Child Care Stipend for Legislators Continued

Speaker Don Scott announced today that the Virginia House of Delegates will continue the Child Care Stipend Program for legislators during the 2026 legislative session, following a successful launch of the pilot program in 2025.

The program provides a stipend of $300 per child, per week to help parent-legislators manage the rising costs of child care while serving in Richmond.

“As we work to build a family-first economy, we will continue to lead by example,” said Speaker Don Scott. “The cost of child care is squeezing working families across Virginia every day. This program helped remove real barriers for parent-legislators and made our General Assembly more reflective of the people we serve. And we’re not stopping here — this coming session, we will work to lower child care costs for Virginians and deliver legislation that supports families across our Commonwealth.”

Child care costs in Virginia remain among the highest in the country, and many communities are experiencing a shortage of available child care slots. The continuation of this program aligns with the House’s broader efforts to expand access to affordable, high-quality child care, strengthen the workforce, and support families across the Commonwealth. During the 2025 session, 15 members utilized the stipend.