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Hot Topic: PDG B-5 Grants, December 2025
UPDATE 11/25/25 The deadline for applications for new PDG B-5 supply grants is swiftly approaching. A few notes: Last week, Start Early, BUILD, EducationCounsel, and the Alliance for Early Success …

Through the Years: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program is a $315 million competitive federal grant designed to improve collaboration and quality in states’ early childhood systems by building …

The Friday Five: The Latest Child Care and Early Learning News
Friday, November 21 Members of Congress now have until January 30th to pass full-year spending bills for FY26, including funding for child care and early learning programs including the Child …

Shutdown 2025: Impact On Head Start Programs
UPDATE: 11/18/25 Head Start programs around the nation are continuing to re-open, some more quickly than others. As of today, Head Start sites in 13 states plus Puerto Rico are …

STATEMENT: First Five Years Fund on Senate Deal to Reopen the Federal Government
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, the Senate took a step forward in ending the longest government shutdown in United States history. The 60-40 vote paves the way to fund most …

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

STATEMENT: Protecting Children In A Time of Uncertainty
The first few years of life set the foundation for children’s health, learning, and behavior. During this crucial birth-to-five period, a child’s brain is especially adaptable—but also vulnerable. Repeated exposure …

FFYF’s Sarah Rubinfield on Early Childhood Chats Podcast
Government shutdowns disrupt the lives of families whose little ones rely on Head Start. FFYF Government Affairs Managing Director Sarah Rubinfield recently joined Early Childhood Chats from the Institute for …

JOINT STATEMENT: Groups Call on Congress to Protect Head Start, End the Shutdown
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Families with young children are feeling the pain of the federal shutdown, and without immediate Congressional action, tens of thousands of children could lose access to Head …

POLL: Strong Louisiana Support for Head Start Amid Federal Funding Uncertainty
As Head Start programs across Louisiana face financial hardship and closure due to the ongoing federal shutdown, new polling shows that Louisiana voters remain overwhelmingly supportive of the program and …

STATEMENT: Protect Head Start. End the Shutdown.
As the federal government shutdown enters its third week, families are facing growing uncertainty and financial pressure. We have a clear message to Congress: America’s families need Head Start. End …

Polling Highlights: Missouri, Oklahoma, and Ohio Voters on Child Care Challenges, Workforce Impact, and Need for Action
In a new poll from First Five Years Fund and state child care organizations, voters in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Ohio say child care is a necessity for families and a …