforce among care sectors).

Establishes a centralized Office for Early Learning; provides direct financial support to childcare providers, expands eligibility for childcare assistance, creates compensation standards for early childhood educators, and pilots a public childcare option; phases in expanded subsidies and caps family co-payments by income, treating childcare as a public good comparable to K-12 education.

Amends the voluntary quality rating system so that, for school-age childcare programs in RIDE-certified school buildings, facility-based elements of quality tools (e.g., SACERS) are deemed met or treated neutrally, preventing physical-environment factors from lowering program ratings while keeping all health, safety and licensing requirements.

Establishes the Tri-Share child care program, a cost-sharing model where employers cover at least a third of employee childcare expenses supplemented by state funds, plus a voluntary CareShare arrangement; administered by the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential.

Creates the Tri-Share child care workplace benefit program and dedicated fund, a cost-sharing system among employers, employees, and the state, administered to pay childcare providers and support recruitment and program operations.

Amends the State School Aid Act with FY2025-26 appropriations and program requirements, including early childhood education funding among broad K-12 provisions.

Appropriates $640.5M for the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential for FY2025-26, including specific early childhood education program implementation and higher-education coordination.

Commemorative resolution designating May 8, 2026 as Child Care Provider Appreciation Day, acknowledging providers' role and highlighting challenges in Michigan's childcare system.

Establishes the Governor's Task Force on the Governance of Early Childhood Education and Care, tasked with reviewing administrative structures and submitting policy and budget recommendations by 12/1/2026 to improve program quality, efficiency, and accessibility; administratively attached to the Texas Education Agency.

Proposes a constitutional amendment creating the Child Care Protection and Enhancement Fund as a trust fund outside the state treasury to expand childcare capacity and enhance state-subsidized care rates, funded by legislative appropriations, donations, and investment earnings.

Amends the Human Resources Code to specify that training for childcare facility employees and operators must be age-appropriate and delivered by qualified entities (registered trainers, educators, licensed professionals, experienced child-development workers) to improve care standards.

Establishes a Supporting Life Pilot Program providing comprehensive services (housing, childcare, education, and health) to pregnant teens and young parents at a centralized facility in a populous county, overseen by an advisory board.

Amends the Purchase of Care program to make full-time post-secondary students pursuing associate/baccalaureate degrees eligible for child care assistance, and excludes certain educational financial aid from income calculations.

Incrementally raises Purchase of Care income eligibility from 200% to 275% of the Federal Poverty Level over five years starting October 1, 2026, with capped copayments during phase-out and annual demographic reporting.

Amends the Child Care Subsidy (Purchase of Care) program to specify eligibility for those seeking/retaining employment or in training, sets a 90-day eligibility window for job-seekers, and establishes copayment and summer-provider pre-authorization rules.

Increases Delaware's child and dependent care expense tax credit from 50% to 100% of the federal credit amount, capped at tax otherwise due, and clarifies rules for spouses filing separately.

Establishes a dedicated fund from taxes/fees on vapor and hemp-derived products to support three pilots: the Child Care Workforce Scholarship Pilot, CareShare Tennessee (employer-supported childcare cost-share), and Smart Steps Plus: each designed to reduce childcare costs and increase workforce participation, with mandated annual independent reporting.

Creates Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee to provide tenure- and wage-based supplemental payments to childcare workers, plus a second program giving assistance payments and priority licensed-care access to early childhood educators who are also parents, with annual inflation adjustments funded from existing childcare improvement funds.

Childcare/early-education access bill sponsored by Sen. Oliver with co-prime Sen. Campbell; advanced through second consideration to Senate Education before failing in committee, reflecting Democratic push on early childhood access.

