Education (Early Childhood)

This bill appropriates additional funding to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare for fiscal year 2027, specifically supporting early learning, youth safety, and family partnership programs. It allocates money to the Division of Early Learning and Development for child care expansion, the Division of Youth Safety and Permanency for foster care and permanency services, and the Division of Family and Community Partnerships for kinship navigation grants. The legislation also authorizes eight new full-time positions, allows unused child care funds from the previous year to be reallocated for nonrecurring expenses, and requires a report on the Idaho Home Visiting Program's outcomes. Additionally, it sets spending limits and restrictions for child care capacity funds, prioritizing home-based care for underserved populations while prohibiting use for construction or providers under investigation.