The “blue wave” that swept Democrats into office across the country was accompanied by notable wins on measures that would provide additional funding for child care and prekindergarten.
Several newly elected officials made early childhood a central part of their campaigns.
In Maine, Gov.-elect Hannah Pingree campaigned on universal child care and boosting pay for early educators. Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms also made mandatory kindergarten and expansion of the state’s pre-K program part of her election pitch. David Crowley, who will be the new governor of Wisconsin, has called for expanding the state’s child care subsidy program so that it covers all children ages 5 or younger.
In South Carolina, Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, is heading to the Senate after making access to child care a platform priority. And in Minnesota, Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan has called for an expansion to the federal Head Start program for low-income children and for universal pre-K.
Voters also supported ballot measures that will fund early childhood education and various services for children and families, but not in every case. In St. Louis, for example, voters rejected a proposed sales tax that would have raised $22 million annually for child care subsidies and grants to child care providers. Another sales tax increase that would have provided money for child care and other services was rejected by Tempe, Arizona, voters.
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 solidly a bipartisan issue, and the community understands how access to early learning affects caregivers, employers and schools.
“It isn’t just an individual family issue,” Baray said. “San Antonio understands that this is a huge community need, and they’re willing to invest in it because it’s an investment in the community’s future.” Over 72 percent of voters supported the reauthorization.
Melissa Boteach, chief policy officer of the nonprofit Zero to Three, said the results reflect the concerns of parents with young children, who have reported more stress and difficulty paying for essentials over the last few years. “It’s not a surprise that candidates that focused on affordability and solutions to child care and health care resonated with people who are struggling,” she said.
“Across the board, candidates who ran on child care, who ran on kitchen table family issues, did well,” she added. “That’s a political message. Not only do voters expect candidates to deliver on those promises, but going into 2028 and beyond, the appetite for real momentum and real solutions on these issues is high.”
Here’s a list of early childhood measures that passed on Tuesday:
Pre-K and Child Care
✅ San Antonio: Voters approved Proposition A, reauthorizing a sales tax that will continue to support pre-K 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 Issue 1A, which raises property taxes to lower the cost of child care, increase pay for early childhood teachers and expand child care capacity to whittle down lengthy waitlists.
✅ Marin County, California: Voters approved Measure P, which establishes a “parcel tax” for buildings and devotes that revenue to a fund designed to raise early educator compensation and expand access to high-quality, affordable child care.
✅ San Diego: Early results show Measure B has received the majority it needs to pass, although votes are still being counted. The initiative will devote a portion of revenue from a half-cent sales tax toward child care, providing stipends to providers who serve 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: Ballot Issue 1A will increase a lodging tax for short-term stays from 2 percent to 6 percent, dedicate at least 20 percent of that revenue to help families pay for child care, and will provide child care for the tourism workforce.
✅ Archuleta County, Colorado: Unofficial results show support for Ballot Issue 1A, which will increase a lodging tax and devote 10 percent of the revenue to child care.
✅ Colorado: Voters approved Proposition NN, which diverts state money that would otherwise be refunded to taxpayers toward K-12 education, with leftover funds eligible to fund early childhood education. Voters also passed Amendment 87, which calls for changing the state’s flat income tax rate to a graduated rate in order to help pay for K-12 education and child care.
Children and Families
✅ Baltimore: Voters approved Question I, which amends the City of Baltimore’s charter to dedicate $0.03 for every $100 in taxable property value (an estimated $17 million in the first year) to a newly created Baltimore Baby Fund. An advisory board will determine how the money is spent.
✅ Buchanan County, Missouri: Voters approved Proposition K, which will devote revenue from a sales tax, an estimated $4 million each year, to fund mental health services for children and youth.
Contact staff writer Jackie Mader at 212-678-3562 or mader@hechingerreport.org
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