Web-sourced (NELIS / LegiScan / Nevada Independent). Enacted omnibus education bill co-sponsored by Sen. Cannizzaro and Sen. Dondero Loop that increased Nevada Ready! pre-K funding and raised the household income ceiling for state-funded pre-K seats (from 200% to 250% of the federal poverty level), moving toward free pre-K 'to the extent funds are available.' The most consequential enacted access-expansion vehicle of the 2025 session and the practical foundation for a universal pre-K push.

Web-sourced (NELIS / First 5 Nevada / archive.leg.state.nv.us SB388.pdf). Would have eliminated Child Care and Development Program (subsidy) co-payments for the lowest-income families and capped co-pays at no more than 5% of gross family income for others, addressing the affordability cliff created after ARPA funds ended Oct. 2024. FAILED to pass. A prime revive target for the institute.

Web-sourced (NELIS / Nevada Current / LegiScan). Barred most homeowners associations from prohibiting licensed home-based child care serving 5–12 children and eased residential-zoning/licensing barriers, aimed at Nevada's provider-supply shortage. Passed both chambers with bipartisan support (Assembly 32-10, Senate 16-4) but was VETOED by Gov. Lombardo on June 5, 2025 on HOA-authority grounds. Sponsor Anderson called supply the state's 'low hanging fruit.'

Web-sourced (NELIS / archive.leg.state.nv.us AB212_EN.pdf). Renamed and extended the Virtual Early Childhood Family Engagement Program through Sept. 2027 and appropriated roughly $1M/year (about $2M total) from the General Fund to continue it. PASSED both chambers (Assembly May 27, Senate June 2, 2025). Sponsored by Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Daniele Monroe-Moreno.

Web-sourced (First 5 Nevada / Nevada Independent). Governor Lombardo's economic-development package that included a tax credit for businesses that build or expand child-care facilities: a supply/facility incentive. FAILED to pass. Notable because the Governor's own vehicle signals bipartisan appetite for facility incentives even though it did not become law.

Web-sourced (First 5 Nevada). Would have revised Nevada Ready! pre-K eligibility and income requirements to broaden access. FAILED as a standalone bill, but its substance was folded into the enacted SB460, so its pre-K eligibility goals were partially achieved.

Web-sourced (NELIS / Nevada Independent). Prior-session (82nd, 2023) bill to create an Office of Early Childhood Systems within the Governor's office to coordinate childcare and early-learning programs. FAILED. Included for biennial context and as evidence of a standing pro-access sponsor (Asm. Thomas).

Web-sourced (Nevada Independent). Prior-session (82nd, 2023) bill authorizing tax credits for businesses that offer child-care benefits to workers: an employer-side access incentive. FAILED. Included for biennial context and to document employer-incentive precedent.

Establishes a comprehensive framework to enhance child care quality, access, and support: modernizes the early care and education rating system, creates the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program for local governments, introduces child-care microcenters, and implements a statewide Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership administered by a third party, with improved data reporting and performance-based incentives.

Establishes a state certification program for family child-care homes caring for 4 to 6 unrelated children with minimum health, safety, and training standards, and enables certified family homes and licensed type II centers to receive payments through the state's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).

Expands eligibility for half-day preschool to all four-year-olds at risk (household income up to 250% of the federal poverty level) by 2031-2032, requires districts to collaborate with Head Start and other providers, establishes a unified data system, and phases in developmentally appropriate preschool access statewide.

Expands and reforms the preschool program by requiring districts to provide half-day preschool to all at-risk four-year-olds by 2031-2032 and establishing a phased plan to serve all four-year-olds statewide, with mandated collaboration with Head Start and a statewide data reporting system.

Defines and establishes outdoor, nature-based early learning and child care programs as licensed centers for children aged 3-12 and directs the Department for Community Based Services to promulgate governing regulations by June 30, 2027, with an advisory committee.

The comprehensive 2026-2028 biennial budget authorizing state operating and capital expenditures, including specific allocations for early childhood initiatives among many other programs.

