Right now, nearly 26,000 children in Florida are stuck on a waitlist for subsidized childcare—while their working parents scramble to survive. These are families who qualify for help. They're meeting the income requirements, showing up to work, and doing everything right. But because lawmakers expanded eligibility without adding a single dollar in funding, thousands of children—and their parents—are paying the price.

This isn’t just a budget oversight. It’s a crisis.

When the pandemic hit, emergency federal funding helped Florida dramatically reduce the waitlist for its School Readiness childcare program. But now that support has ended, and our state has failed to step up. Despite making more families eligible for assistance, the Florida Legislature added no new funds to match the growing need. The result? Working moms like Brittany Jackson lost hours at work and fell behind on bills. Childcare centers like Early Education Station and Welbourne Nursery have seen enrollment plunge, risking closure. And parents across the state—from Orlando to Jacksonville—have been forced to choose between leaving their jobs or leaving their kids without care.

The solution is clear: the Florida Legislature must immediately allocate emergency funds to the School Readiness program and commit to sustainable long-term investment in early childhood care.

Childcare is infrastructure. It’s how we ensure parents can work, kids can learn, and our economy can grow. This waitlist crisis is hurting real families and destabilizing communities. Florida has the resources. What it needs is the political will.

We call on the Florida House, the Florida Senate, and Governor Ron DeSantis to fully fund the School Readiness program and eliminate the waitlist. Families can’t afford to wait.

Photo: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel