News & Resources
FEATURED PRIORITIES
2026 Early Head Start and Head Start
Head Start has a long history of giving kids a strong start through comprehensive early learning, health, and nutrition services. We are focused on continuing to bolster overall support for this essential program at the federal level.
Appropriations FY2027
For FY2027, Congress should protect, prioritize, and expand these investments in programs including the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), Early Head Start/Head Start, and the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5).
Child Care is an Affordability Issue
“Affordability anxiety” is particularly high for parents of young children, where child care consistently stands out as one of the most significant and unavoidable expenses.
Modernizing Child Care
Modernizing the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is essential to ensuring more working families can access the quality, affordable child care care they need.
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.
New Nebraska Poll Shows Broad Agreement on Child Care Policy Action
New statewide polling finds strong bipartisan agreement that child care is a serious challenge for working families in Nebraska.
Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP) and 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season
Hey, working parents! Does your employer offer a Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP), also known as a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account? It’s time to find out! What is DCAP? …
2026 Louisiana Poll: Voters Say Child Care Costs Add to Affordability Crisis, Want Action
LOUISIANA — New statewide polling from UpONE Insights, conducted on behalf of the First Five Years Fund and the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, finds that the high cost of …
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 information you need to know.
Head Start and Early Head Start: The Program Overview
This one-pager provides data and information on how Head Start works and who it serves.
Making News: MIECHV Grants, 2026
MIECHV is making headlines! The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funding to states to use to pair families with very young children with trained …
Comments: 2026 Head Start Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
The following comments were submitted electronically by First Five Years Fund to the Administration for Children and Families via www.regulations.gov on October 5, 2026. Re: Comments on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: …
Making News: The 2026 SEED ACT
The SEED Act continues to make headlines! The bipartisan Supporting Early-Childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act became law in September 2026, marking a key bipartisan victory for early childhood educators and …
HHS Announces New PDG B-5 SMART Grant Funding Opportunity
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for a round of PDG B–5 SMART Grants: Strategic Measurement, Analytics, and Results using Technology.
A Closer Look at HHS’s Head Start Comprehensive Services Data
Head Start is designed to support the whole child and the whole family, which is why comprehensive services are central to the model.
STATEMENT: SEED Act Passes Into Law
The bipartisan Supporting Early-Childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act is set to become law, marking a key bipartisan victory for early childhood educators and an important step forward for federal child care policy.
