WASHINGTON – Earlier this week, the White House released details of President Biden’s FY2025 budget request to Congress, which includes discretionary funding for many of the federal early learning programs that support the care and education of young children in the United States.
In response, First Five Years Fund (FFYF) Executive Director Sarah Rittling released the following statement:
“The president’s budget request to Congress serves as a comprehensive roadmap of his priorities, which again includes ways in which to help families access affordable care, supports states in their work to expand voluntary pre-K, and builds on existing early learning and development programs like Early Head Start, Head Start, and the Child Care Development Block grant. Unfortunately, the request includes less funding for the Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five program, which plays an essential role in making sure state early learning programs are as effective and efficient as possible.
“Federal early learning and care programs in the United States provide millions of children with access to top-notch experiences that support their development while helping to ensure parents can go to work or school. But the reality is that current funding levels for these programs only reach a fraction of the eligible families who could benefit from them. We look forward to working with the White House and lawmakers from across the aisle to secure robust funding and address the needs of working families.”
In Fall of 2023, FFYF and a coalition of 25 early learning organizations sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget requesting an increase in funding for federal early learning and care programs, including the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, Head Start and Early Head Start, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program.
Details about the White House FY25 budget proposal include:
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