To the delight of beleaguered day care operations and child advocates, Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin is calling for an investment of $484 million a year into child care— with most going to help parents cover the surging costs.

His proposal, which the General Assembly must approve, would expand the state’s investment in child care subsidies by a record $448 million a year.

That’s far more than the $300 million that advocates urged the state to invest to maintain current services and prevent 27,000 children from losing subsidized care when federal day care subsidies come to an end in the spring.

Gov. Youngkin last week unveiled what he called “Building Blocks for Virginia Families” and said the proposal would “empower parents with child care choice, reduce red tape and provide needed support for parents to continue in the workforce.”

The governor said the investment he proposes would build on the efforts of previous administrations to provide quality early education and day care services.

The soaring cost of child care—which can run $11,000 or more a year—has made government subsidies essential for working parents with lower incomes.

Kathy Glazer, president of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, said, “The Youngkin administration has clearly recognized the importance of maintaining child care services” in praising the governor’s plan as a “bold commitment.”

The main elements of the plan include ensuring that every family currently receiving public support continues to have access to day care and after-school programs.

The plan also would allow parents to have a wider range of choices to receive state support, including for in-home providers, public school preschools, community co-ops, church programs and private day care centers.

In addition, the governor wants the legislature to authorize a payment system that would allow employers, charities, local governments, nonprofits and families to contribute to the program and enact reduced regulations to make it easier for providers to operate effectively, but safely.

He also wants the authority to spend $25 million to refurbish excess space on college campuses for use as early learning hubs.

Finally, he wants the legislature to continue providing $1 million in scholarships for those seeking to enter the early education field, and making $10 million available to pay incentives to teachers and others to bolster retention and reduce turnover.