First Five Years Fund
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Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (45F): Overview
The Employer-Provided Child Care Credit, also known as 45F, is one way to address the needs of both working parents and employers. Under 45F, employers receive a tax credit for …

Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP): Overview
Through flexible spending accounts, the DCAP exclusion gives parents flexibility to choose the type of care that best suits their needs — whether that’s a licensed child care center, home-based …

Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC): Overview
With the average annual cost exceeding $13,000 per child, millions of American families struggle to afford quality child care. The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) provides some financial …

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 …

TOOLKIT: Head Start Awareness Month
October is Head Start Awareness Month! Join us as we celebrate this important program that provides education, nutrition, health, and other services to hundreds of thousands of young children every year. …

118th and 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 …

POLLING: Rural Voters on Child Care and Head Start
In a new poll from First Five Years Fund, Rural Americans say money is tight, and child care is a significant part of that burden. The survey shows that the …

Side-by-Side Analysis: Comparison of the 2025 Child Care Modernization Act to Current Law
The following is a summary of key revisions the Child Care Modernization Act of 2025 would introduce to the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014. Among other …

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 …

CAPSULE COLLECTION: Head Start
IN A NUTSHELL The Head Start program has served more than 40 million children in its 60-year history—giving kids a strong start through early learning, health, and nutrition services. Children …

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 …