Early childhood programs for children ages 0 to 4, which in prior years had been funded as a portion of the K-12 budget, were moved to separate funding divisions in each house and separate omnibus bills. The budget for early childhood programs increased 162 percent over the prior biennium, from $241.9 million in FY 1996-97 to $393.6 million in FY 1998-99.

One reason for this large increase was an effort to ameliorate the effects of welfare reform by increasing programs for child care. In addition, the unprecedented increase was a response to a national call for programs aimed at early intervention for children ages 0 to 4.

Child care programs, including Basic Sliding Fee (BSF) child care and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) child care, increased from $87.1 million during the 1995-97 biennium to $200.5 million in the 1997-99 biennium. The bulk of this increase came in BSF child care, a program aimed at working parents who pay a partial fee for child care, which increased from $40.3 million in 1996-97 to $92.5 million in 1998-99. The state's welfare reform program, TANF, is accompanied by a child care component, which increased under this legislation from $42.8 million in the 1995-97 biennium, when it was called the AFDC child care program, to $99.2 million in the 1997-99 biennium as TANF child care.

Self-sufficiency programs, including food banks, transitional housing, and grants for community collaboratives, increased from $17.9 million in the 1995-97 biennium to $24.2 million in the 1997-99 biennium. The bulk of this increase was given to community collaboratives and transitional housing for the homeless.

Early childhood education programs were increased from $75.4 million in the 1995-97 biennium to $94.4 million in the 1997-99 biennium. Included in these programs are Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) and Head Start. ECFE was increased from $28.4 million in the 1995-97 biennium to $29.7 million in the 1997-99 biennium. The state share of Head Start was increased from $23 million in the 1995-97 biennium to $37.5 million in the 1997-99 biennium.

Community and violence prevention programs were increased from $61.4 million in the 1995-97 biennium to $74.6 million in the 1997-99 biennium. Included in the many small programs in this category were drug policy and violence prevention programs, adult basic education programs, programs for abused children, programs for GED test reimbursement, community education programs, and other programs aimed at community enhancement.