LB1177 establishes the Child Care Cash Fund, administered by DHHS, to provide sustained, reliable funding dedicated to child care subsidy programs across Nebraska: preserving subsidy access for eligible families, ensuring continuity of care, and maintaining provider viability in urban and rural areas, with annual reporting to the Legislature.

Amends the Mechanical Amusement Device Tax Act with stricter licensing/compliance and a revised tax rate that allocates new revenue to the Nebraska Child Care Aid Fund, creating a dedicated funding stream for childcare assistance.

Broad HHS bill that, among many provisions, updates child care grant rules and creates a youth-afterschool eligibility letter for child care employment, alongside Medicaid, licensing, and welfare modernizations. Enacted with an emergency clause.

Directs the HHS Committee to study the feasibility of a universal child care program at no cost to parents, modeled after New Mexico: reviewing needs, benefits, funding mechanisms, and barriers, and developing a legislative model.

Interim study to give the Legislature a more coordinated, proactive role in child care financing models that create or expand state and federal subsidies to increase access, affordability, and coverage for working families, analyzing the Step Up to Quality tiered model and reimbursement systems.

Amends the Child Care Licensing Act to create a pilot allowing flexible licensing (waived standard requirements and individual waivers) to increase childcare facility availability and capacity, with safety conditions and outcome evaluation.

The General Appropriation Act of 2026 sets the Commonwealth's FY2026-27 budget, appropriating General, special and Federal funds across departments including childcare, early education and human-services programs, with allocations for programs, operations and oversight mechanisms.

Directs the Joint State Government Commission to study Pennsylvania's early-childhood education system, including public/private/private-equity roles, rising liability insurance costs, and lessons from other states, and to recommend improvements to increase access to affordable, high-quality childcare statewide.

Amends the Human Services Code to require childcare providers to give at least 30 days' written notice to the Department of Human Services, employees and parents before closing, including a records-preservation plan, with exceptions for disaster emergencies or emergency removal.

Grants child care employees categorical eligibility for full child care subsidy benefits regardless of household income to reduce turnover and workforce shortages; appropriates $5.2M and requires annual impact reporting.

Links subsidy payments to licensed providers by monthly enrollment, provides subsidies to child care workers regardless of income, and uses a cost-of-care model to set subsidy amounts.

Authorizes DHS to phase out child care assistance gradually to address the benefits cliff, keeping care stable as families' incomes rise toward self-sufficiency.

Directs DHS to develop a comprehensive child care cost-estimation model reflecting true costs (fair wages, staffing, regional differences) to guide future subsidy reimbursement rates, with a consultant and legislative report.

The WV Early Childhood Education Coordination Act requires the Departments of Education and Health to integrate Pre-K, Birth-to-Three, and other early childhood programs to improve access, affordability, and quality, with annual reporting.

Establishes a Child Care Subsidy Pilot Program providing subsidies to child care workers to improve financial stability and workforce retention, running through 2028 with evaluations.

Restructures child care assistance eligibility and prioritization by updating income thresholds and defining categories, and appropriates funds to eliminate the current waiting list and extend assistance to families up to 165% of the federal poverty level.

Amends A.R.S. 46-803 to revise child care assistance eligibility, set income thresholds and priorities, and appropriates funds to eliminate the current waiting list and expand assistance to families with incomes up to 165% of the federal poverty level.

Establishes the Quality Early Childhood Education Supplemental Assistance Grant Program in the Dept. of Education for children from low-income families, sets provider eligibility and quality standards, and appropriates $175 million from the general fund with intent that funding be ongoing.

Establishes a Child Care Grant Program and a Child Care Infrastructure Fund in the Dept. of Economic Security to expand accessible, affordable, quality child care in underserved and low-income areas and for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities, via grants and technical assistance.

Establishes a dedicated Department of Early Childhood Education, consolidates child care licensing and subsidy functions, creates a voluntary certification program, and mandates an online licensing/background-check platform to reduce duplicative inspections.

