First Five Years Fund
Posts
STATE OF PLAY: Appropriations
Update – 12/4/25 Where We Are With the holidays approaching and just 57 days until the January 30 funding deadline, Congress has a very narrow window to act. Without a …
The First Five Things to Know About: Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (45F)
In the United States, two-thirds of young children live in households where all available parents are working. meaning child care is essential for families’ ability to stay in the workforce. …
Hot Topic: PDG B-5 Grants, December 2025
UPDATE 11/25/25 The deadline for applications for Systems-Building Grants is swiftly approaching. A few notes: Last week, Start Early, BUILD, EducationCounsel, and the Alliance for Early Success hosted a webinar …
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 …
TOOLKIT: FY26 Appropriations
The Ask Congress: Please act quickly to provide increased stability for families, children, and programs by passing the Senate FY26 Labor-H appropriations bill that prioritizes funding for child care and early learning programs for a full year. Step …
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 …
FFYF Capsule Collection: Appropriations and Child Care
What Are Appropriations? In A Nutshell Even with growing support from states, businesses and philanthropy, federal funding makes up the majority of investment in child care and early learning in …
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 …
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 …
Building the Foundation: Head Start Strengthens Early Learning Nationwide
Head Start provides funding directly to local grantees who operate in rural, urban, and suburban communities across the country and tailor programs based on their community’s specific needs and resources. …
TOOLKIT: End the Shutdown Day of Action – October 29th
What an incredible Day of Action! Yesterday, voices nationwide united with a single message to Congress: Protect Head Start and end the shutdown. Nearly 50 organizations across the country took …
MIECHV: Overview
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services.
