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Policy Priority
ADDITIONAL CHILD AND FAMILY INITIATIVES

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Overview

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is the second largest source of public funding for child care in the United States.

TANF provides grants to states to help design and operate programs that support low-income families, including through increased access to child care and early education opportunities, which helps parents to enter or return to the workforce.

For decades, federal regulations and guidance have allowed TANF funds to support or expand a broad range of child care and early learning initiatives in states.

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Resources

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ACF: How Early Learning Programs Align With Executive Order on School Choice

May 5, 2025

Last week, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued two Information Memorandums (IM) and one Dear Colleague Letter addressing …

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2025: ABCs of Federal Early Learning and Child Care Funding Streams

April 16, 2025

Every year, millions of children who range in age from birth through five benefit from an array of federal early learning and care programs. While there are different early learning …

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Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care and Early Learning

January 31, 2025

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 …

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News

FFYF Submits Comments on 2023 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families NPRM

December 4, 2023

On October 2, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would strengthen the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. …

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ACF releases New Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Funding Opportunity Focused on Supporting the Workforce

September 14, 2022

On September 13, the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) announced $266 million Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five (PDG B-5) renewal and planning grants. The Notices of Funding Opportunity, …


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