Amends A.R.S. 46-803 to expand and clarify eligibility for child care assistance for families transitioning off cash assistance, low-income families, and special-circumstance families, setting income thresholds, time limits, priorities, and allowable uses tied to employment and education.

Establishes an out-of-school-time grant program in DES for children 5-12 during non-school hours and creates tax credits for employers and insurers investing in qualified child care facilities and referral services, with caps, reporting, and a 2030 sunset.

Establishes the Kansas Office of Early Childhood and moves day-care licensing, child-care subsidy administration, parent-education grants, home visitation, and Kansas Children's Cabinet functions into that office under a governor-appointed executive director; also reduces certain license fees and training requirements and authorizes pilot programs to increase child care capacity.

Creates the Kansas Tri-Share child care matching program and a dedicated fund in which employers and participating parents each pay one-third of approved child care costs and the state fund covers the remaining third, administered by the director of the Kansas Office of Early Childhood.

Requires the Kansas Department for Children and Families, with the Office of Early Childhood, to develop, procure, and implement modern software to make direct child care subsidy payments to providers.

Creates the Kansas Office of Early Childhood and transfers day-care licensing, child-care subsidy, parent education, home visitation, and children's cabinet functions into it by July 1, 2026, while reducing license fees and training requirements and authorizing capacity pilot programs.

Establishes license fees and training requirements, creates a temporary waiver process for day-care licensees, authorizes pilot programs to increase child care facility availability or capacity, and phases early-childhood programs into the new Office of Early Childhood.

Establishes the Workforce Investment Now (WIN) for Child Care pilot, providing publicly funded child care to child care staff by excluding their income from eligibility determinations; runs FY2026-27 with a $20M appropriation and requires a findings report.

Senate companion creating the WIN for Child Care pilot to provide publicly funded child care to staff working at least 20 hours/week, with income-exclusion eligibility criteria, a $20M FY2026 appropriation, and a post-pilot report.

Expands publicly funded child care to include child care staff working at least 20 hours/week, places administration under the Department of Children and Youth, modifies eligibility/payment procedures, and appropriates funds for FY2026-27.

Amends ORC 5104.34 and 5104.38 to revise income eligibility limits for initial and continued publicly funded child care, sets eligibility-determination timelines, details caretaker reporting duties, and outlines fee and service-prioritization rules.

Revises Ohio's publicly funded child care law: redefining terms, restructuring administrative duties, eligibility criteria, funding mechanisms, and oversight; establishes payment-rate procedures and a child care grant program while strengthening fraud-investigation powers.

Extends Wisconsin Shares subsidies to custodial parents employed by child care providers regardless of income limits, with a new dedicated appropriation and added administrative funding.

Authorizes DCF to make monthly payments directly to certified and licensed providers on top of Wisconsin Shares, with dedicated state and federal funding and new rulemaking to support provider finances.

Allows Wisconsin Shares subsidy payments to tribal-regulated providers operating in Indian country under federally recognized tribes, broadening eligible provider categories.

Creates a state income tax credit mirroring the federal employer-provided child care credit for tax years after 2025, for in-state child care expenses and services.

Raises the number of children a certified (non-licensed) operator may care for from three unrelated children to up to six under age seven, expanding capacity without a full center license.

Allows licensed centers to hire assistant child care teachers as young as 16 with specified training, while keeping the 18+ rule for sole supervision.

Expands the statewide preschool program by letting community-based providers directly participate and receive state funding, enhances DE's curriculum/accountability role, broadens state child care assistance eligibility to include child care workforce parents, and establishes a child care continuum partnership grants pilot for full-day early childhood care.

Allows community-based providers to participate directly in the statewide preschool program alongside districts, sets funding procedures, expands state child care assistance eligibility to the child care workforce, and creates a child care continuum partnership grants pilot; carries appropriations.

