Almost half of U.S. states have waitlists for childcare assistance

Waitlist status for government-funded childcare assistance, as of March 2026 unless noted.

A choropleth map of the United States showing all the 23 states that have childcare waitlists in orange. Washington, D.C., also implemented a waitlist in May 2026.

(Please use a modern browser to see the interactive version of this visualization)

Alabama and Washington, D.C. implemented waitlists in May. "No waitlist" means that state reported no one on its waitlist at that time or does not maintain a waitlist. A blank figure means the state didn't respond or was unable/declined to provide waitlist data. Gray states didn't respond to AP's request for data.

Source: AP survey of statesGraphic: Sharon Lurye