Array Early Childhood State Policy Profile

Overview

The Early Childhood State Policy Profile shows which state policies meet benchmarks that are favorable to the well-being of children and their families. The Profile includes policies that are key elements of a two-generation approach to supporting the well-being and life opportunities of young children and their parents, in the areas of health, early care and education, and parenting and economic support.

A two-generation framework for policy design reflects extensive research that identifies the critical supports young children need over time to thrive. Most two-generation supports for young children and families are created through the collective impact of multiple policies. An example is investment in prekindergarten programs and an effective quality improvement system that promotes children’s access to high-quality early care and education programs along with state policies such as the Earned Income Tax credit and minimum wage that raise the incomes of low-income working families; another is policies that ensure mental health screenings and access to quality health care for both children and parents.

A brief overview of policies in the EC State Policy Profile is provided below (see policy definitions for an explanation of benchmarks). The Profile is limited to policies for which 50-state data are available. Users who wish to examine additional policies specific to their state, within a two-generation framework, can find suggestions in State Policies through a Two-Generation Lens: Strengthening the Collective Impact of Policies that Affect the Life Course of Young Children and their Parents.

Health and Development

Related Research and Policy Resources

States can support young children’s development by making key policy choices in early health and development. This section of the Profile highlights states’ policy choices for supporting young children’s well-being: 1) Access to and continuity of health care, including state Medicaid/CHIP eligibility levels and coverage of legal immigrant children; 2) Parents’ access to health care, including for low-income pregnant women, and access to a medical home for young children; and 3) Preventive screening and assessment, including adherence to recommended schedules for well-child visits.

Early Care and Education

Related Research and Policy Resources

States make important decisions about the early care and education services they provide to young children and families. This section of the Profile highlights states’ key policy choices that affect children’s development and parents’ ability to work: 1) Access to childcare, including subsidy eligibility levels and reimbursement rates; and 2) States’ investment in Head Start, Early Head Start, pre-kindergarten, child care centers’ class size and student-teacher ratios and investment in infant/toddler specialist networks and credentials and Quality Rating Improvement Systems.

Parenting and Economic Supports

Related Research and Policy Resources

States make critical policy choices that help low-income parents effectively support young children’s healthy development. This section of the Profile spotlights states’ policy choices related to important economic supports for low-income families with young children: 1) TANF requirements for parents of young children; and 2) Income support policies including tax relief, earned income and dependent care tax credits, as well as child support disregards.

Young children (under age 6)1: 0

Percent of children under 6 by income levels, 2022

Source1

Percent of children under 6 by race/ethnicity, 2022

Source1

Percent of children under 6 by family income and race/ethnicity, 2022

Source1

Percent of children under 6 by parents’ immigration status, 2022*

Source1

*If one of the parents is an immigrant, that case is counted under the immigrant group.

Percent of children under 6 by family income and parents’ immigration status, 2022

Source1

Health and Development Policies

50-State Data    Related Research and Policy Resources    Policy Definitions

Sets the income eligibility limit for public health insurance (Medicaid/CHIP) at or above 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL)

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

EPSDT screening periodicity schedule meets recommendations of American Academy of Pediatrics

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

Percent of children under 6 who lack health insurance, 2022

Source1

Percent of uninsured children under 6 by family income, 2022

Source1

Percent of children under 3 receiving Early Intervention services in 2021-2022*

Source3

*The following state has missing EI data: Maryland.

Percent of children under 3 receiving Early Intervention services by race/ethnicity in 2021-2022*

Source3

*Notes: 1) EI rates are not displayed where the cell size is small as the data are not reliable. 2) The following state has missing EI data: Maryland.

Percent of eligible children who received at least one EPSDT screening, by age, FY 2021

Source4

Early Care and Education Policies

50-State Data    Related Research and Policy Resources    Policy Definitions

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

Monthly child care co-payment fees as a percent of income for a family of three with one child in care, 2023*

Source5

*Note: States with 0% have exempted families from copayments with the exception of OR and MD where families pay very low copayments ($10 & $13, respectively). 

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) fourth grade math and reading scores, 2022*

Source6

*Note: NAEP defines proficiency as “solid academic performance for the given grade level and competency… including subject-matter knowledge, application of such knowledge to real-world situations, and analytical skills appropriate to the subject matter.”

Parenting and Economic Supports Policies

50-State Data    Related Research and Policy Resources    Policy Definitions

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

[]2

Percent of low-income children under 6 by parents’ employment status, 2022

Source1

Education levels of mothers with children under 6, 2022

Source1

Maximum monthly TANF benefit for a family of three, July 2023

Source7

Percent of low-income families with children under 5 that receive SNAP, 2022*

Source1

*Because the available data only allow setting the low-income threshold at 185% FPL, low-income families in this graph include those with annual income below 185% FPL.

Percent of children under 6 living in families that experience housing insecurity, 2022*

Source1

*A child’s family experiences housing insecurity when their rents or owner costs (e.g., mortgage payments) exceed 30% of the family income on a monthly basis.

Data Notes and Sources

  1. State data were calculated from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey, representing information from the years 2018 to 2022. National data were calculated from the 2022 American Community Survey, representing information from 2022.
  2. Early Intervention (EI) rates were calculated by using data from three sources: 2021-2022 EI cumulative counts collected by the US Department of Education, 2018-2022 American Community Survey data, and the 2021-2022 American Community Survey data. EI rates are not displayed where cell size for the numerator (number of children in EI) is missing, or cell size for the denominator (total number of children) is less than 200. To access EI data, please go to IDEA Section 618 Data Products: Table 11 Cumulative count of infants and toddlers birth through age 2 receiving early intervention services under IDEA, Part C, by race/ethnicity and state 2021-2022. https://data.ed.gov . To access ACS data, please visit the US Census Bureau data tool. https://data.census.gov
  3. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2023). The annual EPSDT report: Form CMS-416 for fy 2021. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved June 7, 2023, from https://www.medicaid.gov
  4. Schulman, K. (2024). Two steps forward, one step back: State child care assistance policies 2023. National Women's Law Center. https://nwlc.org
  5. National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2022 math and reading assessment. Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://nces.ed.gov
  6. Azevedo-McCaffrey, D. & Aguas, T. (2024). Continued increases in TANF benefit levels are critical to helping families meet their needs and thrive. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://www.cbpp.org

Last updated on October 17, 2024