Early Childhood Education in Virginia: Updates from the 2021 General Assembly Session
David Cary
Assistant Secretary of Early Childhood Education and Chief of Staff to the First Lady at the Office of the Governor
It has been a year unlike any other in Virginia, and educators have felt the impact of this pandemic more than most. We have seen a historic drop in reading skills, and teachers reporting concerns about children’s social-emotional well-being among this year’s kindergartners. But these setbacks do not have to be permanent. Governor Northam and the General Assembly have worked together to provide additional flexibility and funding to the field in order to help children recover and thrive. In today’s post, I will give a brief overview of recent action taken in Richmond to serve Virginia’s littlest learners.
Consolidation of Oversight at Virginia Department of Education
The Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) has been housed at the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) since its inception in the 1990’s, but other funding streams like Head Start and the federal Child Care Subsidy Program have been run through the Department of Social Services. This has led to a fractured system that limits how well Virginia can serve its youngest learners. Thanks to transformative legislation in the 2020 General Assembly Session, the VDOE’s Office of Early Childhood Education has been designated as the single point of accountability for all programs serving children age 0 to 5 outside of the home. This year, the legislature funded a Deputy Superintendent of Early Childhood position, which will report directly to the Superintendent. The VDOE’s Office of Early Childhood is now tasked with leading Virginia’s work to ensure all children have access to quality early learning opportunities no matter who they are or where they live.
Restoring State Funding
In March of 2020, the General Assembly sent the Governor a budget that included a historic $85 million increase in state funding for early childhood programs. Days later, COVID-19 caused an economic downturn that forced state leaders to unallot, or freeze, all new spending. Over the past year the Governor and legislature were able to restore about $55 million of these new investments in early learning. These included $8 million over two years to provide $1,500 educator incentive grants to early childhood educators in family day homes and childcare settings, $8.5 million for Virginia’s Mixed Delivery system, $6 million to include three-year-olds in VPI classrooms, and over $30 million in other improvements to VPI. The General Assembly also approved $300,000 to expand the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP).
New Federal Funding
In the Spring of 2020, Virginia became the first state in the nation to dedicate federal stimulus funds to Pre-K access, and as of April 2021 had dedicated over $300 million in federal funds to early childhood care and education. Much of these funds went toward stabilizing the child care industry where nearly half of providers temporarily closed in spring of 2020. Thanks to four rounds of direct cash grants, nearly 90% of programs are now open and serving families. Some of these funds have also gone toward expanded eligibility for Virginia’s Child Care Subsidy Program. Between now and July 31st, families earning up to 85% of the state median income who have at least one child not yet in kindergarten are eligible for subsidized child care. That means a single parent with one child earning about $60,000 a year or a family of four with a household income of about $89,000 or less would be eligible for up to 12 months. More information about how to apply is available here.
Nearly $1 billion in new federal funding is set to arrive in Virginia, thanks to the American Rescue Plan or ARP. More information about this funding will become available in the coming months.
Future Dedicated Funding
Governor Northam introduced legislation to legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana in Virginia while addressing discriminatory criminalization laws that disproportionately harm minority communities. This legislation requires that 40% of tax revenue be dedicated to expanding access to preschool slots for three and four-year-olds from economically disadvantaged households. Over 20,000 Virginia children lack access to an affordable quality early learning program and the Northam Administration has set a goal of serving all of these children over the next five years. This new dedicated funding will play a major role in achieving this bold goal.
Virginia’s children are strong, they are resilient, and we will recover from this pandemic thanks in large part to dedicated educators like you. There is much more work to be done in order to provide a truly equitable early childhood care and education system in Virginia, but we are incredibly encouraged by the progress we have seen in just the past several years. As vaccination rates increase, and if we continue to wear masks, wash our hands, and maintain proper distance, we know there is great reason for hope this Spring and beyond. Thank you for all that you do for Virginia’s greatest asset: our children.
David Cary has served as Chief of Staff to First Lady Pamela Northam, Chair of the Administration’s Children’s Cabinet, in the office of Governor Ralph Northam since 2018. He has served as the Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Education since 2020.
More questions? VKRP provides support via the online chat feature when you are in the system, via email vkrp@virginia.edu, and via toll free 866-301-8278 ext. 1
