It is in this absence of a national strategy for children that state and local leaders across America have moved to support kids and families in their own communities and on their own terms.
Some states have increased their early childhood spending — most notably, New Mexico has doubled down on its commitments to early care and education. Many states, however, are now facing budget gaps, with potentially more looming as they wait to see how Medicaid and SNAP cuts their budgets. The childcare ecosystem is paying the price: a growing number of states have put families on waitlists for child care vouchers, increased the co-pay that families must pay for child care support, or reduced reimbursement rates to child care providers as spending gets tighter.
The budget crunch has left local governments to fill in the gaps, with many communities doubling down on their investments in young children and families. The past few months have brought a flurry of activity and proposed investment from across the country:
While New York City gained national attention for the energy around child care affordability, it was hardly the only place to test the viability of local early childhood funding this Election Day. Local communities mounted efforts from coast to coast:
All four of the ballot measures passed. Cincinnati and Seattle voters renewed their preschool programs with an overwhelming majority – 72.9 percent and 76.7 percent, respectively. But the story does not end when funding is allocated. As the experiences of the ECE Implementation Working Group communities have demonstrated, effective implementation is critical and an ongoing process. Particularly for programs that are accountable to voters, government leaders must pay ongoing attention to the nuance of policy design and adjust implementation plans as circumstances evolve.
Effective implementation and the ongoing work to maintain and expand coalitions to support early childhood investments are especially critical when the budget and political climate turn. In Oregon, state legislators threatened the popular Multnomah County Preschool for All program over the Summer, proposing legislation that would have preempted the county from collecting the dedicated tax that was overwhelmingly supported by voters. Families, child care providers, and local elected officials rallied to squash the attempt and the program will continue its planned expansion this school year. As one parent who had been involved in the program’s formation said at a rally, “This is a program that was created for the people by the people. Leave it alone.’”
(Read our brief about participatory planning, which highlights the work done in Multnomah County to build such a strong support base among families and providers)
For those in the early childhood community, threats like these to Preschool for All serve as a warning of what is at stake, particularly as state and local budgets face greater strain. Local government budgets may be at a breaking point, but so are families. For many local leaders, there has never been a more critical moment to invest in early care and education.
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