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Child Care Means Business: Leaders and Employers Highlight Urgent Need for Solutions

September 9, 2025

This week, the First Five Years Fund (FFYF) and the Women’s Congressional Policy Institute (WCPI) co-hosted a bipartisan briefing on Capitol Hill to spotlight that Child Care Means Business.  The …

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Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2026

September 3, 2025

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 …

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Research Finds Preschool Enrollment Can Increase Parent Income

August 6, 2025

Preschool enrollment has the potential to substantially impact parents’ incomes. Parents’ Earnings and the Returns to Universal Pre-Kindergarten, a study on the economic impact of universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) enrollment in …

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Head Start Announcement: New Supplemental Funding Available to Boost Nutrition Services

August 5, 2025

On July 29th, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced the availability of one-time supplemental funding with the goal of promoting healthy eating and improving nutrition services for children …

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STATEMENT: FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Senate Markup of FY26 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs

July 31, 2025

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 …

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State-By-State: A Look At How Many Families Receive the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC)

July 28, 2025

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) helps millions of working families cover a portion of their child care costs. In 2022, more than 5.7 million families nationwide benefitted …

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WEBINAR: Make the Most of August Recess

July 22, 2025

During August, Members of Congress return to their home states and districts for a scheduled recess to hear directly from the people they represent. This at home work period is …

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118th and 119th Congress: Bipartisan Child Care Legislation in the House and Senate

July 21, 2025

Reliable, affordable child care is essential for hardworking families, especially as two-thirds of all children under the age of five need care because all available parents are working. Yet, high …

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TOOLKIT: Tell Your Member of Congress – Child Care is Critical!

July 18, 2025

Members of Congress are home for the last time before the September funding deadline — and this is our moment to speak up. Child care is one of the biggest …

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FFYF Capsule Collection: Tax Policy and Child Care

July 12, 2025

In A Nutshell With two-thirds of children ages five and under living in homes where all available parents are working, child care is not optional for most families – it’s …

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