The “blue wave” that brought Democrats to power across the country was accompanied by notable victories on measures that would provide additional funding for child care and preschool.
Several new elected officials have placed early childhood at the heart of their campaigns.
In Maine, Governor-elect Hannah Pingree campaigned on universal child care and increased salaries for early childhood educators. Georgia Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms also made mandatory kindergarten and the expansion of the state’s pre-kindergarten program part of her election pitch. David Crowley, who will be Wisconsin’s new governor, has called for expanding the state’s child care subsidy program to cover all children aged 5 or younger.
In South Carolina, Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, is headed to the Senate after making access to child care a platform priority. And in Minnesota, Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan called for an expansion of the federal Head Start program for low-income children and for universal preschool.
Voters also supported ballot measures that will fund early childhood education and various services for children and families, but not in all cases. In St. Louis, for example, voters rejected a sales tax proposal that would have raised $22 million a year for child care subsidies and subsidies for child care providers. Another sales tax increase that would have helped fund child care and other services was rejected by voters in Tempe, Arizona.
In San Antonio, Texas, where voters reauthorized funding for Pre-K 4 SA, the city’s preschool program, CEO Sarah Baray said their success shows that early childhood is a bipartisan issue and that the community understands how access to early learning affects caregivers, employers and schools.
“This is not just an individual family issue,” Baray said. “San Antonio understands that this is a huge community need and they are willing to invest in it because it is an investment in the future of the community.” More than 72 percent of voters supported reauthorization.
Melissa Boteach, policy director of the nonprofit Zero to Three, said the findings reflect the concerns of parents of young children, who have reported more stress and difficulty paying for basic necessities in recent years. “It’s no surprise that candidates who focused on child care and health care affordability and solutions resonated with people who were struggling,” she said.
“Overall, the candidates who ran on child care, on family issues at the kitchen table, did well,” she added. “It’s a political message. Not only do voters expect candidates to deliver on their promises, but as we look toward 2028 and beyond, the appetite for real momentum and real solutions on these issues is high.”
Here is a list of measures in favor of early childhood adopted on Tuesday:
Preschool and childcare
Saint-Antoine: Voters approved Proposition A, reauthorizing a sales tax that will continue to support pre-kindergarten in the city. The current authorization expires in 2029, at which point the new authorization will take effect for 20 years.
Boulder County, Colorado: Voters approved Question 1A, which raises property taxes to reduce the cost of child care, increase pay for early childhood teachers and increase child care capacity to reduce long wait lists.
Marin County, California: Voters approved Measure P, which establishes a “parcel tax” for buildings and directs that revenue to a fund designed to increase pay for early educators and expand access to high-quality, affordable child care.
San Diego: Early results show that Measure B has the majority needed to pass, although votes are still being counted. The initiative will dedicate a portion of revenue from a half-cent sales tax to child care, providing stipends to providers who care for infants and toddlers, funding early childhood mental health services and providing vouchers to help families pay for child care. (The measure also funds wildfire prevention and sewage cleanup.)
Clear Creek County, Colorado: Vote 1A will increase the short-stay lodging tax from 2 percent to 6 percent, dedicate at least 20 percent of that revenue to helping families pay for child care, and provide child care for the tourism workforce.
Archuleta County, Colorado: Unofficial results show support for Ballot 1A, which will increase the lodging tax and dedicate 10 percent of revenue to child care.
Colorado: Voters approved Proposition NN, which diverts state money that would otherwise be returned to taxpayers toward K-12 education, with the remaining funds eligible to fund early childhood education. Voters also passed Amendment 87, which calls for changing the state’s flat tax rate to a progressive rate to help fund K-12 education and child care.
Children and families
Baltimore: Voters approved Question I, which amends the Baltimore City Charter to dedicate $0.03 for every $100 of taxable property value (about $17 million in the first year) to a new Baltimore Baby Fund. An advisory committee will determine how the money will be spent.
Buchanan County, Missouri: Voters approved Proposition K, which will dedicate sales tax revenue, estimated at $4 million each year, to funding mental health services for children and youth.
Contact editor Jackie Mader at 212-678-3562 or mader@hechingerreport.org
This article on early childhood midterm outcomes was produced by The Hechinger Report, an independent, nonprofit news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Register at Hechinger Newsletter.
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