Skip Navigation

Head Start & Early Head Start

News

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 …

Resource

2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets

July 16, 2024

FFYF’s 2024 State Fact Sheets from 50 states and Washington, D.C. show how federal investments in child care impact working parents, children, and the economy. Federal funding and programs benefit …

US Capitol building
News

STATEMENT: FFYF Statement on Proposed FY25 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs

June 27, 2024

WASHINGTON – This morning, the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a markup on proposed funding levels for child care and early learning …

Resource

The Biden Administration Gives Added Flexibility to Serve More Children in Head Start

April 8, 2024

On March 23, 2024, President Biden signed into law two changes that give Head Start programs additional flexibility to enroll children in Tribal communities and children of farmworkers.  Tribal Head …

Resource

The Fundamental Role of Child Care in Supporting Women

April 2, 2024

Last month, the Center for American Progress (CAP) published a new report, “Playbook for the Advancement of Women in the Economy.” Aligning with Women’s History Month, this “playbook” provides a …

Resource

GAO Report: Opportunities Within Head Start to Better Align Resources with Child Poverty

March 11, 2024

Recently, GAO released a report on the availability of Head Start throughout the nation. The report finds that the availability of Head Start programs varies widely across states and counties …

News

ED and HHS Urge States to Make Headway on Mixed Delivery Preschool

March 1, 2024

Earlier this week, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) released a joint Dear Colleague letter urging leaders to work with local education agencies (LEAs) …

News

FFYF Submits Comments on 2023 Head Start NPRM

January 23, 2024

Last week, the First Five Years Fund (FFYF) submitted comments in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming, published by …

Resource

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: A Deep Dive Into Dual Language Learners

October 13, 2023

As FFYF commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month, we take a moment to reflect on the remarkable contributions of Latinx communities across the United States.  In recognizing and celebrating our nation’s Latinx …

News

STATEMENT: FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Senate Markup of FY24 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs

July 27, 2023

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a bipartisan mark up on proposed funding levels for child care and early …

News

STATEMENT: First Five Years Fund Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Proposed FY24 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs

July 14, 2023

“Federal funding provides the foundation for child care and early learning programs. Now is the time to bring greater support for working families and children, not reverse course. We urge …

Resource

Unprecedented Bipartisan Support for Robust Early Learning and Care Funding

March 31, 2023

As House and Senate appropriations requests come to a close, an unprecedented number of House members from both sides of the aisle have signed onto Dear Colleague letters calling for …

Stay Updated

Receive monthly updates on the latest news, policy, and actions to advance federal investment in children and their families.