Overview
- Enrollment opened November 1 with income limits removed and state vouchers available for public or private care.
- The state estimates families will save about $12,000 per child each year under the new benefit.
- Roughly 32,000 children are currently served, and officials project that number will double within 18 months.
- Reaching universal access will require nearly 14,000 additional slots and about 5,000 educators, backed by a roughly $12.7–$13 million loan fund and higher reimbursements for providers paying at least $18 an hour.
- Leaders urge patience during the rollout and set an end‑2027 goal for full coverage, while critics caution that capacity constraints and benefits for higher earners could undercut the effort.