Skip Navigation

Idaho

Last Updated: November 8, 2024

Working families in Idaho need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children. 

Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Idaho. But too many working families in Idaho are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Idaho economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue. 

Facts about Idaho
1

There are 137K children ages 5 and under in Idaho – 57% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.

2

The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Idaho is around $10,000.

3

The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 15% of eligible families in Idaho. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)

4

On average, child care providers in Idaho earn just $28,510 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.

5

Idaho’s economy loses $525M annually due to child care challenges

 Idaho: In The Headlines

How Payette Head Start sets rural Idaho families up for success

Idaho News 6 | June 5, 2024

Payette Head Start helps set rural Idaho families up for success by offering on-site or in-home child care and a place to get essential items for free.

Idaho struggles with a lack of child care

Boise State Public Radio | March 12, 2024

Demand for quality child care in our state is reaching a critical level. According to the Child Care Gap Assessment, there are close to 75,000 Idaho children in need of child care but our state only has 55,000 slots available.

Opinion: Investing in Idaho’s future: The critical need for early learning support

Idaho Capital Sun | nOVEMBER 8, 2024

Working families become strong when they have safe, affordable options for child care and early childhood education options.

Idaho Resources & News

Resource

2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets

July 16, 2024

FFYF’s 2024 State Fact Sheets from 50 states and Washington, D.C. show how federal investments in child care impact working parents, children, and the economy. Federal funding and programs benefit …

Resource

Essential Excerpts: Child Care Quotes From The Hill

July 12, 2024

As we monitored hearings on Capitol Hill this week, it was striking to see how many of them featured the issue of child care. From the House Appropriations Committee to …

Resource

2024 CCDBG State Fact Sheets

May 29, 2024

First Five Years Fund released a new collection of fact sheets from all 50 states detailing how the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) helps families and kids in …

Resource

New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements

February 22, 2024

Every day, early childhood educators play a crucial role in nurturing and shaping the minds of our youngest learners. Yet, the qualifications required for this essential workforce vary drastically across …

Resource

Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022

February 8, 2024

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …

Resource

How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Career Pathways

December 15, 2023

The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve career pathways in their Preschool Development Grant Birth …

Resource

FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets

July 31, 2023

Our new analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that child care and early learning programs have tremendous impacts on young children, their families, and the economy at …

Resource

New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program 

May 11, 2023

New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child …

Resource

How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State

May 9, 2023

The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …

Resource

FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets

August 2, 2022

Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …

Resource

Idaho — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 29, 2022

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

Resource

Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State

June 22, 2022

The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …

Resource

2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding

August 3, 2021

FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …

Resource

Idaho — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2021

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

Resource

States Lose Billions in Economic Activity from Child Care Breakdowns

May 24, 2021

The past year has brought on an increased awareness of the importance of child care to the economy. But even before the pandemic, families struggled to find and afford high-quality …

News

Six Jurisdictions Can Now Apply for Renewal Funds for PDG

October 8, 2020

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), in coordination with the Department of Education, released a new funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for the Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five (PDG …

News

FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes

September 16, 2020

This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …

Resource

Idaho: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2020

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

Resource

Governors Across the Country Celebrate Federal Preschool Development Grant B-5 Funding

March 2, 2020

The Preschool Development Grant Birth through 5 (PDG B-5) is a $275 million competitive federal grant program designed to improve states’ early childhood systems by building upon existing federal, state, …

News

Preschool Development Grant Funding Awarded to 26 States for 2020

December 20, 2019

UPDATE: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced additional three-year renewal grants are being awarded to South Carolina, Nebraska, and …

Resource

Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States

September 16, 2019

On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state.  As in previous years, CAP’s …

Resource

See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care

June 14, 2019

Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …

Resource

Idaho: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2019

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

Stay Updated

Receive monthly updates on the latest news, policy, and actions to advance federal investment in children and their families.