In most schools, substitute teachers are commonplace. Finding temporary teachers to fill in at childcare centers is a bit more complicated. But a new pilot program helps daycares in the Richmond region hire qualified substitutes through an app.

Have you heard about VPM’s “When, Then - 90by5” early childhood messaging campaign? Since the campaign expanded into Charlottesville earlier this year, the campaign has connected 107,000 parents and caregivers to helpful resources, such as interactive games, activities, posters and other educational content. But what is the 90by5 campaign and why is it important? “The name 90by5 reflects the fact that 90% of a child’s brain develops by age 5,” said Mary Jo Grieve, VPM’s Director of Early Childhood Care and Education. “The "When, Then" message reinforces a simple idea: When parents and caregivers engage with young children through everyday interactions, then those children build the skills they need to succeed in school and in life.”

Virginia has been a national leader in child care for years, using federal pandemic funds and state dollars to expand and maintain access to affordable, high-quality care for working families across the state. Virginia’s investments have raised child care quality and have increased access to care for families. However, gaps remain: early childhood educators continue to earn well below a living wage, and child care remains unaffordable for many Virginia families. Virginia’s strategic access to relevant data has made it possible to project the annual cost of increasing educator wages to parity with elementary school teachers and funding access to high-quality child care that aligns with parent demand. Assuming an uptake of 70% of children in eligible working families, this expansion would require a new annual investment of $1.68B per year.

Access to child care plays a key role in supporting parent workforce participation and the healthy growth and development of children. Yet for far too many families, this essential support is out of reach. Families across the nation find themselves living in child care deserts—areas where there are three or more children, aged five and under, per licensed child care slot. Without enough slots, children are unable to receive the care they need, and parents are forced to make difficult decisions that may cause them to leave the workforce or settle for child care that does not align with their needs and preferences. The Center for American Progress (CAP) recently released a report updating their data on the current state of our nation’s child care supply, as well as a map that provides a visual representation of child care deserts across the country. The report reveals that while overall access is marginally improving, it has worsened in rural communities.

For many child care providers, the gap between what it costs to deliver quality care and what they are reimbursed to serve children from lower-income families is significant. Subsidy reimbursement rates often fall well below the actual cost of providing care, leaving providers to absorb the difference. Over time, this funding gap can strain providers’ finances, limit their ability to serve families who rely on subsidies, and ultimately reduce access to affordable, high-quality child care for the children who need it most.