Coalition
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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 …
Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children With Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs
The Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released the strongest policy statement on the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs to date. …
FFYF Submits Comments on 2023 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families NPRM
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. …
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 Crucial Role of Early Educators and the Need for Increased Compensation
Early educators are underpaid and undervalued for the challenging and important work they do. When determining what factors make an early care and education (ECE) program high quality, it’s the …
Report: “The Next Generation of Head Start”
Recently, the Children’s Equity Project, in partnership with the Equity Research Action Coalition, and the Center on the Ecology of Early Development (CEED), released a report, “The Next Generation of Head …
New GAO Report Highlights IDEA Early Intervention Programs
The report identified various challenges, including varying eligibility criteria, staffing shortages, and limited data collection, and concluded with several recommendations for Congress. The first few years of life are critical …
New Resource Highlights Innovations to Strengthen ECE Facility Infrastructure
The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) recently released a report, From the Ground Up: Improving Child Care and Early Learning Facilities, that demonstrates the ways states, localities, and tribes can invest …
FFYF Submits Comments on 2023 Child Care and Development Fund NPRM
On July 13, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would strengthen the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) – the program …
Federal Investments are the Foundation for State and Local Early Care and Education Programs
Our nation depends on child care. Today, 26.8 million people—16% of the U.S. workforce—rely on child care to work or attend school. But the high cost and limited supply of …
The First Five Things To Know About: A New Poll Showing West Virginia Voter Support For Child Care Funding
In July 2023, Public Opinion Strategies completed a poll on behalf of the First Five Years Fund, examining West Virginia voters’ attitudes toward the issue of child care and early …