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STATEMENT: Protect Head Start. End the Shutdown.
As the federal government shutdown enters its third week, families are facing growing uncertainty and financial pressure. We have a clear message to Congress: America’s families need Head Start. End …
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 …
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. …
Research Finds Preschool Enrollment Can Increase Parent Income
Preschool enrollment has the potential to substantially impact parents’ incomes. Parents’ Earnings and the Returns to Universal Pre-Kindergarten, a study on the economic impact of universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) enrollment in …
STATEMENT: FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Senate Markup of FY26 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs
WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a markup of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act to establish proposed funding levels for child care and …
