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Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (45F): Overview

September 10, 2025

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 …

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Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP): Overview

September 10, 2025

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 …

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Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC): Overview

September 10, 2025

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 …

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Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2026

September 3, 2025

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 …

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118th and 119th Congress: Bipartisan Child Care Legislation in the House and Senate

July 21, 2025

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 …

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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.

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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 …

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Through the Years: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five

June 24, 2025

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 …

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PDG B-5: The Program Overview

June 23, 2025

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 …

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Head Start and Early Head Start: The Program Overview

May 20, 2025

Head Start is a federally funded program that delivers comprehensive early learning, health, nutrition, and family support services to children ages 3 through 5 experiencing  poverty and their families. More …

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Polling Memo: Republican Support for Child Care Tax Policies

April 16, 2025

Polling conducted by Republican pollsters UpONE Insights on behalf of First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows strong support for expanding child care-related tax credits. This is especially relevant as the …

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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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