In October, the Prenatal to 3 Policy Impact Center released a video that looks at how families fare in different states.

“The Same Family, Different Support simulation brings the Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap to life and compares the level of resources available to a sample family of three based on each state’s actual policy choices,” the center says on its website.

“This unique analysis clearly illustrates that there is substantial variation in available resources during the critical prenatal to age 3 period, based on state policy choices.”

One key finding: “the level of resources a family has available to meet their basic needs varies substantially, from over $42,000 per year in DC, to less than $22,000 in North Carolina.”

The center found that “state minimum wage policies and child care subsidy policies drive most of the variation.”

At the top of the list of places where families have the most resources are the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, the state of Washington, and California.

At the bottom of the list, where families have the fewest resources, are Indiana, Georgia, Missouri, and North Carolina.

The moral of the story: states can and should make more family-friendly policy choices.

Should Build Back Better pass in Congress and become law, all states could participate and receive the necessary funds to build up their child care and preschool systems. This would provide a more level playing field for all U.S. children and families, regardless of their state or zip code.

To learn more, check out the video. And be sure to share it on social media.