For a child, the first five years last forever.
FEATURED PRIORITIES
Appropriations FY2027
For FY2027, Congress should protect, prioritize, and expand these investments in programs including the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), Early Head Start/Head Start, and the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5).
Child Care is an Affordability Issue
“Affordability anxiety” is particularly high for parents of young children, where child care consistently stands out as one of the most significant and unavoidable expenses.
Modernizing Child Care
Modernizing the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is essential to ensuring more working families can access the quality, affordable child care care they need.
2026 Early Head Start and Head Start
Head Start has a long history of giving kids a strong start through comprehensive early learning, health, and nutrition services. We are focused on continuing to bolster overall support for this essential program at the federal level.
State Of Play: The Head Start NPRMs (Rules and Regulation Changes)
On August 6, 2026, the Administration released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Head Start, a formal announcement published in the Federal Register when a Federal Agency intends to add to, remove from, or otherwise change policy through a rule or regulation.
FFYF State Fact Sheets: Child Care and Early Learning, 2026
FFYF’s 2026 State Fact Sheets on child care and early learning provide state-by-state data for all 50 states and Washington, DC, showing how federal and state investments support families, young children, and local economies. They also highlight where significant gaps remain.
FFYF’S Sarah Rittling Named to TIME Magazine’s First Ever Visionaries List
TIME named First Five Years Fund Executive Director Sarah Rittling to the inaugural TIME Visionaries list recognizing leaders driving meaningful impact in the lives of children across education, health and wellness, technology, economic opportunity, and more.
Latest News
& Resources
Head Start: Populations Served
Head Start’s mission goes beyond the classroom: it is designed to reach the children and families who need it most, which is why eligibility is intentionally built around those facing the greatest barriers to opportunity.
Head Start: Comprehensive Services
Head Start pairs high-quality early learning with comprehensive services that support a child’s health and development while helping families build stability and self-sufficiency from infancy through the start of kindergarten.
STATEMENT: FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Proposed Head Start Rule
This morning, the White House released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing changes to regulations governing the Head Start program.
