Data not shown for CO, NM, and SC, which do not collect price data, and LA, for which data was not published by Child Care Aware of America.
United States value is an average of program-weighted averages, calculated by weighting state child care price averages by the number of programs by type (i.e., centers, family child care homes). For more details see: https://info.childcareaware.org/price-and-supply-2025
Data not shown for CO, NM, and SC, which do not collect price data.
United States value is an average of program-weighted averages, calculated by weighting state child care price averages by the number of programs by type (i.e., centers, family child care homes). For more details see: https://info.childcareaware.org/price-and-supply-2025
The following estimates should be interpreted with caution due to low sample sizes of the underlying population in the state: IL (AIAN women), IN (AIAN men), ME (Black women, AANHPI men), MD (AIAN men), MT (AANHPI women), NH (Black women), ND (AANHPI women, AANHPI men), PA (AIAN women, AIAN men), SD (Black men), TN (AIAN women), VT (AANHPI women).
The following estimates should be interpreted with caution due to low sample sizes of the underlying population in the state: IL (AIAN women), IN (AIAN men), ME (Black women, AANHPI men), MD (AIAN men), MT (AANHPI women), NH (Black women), ND (AANHPI women, AANHPI men), PA (AIAN women, AIAN men), SD (Black men), TN (AIAN women), VT (AANHPI women).
Totals can overestimate public enrollment in state pre-K, pre-K special education, and Head Start as some or all of Head Start children may be served in a state’s pre-K program and many states could not report this information.
Policy
Updated July 22, 2026Current Policy Landscape
14 states and DC have enacted paid family and medical leave (PFML) laws. These include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington. Federal law does not guarantee paid leave to workers.
IWPR Recommendation
States should require comprehensive PFML to guarantee a minimum of 12 weeks paid leave for all workers, for a wide range of purposes. Paid leave laws should prioritize a broad and inclusive definition of family, a wage replacement rate that is high enough for workers to use the benefit, and critical job protections upon return to work.
Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions
alabama
Session has adjourned
alaska
arizona
arkansas
Session has adjourned
california
Enacted in a previous sessioncolorado
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
connecticut
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
delaware
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
district-of-columbia
Enacted in a previous sessiongeorgia
hawaii
idaho
Session has adjourned
illinois
No current bills
indiana
iowa
kansas
kentucky
louisiana
maine
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
maryland
Enacted in a previous sessionmassachusetts
Enacted in a previous sessionmichigan
No current bills
minnesota
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
mississippi
missouri
Session has adjourned
montana
No regular session
nebraska
nevada
No regular session
new-hampshire
Session has adjourned
new-jersey
Enacted in a previous sessionnew-mexico
new-york
Enacted in a previous sessionnorth-carolina
north-dakota
No regular session
oklahoma
oregon
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
pennsylvania
rhode-island
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
south-carolina
Special session*
south-dakota
Session has adjourned
tennessee
texas
No regular session
utah
vermont
Session has adjourned
virginia
Enacted in a previous sessionwashington
Enacted in a previous sessionwest-virginia
wisconsin
wyoming
Session has adjourned
Current Policy Landscape
17 states and DC guarantee workers the right to paid sick time. These include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. There is currently no federal right to paid sick leave for workers.
IWPR Recommendation
States should require paid sick leave policies that establish a right for all workers to earn paid sick time. Such policies should also include a guaranteed standard salary during leave and job protections upon return to work.
Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions
alabama
Session has adjourned
alaska
Enacted in a previous sessionarizona
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
arkansas
Session has adjourned
california
Enacted in a previous sessioncolorado
Enacted in a previous sessionconnecticut
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
delaware
Session has adjourned
district-of-columbia
Enacted in a previous sessionflorida
Session has adjourned
georgia
Session has adjourned
hawaii
Session has adjourned
idaho
Session has adjourned
illinois
No current bills
indiana
Session has adjourned
iowa
Session has adjourned
kansas
kentucky
louisiana
Session has adjourned
maine
Session has adjourned
maryland
Enacted in a previous sessionmassachusetts
Enacted in a previous sessionmichigan
Enacted in a previous sessionminnesota
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
mississippi
missouri
montana
No regular session
nebraska
Enacted in a previous sessionnevada
No regular session
new-hampshire
Session has adjourned
new-jersey
Enacted in a previous sessionnew-mexico
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
new-york
Enacted in a previous sessionnorth-carolina
north-dakota
No regular session
ohio
No current bills
oklahoma
Session has adjourned
oregon
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
pennsylvania
Introduced
Passed by 1 Chamber
Signed into Law
rhode-island
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
south-carolina
Special session*
south-dakota
Session has adjourned
tennessee
Session has adjourned
texas
No regular session
utah
Session has adjourned
vermont
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
virginia
washington
Enacted in a previous sessionwest-virginia
Session has adjourned
wisconsin
Session has adjourned
wyoming
Session has adjourned
Current Policy Landscape
17 states and DC currently provide some families with a child tax credit in addition to the federal tax credit, though not all state’s child tax credits are refundable. These states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont.
IWPR Recommendation
States should adopt child tax credits that are refundable and income-adjusted in accordance with a state’s cost of living. State and federal child tax credits are no substitute for broader investments in the care economy and policy solutions to make affordable care available for all families.
Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions
alabama
Session has adjourned
alaska
Session has adjourned
arizona
Session has adjourned
arkansas
Session has adjourned
california
Enacted in a previous sessionIntroduced
Passed by 1 Chamber
Signed into Law
colorado
Enacted in a previous sessionconnecticut
delaware
Session has adjourned
district-of-columbia
Enacted in a previous sessionflorida
Session has adjourned
georgia
idaho
Enacted in a previous sessionillinois
Enacted in a previous sessionindiana
iowa
Session has adjourned
kansas
Session has adjourned
kentucky
Session has adjourned
louisiana
Session has adjourned
maine
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
maryland
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
massachusetts
Enacted in a previous sessionmichigan
No current bills
minnesota
Enacted in a previous sessionmississippi
missouri
montana
No regular session
nebraska
nevada
No regular session
new-hampshire
Session has adjourned
new-jersey
Enacted in a previous sessionnew-mexico
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
new-york
Enacted in a previous sessionnorth-carolina
Enacted in a previous sessionnorth-dakota
Enacted in a previous sessionNo regular session
ohio
No current bills
oklahoma
Enacted in a previous sessionoregon
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
pennsylvania
No current bills
rhode-island
south-carolina
south-dakota
Session has adjourned
tennessee
Session has adjourned
texas
No regular session
utah
Enacted in a previous sessionvermont
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
virginia
washington
Session has adjourned
west-virginia
wisconsin
Session has adjourned
wyoming
Session has adjourned
State policy or data requests?
Stakeholders and partners can get support from IWPR’s experts on state-specific data and policy landscape insights. Submit a hotline request to get started.
Hotline statepal@iwpr.org