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A Year of Progress: 10 Bright Spots for Child Care & Early Learning
Even in a year marked by a government shutdown, political turbulence, and general unpredictability in Washington, 2025 gave us plenty to celebrate for child care and early learning. Families, advocates, …

Cost Estimation Models: Increasing Child Care Stability Through More Accurate Provider Payment Rates
Cost Estimation Models allow states to better align provider payment rates with the actual cost of providing quality child care. This strengthens the workforce, enhances the quality of care children …

Through the Years: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program is a $315 million competitive federal grant designed to improve collaboration and quality in states’ early childhood systems by building …

119th Congress: Bipartisan Child Care Legislation in the House and Senate
Reliable, affordable child care is essential for hardworking families, especially as two-thirds of all children under the age of five need care because all available parents are working. Yet, high …

Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (45F): Overview
The Employer-Provided Child Care Credit, also known as 45F, is one way to address the needs of both working parents and employers. Under 45F, employers receive a tax credit for …
Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP): Overview
Through flexible spending accounts, the DCAP exclusion gives parents flexibility to choose the type of care that best suits their needs — whether that’s a licensed child care center, home-based …

Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC): Overview
With the average annual cost exceeding $13,000 per child, millions of American families struggle to afford quality child care. The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) provides some financial …

Side-by-Side Analysis: Comparison of the 2025 Child Care Modernization Act to Current Law
The following is a summary of key revisions the Child Care Modernization Act of 2025 would introduce to the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014. Among other …

Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2026
Each year, Congress determines funding levels for all of the federal defense and non-defense discretionary programs, including those that support the care and education of children from birth through age …

CCDBG: Overview
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act provides federal funding to states for child care subsidies for low-income families with children under age 13.

In their own words: Members discuss child care in House Education and Workforce Committee Hearing
On June 24, 2025, the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing to discuss how Congress can address child care availability and …
PDG B-5: The Program Overview
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program is a $315 million competitive federal grant designed to improve states’ early childhood systems by building upon existing federal, state …