Washington, D.C. – Kris Perry, Executive Director of the First Five Years Fund (FFYF), released the following statement in response to the start of the 115th Congress.
“Early childhood education is a policy area where the Trump Administration and Congress can make both immediate and long-term impacts. During the 2016 campaigns, early learning and care policies that support children and working families gained unprecedented prominence on candidate platforms of both parties. We encourage Congress and the Administration to come together, build on the ever-growing bipartisan momentum, and increase access to affordable, high-quality early learning and care.”
Kris Perry continued, “The first five years of a child’s life are a critical period in their development, and we know that investments in high-quality early learning programs have long-term social and economic benefits for children, their families and taxpayers. We look forward to working with policymakers and other stakeholders to implement high-quality early learning and care solutions that give more children the opportunity to succeed.”
Last month, FFYF released its “Tax Proposals That Support Working Families,” which outlines how Congress and the Trump Administration can use the tax code to expand access to early learning and care. While the current tax code includes numerous provisions to help families offset higher education costs, very few incentives exist to offset early childhood education expenses.
FFYF also recently released its “Early Childhood Education Policy Framework” to kick-start a solution-oriented conversation between Congress and the Trump Administration. This Framework highlights how strengthening existing early childhood programs can help establish a well-financed continuum of high-quality education and care from birth through age five.
About the First Five Years Fund: The First Five Years Fund helps America achieve better results in education, health and economic productivity through investments in quality early childhood education programs for disadvantaged children. FFYF provides knowledge, data and advocacy – persuading federal policymakers to make investments in the first five years of a child’s life that create greater returns for all. http://www.ffyf.org