News & Resources
FEATURED PRIORITIES
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.
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.
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State Data: Child Care Ratios – Adult-to-Child Ratios for Center-Based Care
Caring for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is labor-intensive. To keep children safe and give them the attention they need to learn and thrive, child care programs must maintain appropriate adult-to-child ratios.
New Report Shows Nearly Half of All Young Children Live in Child Care Deserts
The Center for American Progress recently released a report updating their data on the current state of our nation’s child care supply, as well as a map that provides a visual representation of child care deserts across the country.
“Child Care Makes It Work!” Reception on Capitol Hill
On May 20, First Five Years Fund hosted “Child Care Makes Things Work,” a bipartisan reception celebrating the essential role child care plays in supporting working families, businesses, and the economy.
State Of Play: Rules and Regulations
As part of a “Child Care Reform Package” released on May 11, the Administration issued four separate policy actions: a Head Start Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Final Rule, a Temporary Assistance for Need Families (TANF) Information Memorandum, and a CCDF Dear Colleague Letter.
Celebrating Mother’s Day and Provider Appreciation Day with the FFYF Team
It’s important to recognize and appreciate the important partnerships between mothers, child care providers, and early educators.
TOOLKIT: CCDBG Fact Sheets
MESSAGE: CCDBG helps working families with young children afford child care. FFYF’s new fact sheets have data and information on how CCDBG works in each state. Please help share these …
NIEER’s New State of Preschool Yearbook Highlights State Progress and Challenges
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) released their 2025 State of Preschool Yearbook, which offers a comprehensive analysis of state-funded preschool programs during the 2024-2025 school year. Currently …
Child Care Across America: 2026 CCDBG State Fact Sheets
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the federal government’s primary child care assistance program, helping more than a million children from lower-income families afford the care they …
House Passes SEED Act, Extending Educator Tax Deduction to Early Childhood Educators for the First Time
The Supporting Early-Childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation would extend the existing federal educator expense tax deduction to early childhood educators, allowing …
The Cost of Raising a Child Tops $300K, and Child Care Is a Major Driver
A new analysis from LendingTree finds the cost of raising a child in the U.S. now exceeds $300,000 over 18 years, highlighting the enormous financial pressure families face.
New Survey Emphasizes How Child Care Affordability Challenges Destabilize Both Providers and Families
The annual early childhood education workforce survey from NAEYC found that the 2025 program year was especially challenging for providers and families.
