Nearly Two-Thirds of Governors Prioritize Child Care and Early Learning in Their 2026 State of the State Addresses

States across the country have made progress in recent years toward expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care—but they face immediate and ongoing challenges. Child care is still unaffordable in every state, and an estimated 46 percent of America’s children under age 6 live in a licensed child care desert. Even with both parents working—which is the case for more than two-thirds of the nation’s children—child care costs can consume huge portions of household income, and child care options are made even more scarce by low wages that drive early educators from the field.

Moreover, the second Trump administration has relentlessly attacked child care programs and the educators and providers who staff them, stoking fear, imperiling access for families, and traumatizing children. From funding freezes, to mass layoffs of federal civil servants who manage program funding and oversight, to a lengthy government shutdown that resulted in numerous program closures, the federal government has failed to support young families or ensure access to high-quality early care and education. Additionally, as the so-called Big Beautiful Bill is implemented and governors contend with absorbing cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, they must continue to prioritize making child care affordable and accessible, as well as supporting the early educator workforce, building supply, and ensuring adequate care for vulnerable populations such as children from low-income families, children with disabilities, and infants and toddlers.

Yet even faced with strained state budgets and the repeated attempts to freeze crucial early learning funding, state leaders are finding ways to dedicate state revenue toward stabilizing and expanding their child care infrastructure. Families need child care in order to work, train for jobs, and go to school. Without adequate access to reliable, high-quality care for their children, local communities suffer, and the economy loses billions of dollars in potential earnings, productivity, and tax revenue. This only further curtails states’ ability to invest in other necessary social support programs.

With 39 state gubernatorial elections on the horizon this November, leaders have staked out their priorities around the programs and services on which families rely. For most of the nation’s governors, child care and early learning remain a stated priority. Center for American Progress analysis of 2026 State of the State addresses—44 speeches have been delivered as of the date of this publication—finds that nearly two-thirds (66 percent) of governors highlighted child care and/or preschool in their speeches. Specifically, 29 governors referenced child care, preschool, early education, and/or other key terms; 14 referenced just child care; six referenced just preschool; and nine referenced both child care and preschool. Notably, 21 of the addresses referencing child care and/or preschool were delivered by Democrats, while eight were delivered by Republicans—a marked difference between the two major parties, especially compared with last year, when 12 Republican and 18 Democratic governors highlighted child care and/or preschool in their addresses—but nonetheless promising evidence that child care is a bipartisan issue that affects voters across the political spectrum and is recognized by leaders of both major parties.

Below are excerpts from a selection of 2026 State of the State addresses included in CAP’s analysis:

• Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA): “Two years ago, I said we would have Universal Pre-K funding in every Gateway City. We are going to reach that goal ahead of schedule. We’ve also added over 20,000 childcare seats. That means more kids are getting care and more parents are able to work.”
• Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH): “Economic development is more than marketing ourselves and attracting others here, it’s aligning the critical structures of workforce, housing, and childcare, to create the most advantageous environment for businesses to start, grow, and succeed. […] The budget we passed last year fully funded childcare scholarships and lessened the administrative burden of receiving that funding. We’re looking at ways to make the program run better and reduce barriers to new providers to increase supply. We’re also getting the private sector and nonprofits at the table to talk about what else can be done.”
• Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM): “[M]ore kids in high-quality care. More providers and childcare centers across the state. Training and support for childcare workers and educators. A Permanent Fund and Trust Fund that guarantee their impact. A constitutional amendment that etched our promise into law. We’re not just making progress; we’re building a system focused on child wellbeing; a foundation for a financially secure future; a legacy that New Mexico’s families can count on, and, again, a blueprint that the rest of America can and should follow. […] When I took office, too many New Mexico families found childcare unaffordable, unavailable — or both. Today, building on the hard work of legislative leaders like Speaker Javier Martinez and Senator Michael Padilla, we’re ready to solve that problem once and for all with universal child care provided at no cost to all families across the state. […] Our investment in child care means our kids will be better prepared when they start school. In fact, according to [a] UCLA study […] more than 70 percent of New Mexico kindergartners are now on track in physical health and well-being, language and cognitive development, communication skills, general knowledge and more.”
• Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA): “Last year, we all identified a problem — we don’t have enough child care workers, and that’s because we don’t pay them enough. So we came together to create the first state-funded Child Care Recruitment and Retention grant in Pennsylvania history. We gave $450 to 55,000 child care workers across our Commonwealth — and showed them the respect they deserve. […] And this bonus will help […] child care workers […] keep doing this vital work. We’ve already received more than 4,300 applications from child care centers to pay their workers and recruit more. […] So this budget doubles down on that work, and includes an additional $10 million to raise that recruitment and retention bonus from $450 to $630. More money in the pockets of our child care workers — and more available child care for Pennsylvania families.”

Insufficient public funding for early education has ripple effects that extend beyond any one family—limiting economic growth, burdening already-vulnerable families, and undermining support that children need to be successful later in life. Particularly, governors should:

1. Preserve funding for child care and early learning
2. Prioritize efforts that boost supply and support the workforce while mitigating high child care costs
3. Protect quality improvements to ensure children receive enriching care that best supports their development and sets them up for success in school and beyond

The child care sector remains vulnerable: Prices are too high for most U.S. families; providers operate on thin margins that leave them vulnerable to delays and interruptions to funding; and early educators continue to receive poverty-level wages. As the federal government continues to debate funding crucial programs and services, state and local leaders bear an increasing responsibility to ensure their constituents can continue to access the child care support they need to work, care for their families, and support their communities. 2026 State of the State addresses reflect the continued acknowledgment of governors—from across the ideological spectrum—that child care and early learning are a central pillar of any functioning economy, crucial for families’ well-being, and foundational for children’s futures. While this year is likely to see significant political shifts, children and the people who care for them must remain top priorities. Governors play a crucial role in taking action to improve the stability of the child care sector, increase the supply of high-quality options, and support access and affordability for families across the country.

The authors would like to thank Sara Partridge and Paige Shoemaker-DeMio for their thorough fact-checking and review of this brief and Alex Cogan for her review and feedback.