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Child Care Choices: An Overview of Early Learning and Care Settings

September 30, 2024

Finding child care that is affordable, safe, and developmentally appropriate is critical for children and families alike. Families also need choices to meet their specific needs. Children experience both short- and …

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The Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit ⁠— Understanding the Difference

September 27, 2024

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit support families in very different ways. Families need both. Child care is not a luxury for American families …

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State by State: Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit

September 26, 2024

It’s a struggle for millions of hard-working American families to afford quality child care. Federal programs and policies help support working families with child care expenses, but they are limited …

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Survey Finds States Make Difficult Trade-offs When Pandemic-Era Child Care Funding Runs Out

September 26, 2024

The bulk of child care relief funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expired last September, and the remaining $15 billion is set to expire next week. This funding …

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The First Five Things To Know About: Child Care Is Infrastructure

September 25, 2024

This week Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) reintroduced her “Child Care Is Infrastructure” package, two bills designed to make critical investments in child care facilities and the early education workforce. …

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The First Five Questions for: Senators Tim Kaine and Katie Britt

September 12, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The First Five Years Fund (FFYF) hosted Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Katie Britt (R-AL) in the latest segment of our First Five Question Series – a …

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Head Start Final Rule Makes Big Changes to Staff Compensation, Program Eligibility, and More

August 22, 2024

The Office of Head Start (OHS) published the final rule on August 21st, titled Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming, updating the Head Start Program Performance Standards. …

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118th Congress: Bipartisan Child Care Legislation Addressing Supply, Cost, Accessibility, and Quality

August 14, 2024

Reliable, affordable child care is essential for hard-working families. Parents need it so they have peace of mind that their children are safe and cared for while they are at …

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Safety, Quality, and Accountability: Understanding Child Care and Early Learning Regulations

August 8, 2024

There are numerous policies in place to ensure the safety and quality of care for young children. Understanding the different levels of oversight that hold early care and education (ECE) …

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State Of Play: Federal Child Care Solutions Gain Steam Going Into The August Recess

August 7, 2024

June and July brought a lot of Congressional momentum, with multiple pieces of proposed legislation that would bring better support to more working families and young children who need quality, …

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Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2025

August 2, 2024

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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Senate Appropriators Propose Increased Funding for Child Care and Early Learning Programs 

August 1, 2024

WASHINGTON – This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed $2.3 billion in increased funding for federal child care and early learning programs as part of their markup of the FY2025 …

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