The child care and early learning news you don’t want to miss. Check here for updates every Friday for the latest information you need to know.
Child care continues to be a major issue for families, employers, and the economy.
Check out the latest resources and stories on how tax policy, employer efforts, and public investments are helping support families and strengthen the economy.
Affordability is on everyone’s minds right now. Whether you’re a parent or a business owner or a Member of Congress! Lawmakers are hearing about the rising cost of both accessing and running child care from constituents everywhere they go.
Read today’s Friday Five for more on the child care affordability conversation:
Capitol Hill was busy this week as ‘Dear Colleague’ letter deadlines are fast approaching and key decisions are being made about child care and early learning funding priorities. Check out today’s Friday Five to hear what Members are talking about and more:
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter FFYF Insider to stay up to date with the latest child care and early learning priorities!
FY27 appropriations season is in full swing with lawmakers circulating ‘Dear Colleague’ letters to drum up support for child care and early learning funding. This week’s Friday Five has ways to take action, stay involved, and get informed.
Check out our social media platforms at the bottom of this page to keep up with all of the most up-to-date child care and early learning policy news and legislation.
While lawmakers in Washington are preparing to head into FY27 appropriations season, Governors and advocates at the state level are sharing their concerns and solutions to the child care challenges facing families nationwide.
Make it easy to stay up to date by bookmarking our homepage for easy access to the latest child care and early learning news.
It was a busy week for child care with plenty of activity on the hill, new research, and more! Check out all of the latest resources and legislation below:
Don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, FFYF Insider to stay engaged and informed every week!
Big news this week from Capitol Hill as Congress passed the FY26 funding package including funding for child care and early learning. Get the details and more on the child care challenges facing families in today’s Friday Five.
Have a hard time keeping up with the latest news? Follow us on social media using the links at the bottom of this page to stay tuned in.
Congress got one step closer to funding increases for child care and early learning this week as the funding deadline at the end of the month looms closer. We have additional information on appropriations progress and more in today’s Friday Five.
Subscribe to First Look and our weekly newsletter, FFYF Insider to stay in-the-know as things on Capitol Hill will progress quickly over the next week.
This was another busy week for child care as we head closer to the Congressional funding deadline at the end of the month. The resources and stories below will give you the tools and information you need to stay informed on all things child care and early learning.
Be sure to follow us on social media using the links at the bottom of this page to stay tuned for more ways to get involved over the coming weeks.
As we close out 2025, we are looking back on the incredible accomplishments made this year and looking forward to continuing this important work to make child care more affordable and accessible for families in 2026.
Our last Friday Five of the year serves as a reminder of what we can get done when we work together and what challenges still need sustained solutions. Check them out below 👇
Wishing you a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year! We’ll be back in your inbox with the first First Look of 2026 on January 5th.
This week, stories from across the country highlighted the challenges faced by both parents and providers as rising costs are creating financial burdens for families. Congress has the opportunity to invest in child care and early learning by passing a full year spending package by January 30th.
Check out this week’s Friday Five highlights below:
You can make your voice heard on these important issues by contacting your Member of Congress through our Action Center.
The countdown to the January 30th funding deadline has officially begun! Lawmakers have 56 days to fully fund the federal government. Without a full-year deal, families, children, and early learning programs could again face uncertainty, putting access to child care and early learning at risk.
Here are the resources you need to stay involved and informed going into the weekend:
Stay tuned for more highlights by making sure you’re subscribed to this newsletter and our weekly FFYF Insider.
Members of Congress now have until January 30th to pass full-year spending bills for FY26, including funding for child care and early learning programs including the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Head Start.
Check out the stories and resources below for more on Congress and the child care challenges facing families:
Note: First Look will be taking a short break for the Thanksgiving holiday but we’ll be back in your inbox Monday, December 1st. See you then!
This week saw the longest shutdown in U.S. history come to a close. The shutdown demonstrated the fragile state of funding for child care and early learning programs and the need to continue investing in programs that help make child care more affordable and accessible for families.
Here’s what you can expect next from Capitol Hill and beyond:
You can tell your Members of Congress to protect and prioritize funding for child care and early learning by visiting our action center.
Since the November 1st funding deadline for Head Start has come and gone, programs in states across the country have had to close their doors leaving more than 9,000 children and families without access to the care, early learning, nutrition, and stability Head Start provides.
The stories and resources below give a closer look at child care and early learning challenges faced by families right now:
We will continue to monitor the shutdown as it develops and give you the latest updates on how it is affecting families with young children.
As the federal shutdown continues with no end in sight, news coverage this week focused on what this means for Head Start programs at the federal, state, and local level. Over 100 programs are facing a big deadline tomorrow.
Check out the stories and resources below for a quick refresher on where things stand:
Note: FFYF is tracking news coverage of the impact the shutdown is having on Head Start programs across the country HERE.
As the federal shutdown stretches into its fourth week, national coverage has zeroed in on its toll on Head Start — jeopardizing the early learning, nutrition, and stability that thousands of young children and families rely on across the country.
Stay up to date HERE with the most up to date stats and stories related to Head Start and the shutdown.
This week, both national and local press focused on the specific challenges that arise when working parents struggle to find and afford child care.
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This morning, the White House released President Trump’s recommendations on discretionary funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2027. The budget includes level funding for Child Care and Development Block Grant …
What you need to know about FY27 appropriations and it’s impact on child care and early learning.
The tools you need to highlight how child care tax credits help make care more accessible and affordable for families nationwide.
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