Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) closely monitors the federal budget and appropriations process to ensure strong funding for federal early childhood programs. The current funding for child care is inadequate, fragmented, unpredictable, and unsustainable. The child care system relies on a patchwork of funding streams that places too high a burden on families paying tuition and on educators working for low wages. High-quality early childhood education is a public good, and it must be valued as such. It contributes to stronger families, greater economic development, and more livable communities. CCAoA will continue to communicate this message to policymakers, helping them understand that early childhood education deserves to be financed and sustained like the public good that it is.
In FY24, Congress added nearly $1 billion in funding for core federal early learning and care programs, including:
- $8.7 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program—a $725 million increase from FY23
- $12.3 billion for Head Start/ Early Head Start—a $275 million increase from FY23
- $315 million for the Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) program—level funding from FY23
- $75 million for Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS)—level funding from FY23
- $420 million for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Preschool Grants—level funding from FY23
- $540 million for IDEA Part C Grants for Infants and Toddlers—level funding from FY23
While we welcome these increased investments, robust, long-term public support is still needed to make child care affordable for families and ensure more children have access to high-quality early learning experiences.
