Each year, Congress determines funding levels for all of the federal defense and non-defense discretionary programs, including those that support the care and education of children from birth through age five. Traditionally, subcommittees within the House and Senate Appropriations Committees develop their own legislation that sets funding levels for the programs within their jurisdiction, which is then taken up by the full appropriations committees, and later the full legislative body, before a negotiation process between the two chambers of Congress and ultimately the president’s signature.
Over the past ten years, federal early learning programs have seen steady, significant progress through increased, bipartisan investments from both Congress and the White House.
In March 2022, the White House released details of President Biden’s FY2023 budget request to Congress, which would increase funding for many federal early learning programs, including an additional $1.4 billion for CCDBG, $1.2 billion for Head Start, and $160 million for PDG B-5. In June 2022, the House Appropriations Committee released its proposed funding amounts, which includes an increase of $1 billion for CCDBG, $1.4 billion for Head Start, and $60 million for PDG B-5. The Senate Appropriations Committee released its funding proposal in July 2022, with amounts similar to the House levels, including $1 billion for CCDBG, $1 billion for Head Start, and $60 million for PDG B-5.
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