First Five Years Fund
Posts
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 …
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 …
Shutdown 2025: Impact On Head Start Programs
Federal funding for Head Start programs is dispersed on a staggered grant cycle, meaning different programs receive their funding at different times throughout the year. (One Head Start program may …
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 …
