For Congress: Making Child Care Work for Families
Federal Child Care Programs Support Working Families
Rising costs are a major concern for working families across the country, and child care stands out as one of the most significant and unavoidable expenses, often a major source of financial stress.
Federal programs provide valuable support for families working to make ends meet.
- Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG): The largest source of federal funding for child care. Congress sets funding levels; states have flexibility in how funds support families and providers in their communities.
- Early Head Start/Head Start: Delivers comprehensive early learning, health, nutrition, and family support services for eligible children and their families.
- Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5): Helps states strengthen, align, and expand their early learning systems.
By strengthening federal investments in these child care and early learning programs, Congress can directly reduce costs for families, support our nation’s workforce, and promote the healthy development and learning of our youngest learners.
March 2026: Building Support For Child Care and Early Learning Programs
As part of the FY27 Appropriations process, Members of Congress are currently collecting signatures for “Dear Colleague” letters in support of funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), Early Head Start/Head Start, Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), and other programs. Your boss can show support for these important early learning and care programs by signing onto these letters.
- Visit www.ffyf.org/FY27Letters to view the full list of “Dear Colleague” Appropriations letters that support child care and early learning as well as instructions for how your office can sign on.
- Find State-level data about federal child care and early learning programs, including funding levels, program specifics, and the number of children and families supported by this investment.
Thank you for protecting and prioritizing federal child care and early learning programs that support the hard-working families with young children in your district.
Working With First Five Years Fund
First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. These programs can be transformative, with a proven track record in strengthening families, fostering child development, and fueling the economy.
FFYF works with Members of Congress and their staff to build support for essential federal child care and early learning programs. This includes:
- Collaborating on events both in D.C. and in congressional districts.
- Developing educational materials and new bill ideas;
- Providing technical assistance on legislation;
- Endorsing bills; and
Contact Us
- Sarah Rubinfield, Managing Director, Government Relations, srubinfield@ffyf.org
- Julia Cinquegrani, Manager, Government Relations, jcinquegrani@ffyf.org
