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A Year of Progress: 10 Bright Spots for Child Care & Early Learning
Even in a year marked by a government shutdown, political turbulence, and general unpredictability in Washington, 2025 gave us plenty to celebrate for child care and early learning. Families, advocates, …
STATE OF PLAY: Appropriations
Update – 12/16/25 Where We Are As Congress prepares to leave Washington on Friday to return to their districts for the holidays, funding for child care and early learning programs …
FFYF Capsule Collection: Appropriations and Child Care
What Are Appropriations? In A Nutshell Even with growing support from states, businesses and philanthropy, federal funding makes up the majority of investment in child care and early learning in …
Job Posting: Staff Assistant
Location Washington, D.C. (hybrid; remote work Monday and Friday; in-office work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) About First Five Years Fund At First Five Years Fund (FFYF), our mission is to ensure …
The Friday Five: The Latest Child Care and Early Learning News
The child care and early learning news you don’t want to miss. Check here for updates every Friday for the latest. December 12 This week, stories from across the country …
Cost Estimation Models: Increasing Child Care Stability Through More Accurate Provider Payment Rates
Cost Estimation Models allow states to better align provider payment rates with the actual cost of providing quality child care. This strengthens the workforce, enhances the quality of care children …
The First Five Things to Know About: Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (45F)
In the United States, two-thirds of young children live in households where all available parents are working. meaning child care is essential for families’ ability to stay in the workforce. …
How 45F Helps Employers Strengthen Child Care Options: A Look at Hudl and Primrose in Nebraska
Reliable child care is essential for today’s workforce: two-thirds of young children in the U.S. live in households where all available parents are working. But too often, families struggle to …
Hot Topic: PDG B-5 Grants, December 2025
UPDATE 11/25/25 The deadline for applications for Systems-Building Grants is swiftly approaching. A few notes: Last week, Start Early, BUILD, EducationCounsel, and the Alliance for Early Success hosted a webinar …
Through the Years: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program is a $315 million competitive federal grant designed to improve collaboration and quality in states’ early childhood systems by building …
TOOLKIT: FY26 Appropriations
The Ask Congress: Please act quickly to provide increased stability for families, children, and programs by passing the Senate FY26 Labor-H appropriations bill that prioritizes funding for child care and early learning programs for a full year. Step …