Revises the state child care assistance program by eliminating all eligibility requirements unrelated to family income (removing parent-training, employment-hours, and special-circumstance conditions), keeping income thresholds and modifying provider reimbursement provisions.

Establishes a statewide Early Childhood and Family Services system under HHS providing prevention, early intervention, and family support for children under 19, creates district advisory councils and a dedicated fund, and consolidates programs (including HOPES-HFI); the underlying SF 2462 version also extended CCA eligibility to the childcare workforce.

Establishes a comprehensive Early Childhood and Family Services system under HHS with regional districts and advisory councils, and adjusts child care assistance eligibility to benefit child care workforce parents, transitioning existing programs into the ECFS framework.

Expands multiple education-related tax credits to include expenditures and contributions for child-care facilities and payments aiding employees with child-care costs, allowing credits for operating care, contributing to nonprofit providers, and offsetting employee child-care expenses, with inflation adjustments beginning 2030.

Revises the child care assistance and grant programs: clarifying eligibility and benefit administration, setting subsidy rates from market studies, prioritizing quality facilities through grants, adding private-employer partnership incentives, and updating the federal state plan for compliance.

Broadens education-related tax credits to support child-care facilities and costs, renames the day care assistance program to the child care assistance program, revises assistance provisions for low/moderate-income families, and raises the aggregate credit cap from $3M to $10M.

Changes the count of students in district-wide early education programs from one-half FTE to a full FTE for funding purposes and repeals related statutes, effectively increasing state funding for early education enrollment.

Counts each district-wide early education student as a full-time-equivalent instead of half for education metrics and funding and repeals related statutes to restructure early education programs.

Integrates early intervention services for children with developmental delays or disabilities into the state medical assistance program as optional services, updating eligibility and service provisions and requiring periodic reporting.

Creates a grant program to supplement CAPS provider reimbursement rates, covering the gap between published provider rates and CAPS reimbursement plus family fees, prioritizing highest-need families when funds are limited.

Establishes the Georgia Child Care Facilities Program providing grants to construct, renovate and expand child care learning centers and family child care homes, prioritizing rural areas and special populations, with a five-year licensed-operation requirement.

Revises the state income tax credit based on the federal child and dependent care credit, increasing it to 100% and making it fully refundable so taxpayers receive a refund when the credit exceeds tax liability.

Requires child care learning centers and family child care homes to carry commercial general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence and $1 million aggregate: a provider compliance cost rather than an access expansion.

Establishes a tax credit for employers who provide childcare assistance: effective 2026-2030, a credit equal to 30% of expenses for employee childcare costs, operating childcare facilities, or reserving childcare spots, capped at $30,000 per employer annually and $5 million in total credits per fiscal year, to incentivize employer-supported childcare and improve access.

Amends adjunct-teacher authorization to allow adjunct teachers in early childhood education classrooms at all grade levels (without standard certification), while requiring ECE adjuncts to complete state-approved cognitive-science-of-reading training within two years and barring them from teaching special education.

Requires children to be toilet trained before enrolling in prekindergarten starting 2025-2026, with exemptions for children with disabilities under IDEA/Section 504; sets district processes for handling untrained children and updates related early-childhood eligibility and attendance provisions.

Folds the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program into the broader ABC Program with unified eligibility, expands the age range to children birth through age five, and lets the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education administer both together.

Adds qualifying early-childhood childcare employment to the ATRS definition of 'employment with a school' and creates a voluntary teacher-retirement participation mechanism for eligible early childhood workers through a nonprofit pass-through agent (no state match).

Authorizes FY2026-27 funding for the Office of Early Childhood, including $9,000,000 for child care program grants and expenses and $200,000 for childcare facility grants, alongside operations and federal expense lines, effective July 1, 2026.

Replaces the prior employer-provided child-care credit with a new employer credit for eligible child-care expenses and creates a separate licensed-childcare-provider credit based on average monthly enrollment, with per-employer/statewide caps and rural/small-business set-asides.

