Virginia officials report historic demand for early childhood care; governor’s budget proposes co‑pay changes, $15M for retrofits and pause on school‑age enroll

Jenna Conway, deputy superintendent for early childhood care and education, updated the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee’s Education Subcommittee on Dec. 14 in Richmond, saying the Commonwealth is using all available state and federal dollars to serve historically high demand across three state‑funded programs: the childcare subsidy, mixed‑delivery slots and the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI). “We are using every state and federal dollar available to serve more kids than ever before across three state funded programs,” Conway said.

Why it matters: Lawmakers face competing priorities as demand for infant and toddler care climbs and state dollars are finite. The governor’s budget proposals and the commission’s recommendations attempt to steer limited resources toward the birth‑to‑5 population, where options are most constrained.

Demand and wait lists: Conway presented wait‑list figures the department has compiled since July 1, noting sharp demand for infants and toddlers and slower recent growth in the number of new families added. The department reported approximately 5,000 infants and toddlers on the childcare‑subsidy wait list, roughly 3,700 for preschool programs, about 800 for mixed‑delivery infant/toddler slots, another 460 for mixed‑delivery preschool slots, and just under…