ANALYSIS: FFYF’s 2025 State Fact Sheets

FFYF’s 2025 State Fact Sheets show how federal investments in child care impact working parents, children, and the economy. These federal programs not only benefit families nationwide, they also serve as the foundation of America’s early care and education system.

Analysis of all 50 fact sheets paints a clear picture: child care is not just a family issue, it’s economic infrastructure. Whether you live in Maine or Arizona, Oklahoma or Wisconsin, or anywhere in between, child care challenges affect families, children, and local businesses alike. Without stronger federal investment, the system cannot meet the demand. View data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. here.

Key Findings:

• 14.85 million children age five and under in the U.S. have all available parents in the workforce.
• Federal and state early learning and care programs currently serve just 4.4 million children.
• The average price of infant care in a center is a staggering $15,570 per year.
• For a single parent, care for one infant consumes nearly 40% of household income.
• Quality and investment levels vary dramatically by state, meaning children’s opportunities depend heavily on where they live.
   

How States Use Federal Dollars

Federal funding supports states in several critical ways, including:

• Expanding access to affordable care for low-income working parents through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG).
• Creating reliable community supports for families through Head Start and Early Head Start.
• Building early childhood systems through the Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) program.
  

Where the Gaps Remain

Federal child care programs are a lifeline for families who can access them — but a lack of funding leaves the majority of eligible children unserved:

• The average maximum monthly copayment for a family using CCDBG is $284. Without assistance, the average monthly cost is roughly $1,200.
• Each month, 86% of children under age six eligible for CCDBG subsidies — nearly 7 million kids — go without access due to limited funds.
• For Head Start, 73% of eligible children aren’t reached — about 1.4 million children who could otherwise be in preschool classrooms.