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Head Start Announcement: New Supplemental Funding Available to Boost Nutrition Services
UPDATE: On September 23, ACF announced more than $61 million in supplemental nutrition funds to over 290 Head Start grantees across the country. Find the complete list of grantees and …

Head Start Community and Champions Gather on Capitol Hill
On September 17, more than 200 members and staff from Head Start programs across the country gathered in the Rayburn House Office Building for a Stand for Head Start reception, …

First Five Things To Know About: The Child Care Modernization Act
Parents want child care options that meet their family’s unique needs and support their child’s healthy development. Yet today, far too many working families struggle to find and afford the …

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

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 …

FFYF Capsule Collection: Appropriations and Child Care
What Are Appropriations? In A Nutshell EvEven with growing support from states, businesses and philanthropy, federal funding makes up the majority of investment in child care and early learning in …

Research Finds Preschool Enrollment Can Increase Parent Income
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 …

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 …

Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC): Maximum Credit Amounts for Families
The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) allows working families to keep more of what they earn to pay for child care. A family’s credit depends on four factors: …

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

WEBINAR: Make the Most of August Recess
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 …

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