For years, political leaders across the ideological spectrum have said that education policy should be “all about the kids.” The federal Education Freedom Tax Credit gives them an opportunity to show it. Beginning in 2027, individual taxpayers may claim a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for making contributions to qualifying nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations, known as S.G.O.s. These organizations can use these contributions to provide scholarships for eligible elementary and secondary students at Catholic and other nonpublic schools, as well as assistance to public school students who need supplemental tutoring or other educational services. Students whose families have incomes up to 300 percent of the median gross income in their state are eligible to receive the scholarships.

But families can benefit only if their state chooses to participate in the program.

That makes the decision facing governors and other state leaders both simple and consequential. By opting in, a state gives its families access to new educational resources. By declining, it closes that door even as families in participating states receive the benefit.

As of mid-August, 30 states had formally decided to participate in the program, according to the Internal Revenue Service, but several governors have rejected the idea, and others remain undecided. Without sustained engagement from parents, educators and community leaders, and grassroots pressure on state leaders to participate in the program, millions of children could be left behind.

Families across the country face a common challenge: finding and affording the educational setting and services that best meet the needs of their children. Children have different strengths, challenges, interests and needs. Parents are usually in the best position to recognize those differences and seek the support that will help their children succeed. Sometimes that means choosing a nonpublic school. Sometimes it means finding a tutoring program, specialized services or additional support while a child remains in a public school. The federal scholarship tax credit can help families pursue either path.

I lead the National Catholic Educational Association, and I know the difference it can make for families to be able to select Catholic schools. This is not a choice between supporting public schools and supporting parental choice. We can and should do both. The appropriate response to a new educational opportunity is not to reject it because of whom it might help. It is to implement it responsibly so that it helps as many children as possible.

Critics have argued that states should refuse to participate in the tax credit program because the program does not hold participating schools accountable for student achievement, and also because public schools are underfunded and in greater need of financial assistance. Those were the reasons given by the Democratic governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, when he vetoed legislation that would have enabled his state to participate. Meanwhile, the Democratic governor of Oregon, Tina Kotek, said her state would not participate because of fears that some eligible S.G.O.s will not be “in alignment with our values” and because she “cannot trust” the Trump administration on education policy.

Those concerns deserve a serious response. Accountability matters. S.G.O.s should be transparent, families should know how funds are used, and policymakers should insist that the program serve students responsibly. But concerns about implementation do not justify denying families access altogether.

Further, participation does not take money from an existing state or local public-school appropriation, and opting out does nothing to increase funding for public schools. The program is supported through a federal tax credit for voluntary contributions to qualified nonprofit organizations. Opting in neither reduces school district budgets nor diminishes the state and local resources already committed to providing students with a high-quality public education.

In fact, the program can bring additional educational support to students who remain in public schools. Eligible families may receive scholarships for qualified expenses such as tutoring, academic enrichment, specialized services and certain supports for students with disabilities. Participation does not require a child to leave a public school. The tax credit gives parents additional resources to secure the services that best meet their child’s individual needs. Yes, some families may use a scholarship for nonpublic-school tuition, but others may use it to help their child succeed in the public school they already attend. Arne Duncan, the secretary of education under President Barack Obama, stressed this point in a Washington Post column supporting the tax credit, writing that it is a “no-brainer” for states to opt in.

At the N.C.E.A., our request is straightforward: Judge the program by what it does for children, not by which political party enacted it or which educational sector might benefit. If the rules require stronger safeguards, leaders should advocate for stronger safeguards. If implementation requires greater transparency, they should demand it. But declining to participate does not send additional money to public schools or create greater accountability. It simply prevents families in that state from accessing an opportunity available to families elsewhere.

Former state Senator Dale Kooyenga made the point succinctly in response to Governor Evers’s veto in Wisconsin: “Let’s not leave money on the table. If we do not do this, the money is going to go to the U.S. Treasury, or it will go to other states’ students.”

Leaders in states that have not opted in should ask themselves a simple question: What legitimate public purpose is served by preventing families in their state from accessing educational assistance available to families elsewhere? At a time when parents are concerned about learning loss, student mental health, academic achievement and the cost of securing additional student support, states should expand educational possibilities, not limit them.

Catholic schools stand ready to be partners in that work, as they have been for generations. They educate children, support families and contribute to the common good. But the larger goal is not the success of one educational sector at the expense of another. The goal is for every child to flourish.

Dr. Steven F. Cheeseman is the president and chief executive officer of the National Catholic Educational Association, the largest private professional education association in the world dedicated to Catholic education.