Appropriations
Overview
Child care is expensive, and there’s a massive difference between what providers need to charge to keep doors open and what parents can afford. Each year, Congress allocates federal funding which serves as the foundation for early learning and child care programs in all 50 states.
This funding increases child care and early learning options for parents and families through a variety of federal programs, including: CCDBG, Head Start and Early Head Start, PDG B-5, and more. These programs benefit families, businesses, and local economies in all 50 states. Stable federal funding is essential to keeping child care services strong while helping more parents afford the care they need to go to work.
While federal investments for early learning and care have garnered strong bipartisan support for years, current federal investments only reach a fraction of income-eligible families. Congress must continue to support working families by protecting and prioritizing federal funding for early learning and child care programs.
latest
Resources
FFYF Capsule Collection: Appropriations and Child Care
What Are Appropriations? In A Nutshell Even with growing support from states, businesses and philanthropy, federal funding makes up the majority of investment in child care and early learning in …
Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2026
Each year, Congress determines funding levels for all of the federal defense and non-defense discretionary programs, including those that support the care and education of children from birth through age …
2025: ABCs of Federal Early Learning and Child Care Funding Streams
Every year, millions of children who range in age from birth through five benefit from an array of federal early learning and care programs. While there are different early learning …
A Year of Progress: 10 Bright Spots for Child Care & Early Learning
Even in a year marked by a government shutdown, political turbulence, and general unpredictability in Washington, 2025 gave us plenty to celebrate for child care and early learning. Families, advocates, …
STATE OF PLAY: Appropriations
Update – 12/16/25 Where We Are As Congress prepares to leave Washington on Friday to return to their districts for the holidays, funding for child care and early learning programs …
TOOLKIT: FY26 Appropriations
The Ask Congress: Please act quickly to provide increased stability for families, children, and programs by passing the Senate FY26 Labor-H appropriations bill that prioritizes funding for child care and early learning programs for a full year. Step …
latest
updates
Subscribe to FFYF First Look
Every morning, FFYF reports on the latest child care & early learning news from across the country. Subscribe and take 5 minutes to know what’s happening in early childhood education.
STATEMENT: FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Senate Markup of FY26 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs
WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a markup of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act to establish proposed funding levels for child care and …
APPROPRIATIONS: FY2026 Dear Colleague Letters
Each year, Members of Congress submit letters requesting robust funding for child care and early learning programs. Historically, letters requesting funding for child care have been bipartisan and incredibly popular. …
