Laying the Foundation for Lifelong Success
High-quality early learning and child care lay the foundation for lifelong learning. Yet families face rising costs even as care providers struggle to stay open. Strong federal investment is urgently needed to ensure every baby can receive affordable, quality care that sets them on the path to success.
The lack of access to quality early learning and care affects babies during their most critical period of development. As families are priced out and providers shut their doors, parents are forced to choose between caregiving and responsibilities like work or school. In the meantime, babies facing the highest barriers lose access to learning opportunities, putting them at risk of entering school already behind.
The Child Care Development Fund, which includes CCDBG and CCES, helps families afford child care, keeps care providers open for all children, and improves the safety and quality of care.
Head Start and Early Head Start provide young children with low income, especially in rural communities, with comprehensive early learning, health, employment and family support services.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) are essential sources of funding for child care and other critical social services, keeping care providers open and serving the community.
IDEA Part C funds early intervention services for infants and toddlers with or at risk of developmental delays and disabilities to support their healthy development. Part C helps ensure young children receive the screening and supports they need across settings, whether the doctor’s office or the classroom.
Child care is an essential building block in the foundation of our families’ and country’s future. Learn more about what’s at stake if Congress fails to invest in child care.
Urge your policymakers to invest in the programs that support babies’ early learning.
Child Care Advocacy Toolkit: Use these tools to urge your policymakers to Think Babies and make quality, affordable child care a reality for all working families.
America’s Future Depends on Quality Child Care: Learn about the state of quality child care for babies in America and the critical components needed to ensure success for young children and their futures.
Research-Tested Messages on Child Care: Check out messages and tools designed to educate and inspire action among key stakeholders in your community.
State of Babies Yearbook: 2023: Use national and state-by-state data on the well-being of infants and toddlers to call on federal, state, and local policymakers to improve outcomes for babies and families.
Building Strong Foundations: Read this brief for information on how comprehensive approaches like Early Head Start support infants, toddlers, and families.