About 6,700 more Virginia kids can get help paying for child care

Virginia’s Child Care Subsidy Program helps families pay for care. The 2026–2028 budget adds $137.6 million over two years, enough for about 6,745 additional slots each year for eligible children from birth to 5. State officials said the funding was enough to serve every family then waiting. As of Sept. 1, about 2,200 families still remained on local waitlists, and the state was continuing to add slots.

To qualify at the 85% state-median-income limit, a family must include at least one child age 5 or younger who has not started kindergarten; eligible siblings under 13 can also receive help. Parents generally must be working, looking for work, attending school or training, or qualify through another program category. You can apply through CommonHelp or your local department of social services.

The money comes from projected savings in the Virginia Preschool Initiative because fewer preschool slots were expected to be used. State law lets the Virginia Department of Education reallocate unused early-childhood funding based on family demand. The budget does not raise what the state pays child care providers, a rate that has not been updated since 2022.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed the shift in December 2025. Del. Luke Torian was the patron of HB 30, and the General Assembly retained the funding in the final budget. Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed it on June 29, 2026. The new funding took effect July 1.