Creates a new refundable income tax credit for businesses that pay for, provide, or purchase childcare-access services for employees, with rates and caps by employer type, requiring licensed care, replacing the existing employer-operated facility credits.

Creates a refundable income tax credit ($1,800-$3,000) for early-childhood directors, teachers, and instructional staff in Better Beginnings-rated programs who earn below the state K-12 minimum teacher salary.

Directs the Departments of Education and Health to establish a statewide anaphylaxis policy for childcare facilities (emergency protocols, epinephrine dosing, staff training, family communication), with facilities allowed to use federal CCDBG funds for training and supplies.

Establishes three tax-credit programs to promote childcare availability and quality: credits for contributions to providers, for employer childcare spending, and for providers' eligible expenses, prioritizing 'child care deserts,' with caps and sunset provisions.

Creates the Child Care Contribution, Employer-Provided Child Care Assistance, and Child Care Providers tax credits to incentivize contributions, employer investment, and provider operations, emphasizing accessibility in child care deserts.

Establishes the same three childcare tax-credit programs with eligibility criteria, credit caps, verification, and priority for child care deserts to expand availability and quality of care beginning tax year 2026.

Creates three childcare tax-credit programs (contribution, employer-provided, and provider credits) with application, verification, caps, child-care-desert provisions, and a December 2031 sunset.

FY2027 education appropriations (~$8.43B) including early-childhood and childcare-subsidy line items, plus childcare-subsidy operating directions such as absence allowances, rate ceilings, reporting, and CCDF fund handling.

Establishes an advisory committee to set developmental goals and assess program quality, mandates annual review of staff-to-child ratios and group sizes benchmarked to neighboring states, creates a provider pilot program, sets caregiver training/certification standards, and orders compensation and regulatory-streamlining studies.

Redefines pre-K eligibility, establishes a new prekindergarten expansion grant fund with continuous General Fund appropriations, sets provider standards, and adds reporting and accountability measures to grow the state pre-K program.

Increases income eligibility for prekindergarten programs, raises school funding 6% in 2026-2027, sets a $65,000 minimum teacher salary by 2027, and creates a $50 million student support and teacher-retention grant program.

Provides a partial property-tax exemption for employers providing child care on their property and for early-childhood education providers meeting curriculum standards, and tasks the Secretary of FSSA with recommending changes to child care licensing requirements.

Creates an organizational license category letting multi-site child care centers under one owner apply and pay a single fee, limits enforcement of new building/fire/equipment rules on recently inspected sites, and extends waiver/variance durations to three years.

Updates school-age child care grant provisions, removes the transportation-provision requirement, and expands administrative and operational standards (cost, staffing, nutrition, emergency health services, applications) under the Division of Family Resources effective July 1, 2026.

Revises registration, training, licensing and operational requirements for family and large family child care homes, sets minimum standards for license-exempt facilities, creates a dedicated fund to support early learning, and enhances provider reporting, oversight and support services.

Would have directed OPPAGA to study the feasibility and impacts of a public-employee childcare assistance program in Florida, analyzing other states' programs, cost savings, and effects on school readiness and the childcare workforce, with a report due January 2027.

Adds child-protection procedures for cases involving specified preexisting medical diagnoses, governing when DCF forwards allegations, second-opinion medical examinations, and consultation requirements: child-welfare procedure rather than childcare access.

Amends the child care assistance program to exclude the income of certain child care employees from eligibility determination: employees working at least 30 hours/week at licensed or registered facilities qualify if household income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, helping childcare workers access benefits.

Requires the Department of Social Services to base child care assistance provider payments on at least the 90th percentile of the recent market-rate survey across program types and age groups, and makes rulemaking to administer the program mandatory rather than optional.

Directs the Department of Social Services to amend administrative rules by 9/30/2025 to make graduate students eligible for child care assistance, removing the ineligibility of individuals pursuing a degree beyond a bachelor's and updating credit-hour/attendance requirements.

