First Five Years Fund

Working to create a smarter, stronger, healthier & more productive America with high-quality child care and early education through bipartisan federal advocacy.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Get all the data here: https://t.co/Tvj16gWtYH

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

New statewide polling in Nebraska from FFYF and @FirstFiveNebr finds strong bipartisan agreement that child care is a serious challenge for working families in Nebraska.

73% of Nebraska voters say the ability to find and afford quality child care is a crisis or major problem.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

NEW polling in Louisiana shows that some families are delaying having kids due to lack of affordable child care.

Get all the details from @LaRadioNetwork with insights from FFYF's @SarahRittling.

[LaRadioNetwork @LaRadioNetwork]

If you have kids, you know how expensive they can be. That’s why according to a poll from the First Five Years Fund, more than a quarter of Louisianans say they’re delaying starting a family.
https://t.co/XNHvvEdqL4

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Head Start has a long history of giving kids a strong start through comprehensive early learning, health, and nutrition services– thank you @RepGilCisneros for your commitment to supporting this important program!

[Rep. Gil Cisneros @RepGilCisneros]

For decades, Head Start has ensured that every child has the opportunity for a high-quality early education. I visited the Options State Preschool in Azusa to see their Head Start program in action! 

I will never stop fighting to protect the future of our children’s education.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Get the rest of the story here: https://t.co/oPiHNez26W

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Worth a Read: @MeganCerullo from @CBSNews shares new data revealing that child care costs are rising faster than rent, putting even more pressure on family budgets.

And voters are feeling it: Our polling finds that 82% of voters say child care costs are part of the broader affordability crisis.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

The SEED Act recognizes the early educators who make child care possible for millions of families and help power our economy every day.

Thank you @RepJimmyPanetta for championing this important legislation and sharing the ways it will benefit early educators in your community!

[Rep. Jimmy Panetta @RepJimmyPanetta]

Great to work with Lisa Holbert, Director at the Cabrillo College Children’s Center & Lab School, on highlighting my recently enacted SEED Act for early childhood educators. The new law will allow pre-K teachers to deduct up to $350 in out-of-pocket classroom expenses from their federal income taxes beginning with the 2026 tax year. Proud to play my part in providing such a tax deduction and recognizing our teachers.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Head Start’s whole family approach is central to why Head Start works! 🏠

Celebration of Head Start Awareness Month continues with a new exploration of how Head Start's comprehensive service help kids AND their families.

Stay tuned next week for more on why Head Start is so important to communities nationwide!

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Great to see @RepLucyMcBath at a Head Start center in her district highlighting the importance of investing in our youngest learners!

[Rep. Lucy McBath @RepLucyMcBath]

I recently celebrated Georgia Pre-K Week by joining two reading events at Sheltering Arms Longview Center and Chattahoochee YMCA Head Start Academy. Thank you to the educators and caregivers investing in our youngest learners every day. Georgia’s future starts with them!

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

"Every story in that room came back to the same two problems: child care costs too much, and there aren’t enough spots for the families who need them."

True! Thank you @SenRubenGallego for uplifting the voices of Arizona's child care leaders, parents and providers.

[Senator Ruben Gallego @SenRubenGallego]

Thank you to the child care leaders, parents, and providers who joined me at my town hall yesterday.

Every story in that room came back to the same two problems: child care costs too much, and there aren’t enough spots for the families who need them. We have to do better for Arizona's kids and families.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Pass it on! And visit https://t.co/A69bmyfGO0 to explore more.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Hey, working parents! 👋

Open Season for federal tax benefits starts Nov 9, so **right now** is the perfect time check with your employer about the recently expanded child care tax benefit known as DCAP (the FSA where you can set aside pre-tax income to help pay for child care expenses).

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Get all the details here: https://t.co/aZ3wP7fWZn

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

NEW POLLING 🚨 A recent survey from FFYF and the @PolicyInstLA finds that the high cost of child care is a significant part of Louisiana voters’ broader affordability concerns, including:

🔴 71% of Republicans
🟣 83% of Independents
🔵 90% of Democrats.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

We have the full story for you: https://t.co/N2WVspce28

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Worth a Read: @ThePiperHeath from @TheNVIndy shares the unique challenges that Nevada's working parents face in finding child care and possible solutions to help.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Learn more here: https://t.co/lUNSPfB7WU

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Child care challenges are a major stressor for families - but it doesn't end there!

When parents don't have access to reliable, affordable child care it effects businesses and local economies that rely on a steady workforce.

Our friends at @PolicyInstLA recently released a new report on why child care and early learning are essential to the state's economy.

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

Great reminder from @RepRonEstes about the important role child care can play in supporting parents and growing our workforce!

[Rep. Ron Estes @RepRonEstes]

I enjoyed visiting the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas yesterday and hearing from the board about the job market in our region. Their team is helping veterans land jobs with local employers and giving parents the child care support they need to stay in the workforce. #WheresRon

[First Five Years Fund @firstfiveyears]

The 45F tax credit - recently expanded! - helps businesses of all sizes connect their employees to affordable child care options.

Thanks, @JimJustice_WV for sharing the way 45F is working in West Virginia!

[Senator Jim Justice @JimJustice_WV]

Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, communities across the country are thriving.

That’s true here in Moorefield, where Pilgrim’s is gearing up to open an affordable child care facility for its team members.