We aim to accelerate states’ implementation of evidence-based policies that help all children thrive from the start.
Expanding eligibility for Medicaid may significantly reduce Hispanic infant mortality. For a shareable snapshot of three evidence-based policies that promote birth equity across different racial and ethnic groups, check out our Healthy and Equitable Births brief.
State policymakers across the country are working hard to improve their prenatal-to-3 systems of care in support of children, families, and the economy. Here is a snapshot of some of the legislation we watched last month.
Economic and Family Supports:
Connecticut: H.B. 5005 was signed by Governor Ned Lamont to expand the state’s paid sick days law by covering more workers and allowing eligible workers to use their earned sick days to care for any loved one, rather than only their child, as the law currently specifies.
North Carolina: Legislators introduced two tax credit bills at the start of their short session. S. 816 would re-establish a refundable state earned income tax credit (EITC) worth 5 percent of the federal credit. North Carolina's previous EITC was eliminated in 2014. S. 878 would create a refundable state child tax credit of $125-$250 per child under age 17, depending on income level.
Virginia: The enacted budget includes a total of almost $15 million for home visiting, an 8 percent increase from Fiscal Year 2024, and includes a small increase in state funds that will draw down additional federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting funds.
Early Care and Learning:
Illinois: Last week, legislators agreed on a FY25 budget, which awaits the governor’s signature. The budget includes an additional $36.5 million from the previous year (6.3% increase) for child care subsidies along with $14.2 million in funding for the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood.
Ohio: Legislators introduced several bills this month to address the child care crisis. Three bills (H.B. 576, H.B. 577, and H.B. 578) would provide employers and families with tax credits for child care expenses. S.B. 273/H.B. 610 would create a program in which employees, employers, and the state share the cost of care. Legislators also introduced H.B. 570, which would make child care workers categorically eligible for subsidies.
New York:A. 4099A would establish presumptive eligibility upon applying for child care subsidies allowing families to receive subsidies before final approval. The bill passed the House and was referred to committee in the Senate.
Virginia: The state’s biennial budget, H.B. 6001, provides more than $1.1 billion towards early learning programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Investments include $390 million in FY2025 and $424 million in FY2026 in state and federal funds towards the state’s subsidy program.
Child and Parent Health:
Colorado: S.B. 175, which awaits the governor’s signature, would require private insurance plans to cover doula services in the same scope and duration as the state’s Medicaid program. Additionally, the bill would require that hospitals report data on birth outcomes to the designated state perinatal care quality collaborative by July 2025 and, beginning in December 2025, participate in at least one maternal or infant health quality improvement initiative each year.
Louisiana:H.C.R. 113, which passed the House last week and is now being considered by the Senate, would create a task force to study state implementation of the comprehensive screening and connection program Family Connects. The scope would include studying Medicaid and private insurance landscapes for financing Family Connects, identifying Medicaid state plan authority to establish a benefit, and recommending reimbursement rates for postpartum newborn nurse home visiting.
New York: S. 2237, which passed the Senate and is being considered in committee in the Assembly, would expand health care coverage to individuals currently ineligible due to immigration status.
Material Hardships Among Hispanic Families
The National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families has released a report on the hardships Hispanic households face in meeting basic needs. The report examines four hardship measures: medical, food insecurity, housing quality, and bill paying.
Environmental Justice and Birth Outcomes
A new March of Dimes report argues for considering environmental hazards as reproductive health issues. Pregnant people and fetuses are particularly vulnerable, and the same populations experiencing racism in health care are often inequitably exposed to environmental harm.
Federal Protection for Pregnant Workers
The Association for Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) applauds new federal policy for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. AMCHP says the rule will help Black women and other women of color in particular, due to their higher likelihood of working during pregnancy and residing in states without pregnancy accommodations.
Child Care Landscape Analysis
Child Care Aware of America’s Annual Child Care Landscape Analysis says the number of child care centers has come back up to pre-pandemic levels, but the number of family child care homes has decreased. Meanwhile, the average price for child care rose 3.7% from 2022 to 2023.
Maternal Health Disparities: Trust & Marginalization
We recently hosted a webinar on Building the Business Case for State Paid Family Leave: Lessons from Advocacy and Implementation. Watch the recording! Learn about commonly raised business concerns and the policy solutions.
Data on How to Improve Texas School Readiness
We recently worked with Texans Care for Children to develop the Texas School Readiness Dashboard, which covers demographics, plus outcomes across four important domains: Enriching Early Learning Experiences, Positive Family-Child Interactions, Good Health and Development, and Sufficient Household Resources.
The Crucial Role of Researchers in Policymaking
Our Executive Director, Dr. Cynthia Osborne, published a new essay in the Society for Research in Child Development detailing the five stages of public policy implementation, as well as the research each stage requires.
The Child Care Crisis in our own Backyard
We have partnered with Raising Readers Nashville to conduct the Davidson County Child Care Landscape Study. Phase 1 provides detailed information on the availability of child care for different families in the second most populous county in Tennessee.
New Briefs! Birth Equity, Child Maltreatment, & Child Care Subsidies
Our Executive Director, Dr. Cynthia Osborne, spent much of last week in Maine, celebrating her youngest daughter’s graduation from college. The weather was perfect for the special day, and it was made more special by spending it with friends and family who joined them for the celebration. She and her husband are excited for this next phase of empty nesting parenting, but will be traveling a lot to see their girls who will live on opposite coasts. Cynthia noted that it is extremely rewarding to see her daughters grow into beautiful young adults who not only are successful in what they are pursuing, but genuinely kind and loving people. Those investments in the prenatal-to-3 period really pay off!
Come join our great team! We currently have four open positions. Visit our job postings page and sign up for our career email list for updates.