Creates a child day care creation tax credit for businesses that create or expand licensed childcare seats on/after Jan 1 2027: 50% of qualifying property and operational expenditures against the BPT/BET, capped at $5M/year with a four-year carryforward.

Adds no-cost, evidence-based training for childcare providers, adds retirement-age status as a scholarship work-requirement modification, and eliminates family cost shares for scholarship children in caretaker-relative care: expanding childcare scholarship access.

Creates a BPT credit for employers providing on-site/nearby childcare (20% of expenditures up to $100k/yr, $2.5M statewide cap, four-year carryforward) plus a separate employee health-coverage credit.

Streamlines the childcare scholarship program via a presumptive-eligibility pilot, prospective provider payments, elimination of hourly attendance reporting, and an application-process study to reduce burdens on families and providers.

Requires DHHS to electronically notify a licensed childcare program within three business days when a scholarship application names it, and again on approval/denial/withdrawal: an administrative access improvement with no new funding.

Would have created a statewide virtual/tech-supported early literacy readiness program for 4- and 5-year-olds not yet in kindergarten, with DHHS notifying FANF/WIC families; killed ITL.

Directs the Division of Child Development and Early Education to study the effectiveness and delivery of major child care initiatives and to pilot a program granting automatic child care subsidy eligibility to full-time child care teachers' preschool-age children, with funding, reporting requirements, and directives to improve subsidy allocation, teacher retention, and access.

Broad public-education bill that includes improving early childhood education alongside educator recruitment/retention, funding-formula reform for equity and adequacy, and accountability systems; early childhood is one component of a wide-ranging package.

Establishes a program to improve childcare availability and quality via tax credits for employers and childcare providers plus grants for nonprofit childcare providers, to incentivize employer investment and expand capacity and workforce participation, with caps, eligibility criteria, certification requirements, and Revenue/Human Resources administration.

Establishes an employer tax credit, a childcare facility tax credit, and a nonprofit childcare provider grant program to incentivize employer investment in childcare and boost workforce participation by reducing childcare barriers, with funding caps and eligibility criteria for 2025-2029.

Education Trust Fund appropriations act for FY2027 allocating funds across public education programs and agencies, including early childhood education, with conditions, reporting requirements, and accountability provisions.

Establishes the Imagination Library of Alabama under the Department of Early Childhood Education to provide free monthly books to children birth to age five via Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, with a state/local/private funding mechanism and public reporting.

Establishes statewide screen-time guidelines and educator training requirements for licensed child-care facilities, pre-K, and kindergarten for children birth to five, folding compliance into licensing. Quality/standards measure rather than an access expansion.

Increases the maximum tax credit for employers who establish childcare programs and expands the taxes the credit can offset, and creates a new refundable income tax credit for full-time childcare directors and staff based on qualification levels, to incentivize childcare provision and support workers; new credit expires 2030.

Directs the Department of Social Services and the Department of Employment and Workforce to collaborate in providing workforce-development childcare stipends for unemployed parents/caregivers, covering childcare for children under twelve during job interviews, with statewide capacity to serve eligible families.

Childcare-related measure introduced and referred to Ways and Means; no USLege AI summary available and no action beyond first reading, indicating an early-stage filing.

Establishes a Child Care Center Business Management Certificate Program at Utah State University to teach licensing, regulatory, and business-management skills for operating regulated childcare centers, with curriculum development and annual enrollment/outcome reporting to the Legislature starting 2027.

Appropriates and adjusts the FY2025-2026 budgets for Utah's Department of Health and Human Services across divisions including children and family services, with funding sources, spending authorizations, and performance-measure requirements.

Authorizes FY2026 appropriations, fees, and internal-service-fund rates across Utah state agencies and institutions, with budget increases and decreases spanning multiple departments; touches childcare only via broad agency funding.

