Data & Analysis
Posts
Early Progress Found with Cost-Sharing in Missouri
American families continue to struggle to afford child care. In fact, in a 2026 national poll conducted on behalf of First Five Years Fund, 80% of voters said working parents’ …
Federal TANF Expenditures in FY 2024
TANF provides grants to states to help design and operate programs that support low-income families, including through increased access to child care and early learning opportunities, which helps parents to enter or return to the workforce.
Understanding Improper Payments: Child Care and Development Fund
Fundamental to understanding this system is recognizing that while all fraudulent payments are considered improper, not all improper payments result from fraud.
State Data: Child Care Ratios – Adult-to-Child Ratios for Center-Based Care
Caring for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is labor-intensive. To keep children safe and give them the attention they need to learn and thrive, child care programs must maintain appropriate adult-to-child ratios.
Lawmakers Show Record Support for Child Care and Early Learning Programs
An overview of the FY27 Dear Colleague letters with statistics on number of signers.
Enrollment and Attendance Payment Models: Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
Overview: States have the flexibility to pay child care providers participating in subsidy programs based on either enrollment or attendance. With enrollment-based payment, providers receive a set amount for holding …
Child Care Takes Center Stage in 2026 State of the State Addresses as Governors Focus on Affordability and Economic Stability
The First Five Years Fund annual review of governors who delivered State of the State addresses before February 17, 2026, revealed a striking consensus: 72% used their remarks to address …
CAPSULE COLLECTION: Head Start
This one-stop-shop collection of the top facts, resources, and data around Head Start and Early Head Start.
Democratic Quotes of Support for Head Start
Quotes from Democratic Members of Congress expressing support for Head Start and the impact it has on the communities they serve.
STATE OF PLAY: Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations
FINAL LOOK The FY26 Appropriations process was complicated by a series of continuing resolutions, rumors of a Head Start elimination, Congressional gridlock, and a 43-day government shutdown. In the end, …
Republican Quotes of Support for Head Start
Quotes from Republican Members of Congress expressing support for Head Start and the impact it has on the communities they serve.
Governors show support for Federal Preschool Development Grant B-5 Funding
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program is a competitive federal grant program that plays an essential role in ensuring state child care and early learning systems …
