News & Resources
Posts
Subscribe to FFYF First Look
Every morning, FFYF reports on the latest child care & early learning news from across the country. Subscribe and take 5 minutes to know what's happening in early childhood education.
TOPLINES: Child Care in the 2025 Tax Reconciliation Package
The final version of the 2025 tax reconciliation package (also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – H.R.1) was signed into law on July 4th, 2025. The bill …
CAPSULE COLLECTION: Head Start
IN A NUTSHELL The Head Start program has served more than 40 million children in its 60-year history—giving kids a strong start through early learning, health, and nutrition services. Children …
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 …
Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2026
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 …
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 …
STATE OF PLAY: Appropriations
Each year, Congress determines funding levels for all federal defense and non-defense discretionary programs, including those that support the care and education of children from birth through age five. Traditionally, …
Capsule Collection: Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
What is CCDBG? The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is a federal program that helps parents with low incomes afford child care while they work or attend school. …
CAPSULE COLLECTION: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five (PDG B-5)
In A Nutshell Due to limited budgets and capacity, many states struggle to support the important activities – like data collection, research, infrastructure development, and other quality initiatives – that …
The First Five Things to Know About: Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5)
Due to limited budgets and capacity, many states struggle to support the important activities – like data collection, research, infrastructure development, and other quality initiatives – that can make their …
OPINION: These Child Care Tax Breaks work together to ease burden on parents, employers
Read Sarah Rittling’s Newsweek op-ed about expanded child care tax credits If you’re a working parent (or if you know one) then you already know—summer is one big juggling act. …