Establishes a statewide publicly funded voluntary prekindergarten program for four-year-olds with quality standards for public and private providers, district tuition payments, and joint administration by the State Board of Education and Division of Early Childhood Care and Development.

Creates a publicly funded, voluntary prekindergarten system for four-year-olds with minimum quality standards, funding mechanisms, and collaboration between the State Board of Education and the Division of Early Childhood Care and Development.

Directs the State Department of Education to phase in an expanded voluntary pre-K program via Early Learning Collaboratives beginning 2026-27, targeting statewide coverage by 2030-31 with coordination among public schools, Head Start, private/parochial schools, and licensed childcare centers.

Terminates the State-Invested Pre-K program July 1, 2026 and reallocates all funds and participants to the Early Learning Collaborative Program, with definitions, funding phases, and quality standards to unify state pre-K.

Requires the Department of Human Services to provide childcare and transportation for TANF applicants during application and orientation, with eligibility and supportive-service provisions to promote family self-sufficiency.

Establishes an income tax credit for qualified employers who contribute toward employees' child care costs: 50% of eligible contributions up to $1,000 per qualified employee, applied in the year contributions are made, with defined criteria for qualified employers, employees, and providers.

Biennial DHHS appropriation for 2025-27 that, among many health and human services provisions, modifies state-of-residence rules for child care assistance and funds related programs, adjusting payment rates and administrative requirements.

OMB biennial appropriation that modifies provisions related to the North Dakota development fund and infant and toddler care provider support payments, alongside broader state fiscal management measures.

Would have directed Legislative Management to study child care infrastructure (availability, affordability, funding mechanisms, and regulatory processes) with recommendations and potential legislation; failed to pass 4-41.

Would have provided financial planning resources for new teachers, enabled school districts to provide onsite child care, and initiated legislative studies on teacher benefits and recruitment; narrowly failed 22-24.

Amends the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund by broadening funding sources, mandating annual general-fund deposits to maintain a balance up to $30 million, remitting year-end unencumbered Department of Education balances to the fund, and removing the appropriation requirement for disbursements: to support local expansion of quality early childhood slots for CCAP-eligible families.

Consolidates the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission and the Advisory Council into a single commission with expanded membership and authority to set a statewide vision, provide policy recommendations, oversee program coordination, and serve as the state's Head Start advisory council.

Designates May 12, 2026, as 'A Day Without Child Care' to raise awareness of underfunding, low provider wages, and workforce instability in early childhood education, and calls for increased investment; creates no new legal mandate.

Commends the Ready Louisiana Coalition and designates May 19, 2026, as Early Ed Day, emphasizing early childhood education's role in development, workforce participation, and the economy while noting cost and access barriers; no funding mechanism.

Establishes the Idaho Child Care Program to provide assistance to low-income families participating in work or educational activities, with eligibility criteria, provider requirements, integrity/oversight measures, limits on program expansion without legislative approval, and a 2028 sunset.

Provides additional FY2027 appropriations to Health & Welfare's Early Learning and Development and related divisions, prioritizing funds to expand childcare capacity for underserved populations, with limits barring use for construction or providers under fraud investigation.

Amends Idaho Code to set income eligibility for the Idaho Child Care Program at or below 175% of the federal poverty level, effective July 1, 2026, defining clearer income requirements for families to qualify for assistance.

Appropriates additional (and reduces certain) funds for H&W's Early Learning and Development division for FY2026, allocating federal funds to expand child care programs statewide with funding restrictions and conditions.

Establishes a $200-per-child tax credit for Wyoming residents against state taxes paid, with a $5M appropriation; administered by the Department of Revenue. Died in committee.

Would authorize enhanced Medicaid reimbursement for maternal service providers in rural/frontier areas to improve prenatal and postpartum care access; failed introduction.

Prohibits adult sex offenders from residing within 1,000 feet of child care facilities with notification requirements; a child-safety measure, not a childcare-access or funding bill.