In the 2026 midterm elections, a record number of communities voted on dedicated funding for children, according to Children’s Funding Project, a national nonprofit focused on public financing for children and youth. The group’s analysis found early childhood funding on the ballot in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri and Texas. This is a trend that will continue, according to Olivia Allen, co-founder and vice president of strategy and advocacy at the nonprofit.
“[It’s] been building over the last decade, where we saw five, six or seven funds pass on even-year election nights, regardless of the political and economic climate each year. Communities are consistently dedicated to investing in their kids,” said Allen.
Ballot measures have become a more popular way to secure early care and education funding. While polling data shows that Americans want help with childcare costs, few state legislatures have taken major action. A ballot measure that identifies a dedicated, sustainable funding source can provide steady year-over-year money to build childcare infrastructure. By contrast, legislatures that fund childcare from budget surpluses or one-time federal money, such as the American Rescue Plan, can’t offer providers and families the same certainty.
This election cycle, which featured 12 ballot measures that included dedicated funding for early childhood, outperformed conventional expectations, Allen said. “There were a lot of questions about…
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