News & Resources
FEATURED PRIORITES
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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How States Are Using PDG B-5 Building Grants to Improve Access to Child Care
The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve access to child care in their Preschool Development …
Blog Series: How States are Using PDG B-5 Grants
The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new set of briefs highlighting the strategies states are using to improve child care in their Preschool Development …
How States Are Using PDG B-5 Systems Building Grants to Support Infants and Toddlers
The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to support infants and toddlers in their Preschool Development Grant …
FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
Our new analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that child care and early learning programs have tremendous impacts on young children, their families, and the economy at …
STATEMENT: FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Senate Markup of FY24 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs
WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a bipartisan mark up on proposed funding levels for child care and early …
STATEMENT: First Five Years Fund Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Proposed FY24 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs
“Federal funding provides the foundation for child care and early learning programs. Now is the time to bring greater support for working families and children, not reverse course. We urge …
Unprecedented Bipartisan Support for Robust Early Learning and Care Funding
As House and Senate appropriations requests come to a close, an unprecedented number of House members from both sides of the aisle have signed onto Dear Colleague letters calling for …
FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling Testifies Before Key House Committee On Child Care Funding
WASHINGTON – Today, First Five Years Fund (FFYF) Executive Director Sarah Rittling appeared before the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) to testify about …
FFYF, Major Organizations Call for Increased Funding for Child Care Programs in FY24 Appropriations
WASHINGTON – Today, the First Five Years Fund (FFYF) and a coalition of 44 major early education advocacy organizations wrote to Congressional appropriators calling for increased funding for federal early learning and care …
FFYF Hosts Congressional Appropriations Briefing Highlighting Importance of Child Care Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The First Five Years Fund (FFYF) hosted Congressional staff for a bipartisan briefing on the importance of federal early learning and child care programs and the need …
ACF Announces New PDG B-5 Grantees Totaling Approximately $300 Million
On January 27th, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced the latest round of Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) grantees. Approximately $300 million in funding will …
