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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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Polling

New National Poll Shows Strong Bipartisan Support for Federal Child Care Programs

January 28, 2026

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies …

Policy Letters

JOINT STATEMENT: National Organizations on Federal Child Care Program

January 13, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is a federal state partnership that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families with young children to afford …

Factsheets

A Year of Progress: 10 Bright Spots for Child Care & Early Learning

December 16, 2025

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, …

Factsheets

Cost Estimation Models: Increasing Child Care Stability Through More Accurate Provider Payment Rates

December 9, 2025

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 …

Data & Analysis

STATE OF PLAY: Federal Shutdown and Child Care/Early Learning Programs

November 18, 2025

UPDATE: 11/18/25 In the aftermath of the shutdown, Head Start programs around the nation are continuing to re-open, some more quickly than others. See the latest on the FFYF Shutdown …

Data & Analysis

Side-by-Side Analysis: Comparison of the 2025 Child Care Modernization Act to Current Law

September 18, 2025

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 …

Factsheets

First Five Things To Know About: The Child Care Modernization Act

September 18, 2025

Parents need child care options that meet their family’s unique needs and support their child’s healthy development. Yet today, far too many working families struggle to find and afford the …

Toolkits & Talking Points

Capsule Collection: Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)

August 27, 2025

What is CCDBG? The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is a federal program that helps parents with low incomes afford child care while they work or attend school. …

Factsheets

CCDBG: Overview

July 7, 2025

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.

Factsheets

In their own words: Members discuss child care in House Education and Workforce Committee Hearing

June 26, 2025

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 …

Events & Hearings

House Education and Workforce Hearing Highlights Overwhelming Bipartisan Agreement that Child Care is Key to a Robust Economy

June 25, 2025

The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing this week to discuss how Congress can address child care availability and affordability to …

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