TOOLKIT: FY27 Appropriations

The Ask 

Congress: Please protect, prioritize, and build on funding for child care and early learning in the FY27 Appropriations process. 

Step 1: Get The Facts 

For families around the country, money feels tight, and the cost of daily life has become harder to manage. This “affordability anxiety” is especially high for parents of young children, where child care consistently stands out as one of the most significant and unavoidable expenses. With average annual costs exceeding $13,000 per child (or more than $1,000 a month), child care puts real pressure on family budgets and can determine whether parents are able to work, pay their bills, and remain economically stable.

Congress can help address this by prioritizing federal child care and early learning programs during the Appropriations process. Programs like Early Head Start/Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), and Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five (PDG B-5) help families find and afford quality care while supporting children’s early development and helping parents stay in the workforce.

This “Community Letter,” signed by 87 child care and early education organizations from 32 states, details the funding ask for FY27 Appropriations for child care and early learning programs.

Step 2: Take Action 

Use the tools on the FFYF Action Center to email, call, or use social media to contact your member of Congress and urge them to protect and prioritize funding for child care and early learning in the FY27 Appropriations process! 

For Example:  

@chriscoons: Please protect and prioritize funding for child care and early learning programs that support so many families in our state, including the Child Care + Development Block Grant, Early Head Start/Head Start, and PDG B-5. https://www.ffyf.org/policy-priorities/appropriations/

Right click and save the image below to share on social

Step 3: Spread The Word 

Congressional offices receive hundreds of messages from constituents every single day, so to be effective, we need as many voices as possible. Please ask partners, followers, network members and others and urge them to take action too!  

Reach out to your people through newsletters, webinars, and meetings. Right click and share the QR code below in your newsletters, meeting slides, or over email to spread the word!