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New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements
Every day, early childhood educators play a crucial role in nurturing and shaping the minds of our youngest learners. Yet, the qualifications required for this essential workforce vary drastically across …

FFYF Analysis of 2024 State of the State Addresses
Analysis of 2024 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found that child care, early learning, and early childhood received substantial attention across state and party …

Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …

IN CONTEXT: Child Care Costs Surpass Other Major Family Expenses
We’ve all heard that families with young children in the United States today are struggling to afford child care. Now we know just how tough it really is. According to …

2023: A Year in Review
2023 was a big year for child care and early learning! Together, we urged Congress to prioritize the funding and policies that strengthen child care and early learning with: Thank …

How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Career Pathways
The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve career pathways in their Preschool Development Grant Birth …

How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Financing
The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve financing in their Preschool Development Grant Birth through …

FFYF Capsule Collection: Appropriations and Child Care
What Are Appropriations? In A Nutshell Even with growing support from states, businesses and philanthropy, federal funding makes up the majority of investment in child care and early learning in …

New Research: ARP Stabilization Dollars Were Critical For Our Nation’s Child Care
The Council of Economic Advisers recently released a working paper indicating that the $24 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) stabilization funds effectively increased access to affordable child care, stabilized …

Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY 2024
For FY2025 funding levels, please reference our newer “Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2025” chart. Each year, Congress determines funding levels for all of the federal defense and non-defense …

The First Five Things to Know About: Representative Joaquin Castro
As part of an ongoing series on the Bipartisan Child Care and PreK Caucus, First Five Years Fund is chatting with each of the co-chairs about their role as a …