FFYF News
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Update on PDG B-5 Grants – December 2025
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B–5) program is a competitive federal grant that supports states in strengthening their early childhood systems. The program is designed to build …
The Friday Five: The Latest Child Care and Early Learning News
Friday, November 14 This week saw the longest shutdown in U.S. history come to a close. The shutdown demonstrated the fragile state of funding for child care and early learning …
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 …
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 …
POLL: Strong Louisiana Support for Head Start Amid Federal Funding Uncertainty
As Head Start programs across Louisiana face financial hardship and closure due to the ongoing federal shutdown, new polling shows that Louisiana voters remain overwhelmingly supportive of the program and …
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 …
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 …
Head Start Announcement: New Supplemental Funding Available to Boost Nutrition Services
UPDATE: On September 23, ACF announced more than $61 million in supplemental nutrition funds to over 290 Head Start grantees across the country. Find the complete list of grantees and …
Head Start Community and Champions Gather on Capitol Hill
On September 17, more than 200 members and staff from Head Start programs across the country gathered in the Rayburn House Office Building for a Stand for Head Start reception, …
Child Care Means Business: Leaders and Employers Highlight Urgent Need for Solutions
This week, the First Five Years Fund (FFYF) and the Women’s Congressional Policy Institute (WCPI) co-hosted a bipartisan briefing on Capitol Hill to spotlight that Child Care Means Business. The …
ANALYSIS: FFYF’s 2025 State Fact Sheets
FFYF’s 2025 State Fact Sheets show how federal investments in child care impact working parents, children, and the economy. These federal programs not only benefit families nationwide, they also serve …
STATEMENT: FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling on House Markup of FY26 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs
On September 2, 2025 the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY2026 funding bill, including federal funding for child care and …
