
Press Releases & Statements
September 9, 2026
According to recent reporting in the New York Times, the White House is considering a new rule that expands eligibility of the federal child care subsidy program to now include married couples with one stay-at-home parent. This is a statement from First Five Years Fund Executive Director Sarah Rittling.

Events & Hearings
September 4, 2026
The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing on September 2, 2026 to highlight how states are leveraging federal, state, and local funds to address the pervasive need for affordable, quality child care.

In the News
August 19, 2026
As part of a “Child Care Reform Package” released on May 11, the Administration issued four separate policy actions: a Head Start Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Final Rule, a Temporary Assistance for Need Families (TANF) Information Memorandum, and a CCDF Dear Colleague Letter.

Report Highlights
July 30, 2026
NCSL’s new bipartisan report, Childcare at a Crossroads, distills what a group of 13 state legislators – Republicans and Democrats alike – agree the child care system needs.

Factsheets
July 21, 2026
FFYF’s 2026 State Fact Sheets on child care and early learning provide state-by-state data for all 50 states and Washington, DC.

Press Releases & Statements
June 9, 2026
Representatives Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Susie Lee (D-NV), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), and Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI) today introduced the Child Care Modernization Act.

Factsheets
June 9, 2026
Parents need 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 the affordable care …

Factsheets
June 8, 2026
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act provides federal funding to states for child care subsidies for low-income families with children under age 13.

Press Releases & Statements
June 4, 2026
On June 4th, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee released its FY2027 funding proposal, including federal investments in child care and early learning …

Press Releases & Statements
June 2, 2026
First Five Years Fund appreciates Congressional efforts to build upon the current oversight structures in CCDF to help ensure these funds are used as intended to support working families with young children. However, FFYF has significant concerns with H.R. 7726, the “Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026.”