Younkin Pushes for increased spending on learning and child care programs

RICHMOND (AP) — Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday that the proposed budget he will soon unveil for the next two fiscal years will include an increase in state spending on early learning and child care programs.

The central aim of the proposal is to ensure that the end of federal pandemic-era funds that were used to expand those initiatives doesn’t leave families in the lurch, Youngkin said in a speech in Richmond. Without the increased allocations to improve the long-term viability of the programs, families would start to lose coverage in March 2024, he said.

“At the heart of this is ensuring that we continue to serve the population being served today and that dollars follow the children on their parents’ best wishes,” he said.

The proposal is just one component of a full two-year budget plan the administration is developing, which Youngkin will present to state lawmakers on Dec. 20.