Budget and policy decisions at the federal level have a deep impact at home in Pennsylvania. Improving the early care and education system at the national level will result in improvements in the commonwealth too. Read below for updates and information about our federal policy and advocacy work.

Federal Public Policy

Position Statements on Federal Policies can be found here.

The President’s Budget for FFY 2024

President Biden released his budget for FFY 2024 in March 2023. It includes $22.1 billion for core federal early learning and care programs, including the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, Head Start and Early Head Start, and IDEA Part B and C up 10.5% from the 2023 enacted level. The White House Fact Sheet can be found here for how the proposal will lower costs for families. Below are key proposed increases:

  • Child Care and Development Block Grant (Discretionary CCDBG) - $9,000,000,000 - increase of nearly $1,00,000,000 above FY2023
  • Head Start and Early Head Start - $13,200,000,000 - increase of $1,100,000,000 above FY2023. This includes $500 million for a demonstration program in the Department of Education to create or expand free, high-quality preschool in school or community-based settings, including Head Start, for children eligible to attend Title I schools.
  • Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) - $360,000,000 - increase of $45,000,000 above FY2023
  • IDEA Part B Preschool Grants - $502,620,000 - increase of $93,071,000 above FY2023
  • IDEA Part C Grants for Infants and Families - $932,000,000 - increase of $435,694,000 above FY2023

 

Federal Debt Ceiling
A deal to suspend the debt ceiling until Jan. 1, 2025 was reached between Congress and President Biden in May 2023. The bill caps non-defense discretionary spending which includes the majority of the child care funds we receive from the federal government.
  • FFY2024 child care funding will be level funded.
  • FFY2025 spending can increase by only 1 percent.
Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee increase funding by $1 billion over FY2023 levels for child care and early learning programs in the FY2024 appropriations bill.
  • Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program: $8.7B ($700M increase over FY2023)
  • Head Start and Early Head Start: $12.3B ($275M increase over FY2023)
  • Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) program: Level funded at $315M
    IDEA Part B Preschool Grants: Level funded at $420M
    IDEA Part C Grants for Infants and Toddlers: $560M Part C provides states with funding to support early intervention programs for infants and toddlers. ($20M increase over FY2023)
  • Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program: $80M ($5 million increase over FY2023)

 

House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee level funded CCDBG and cut other critical early learning programs in the FY2024 appropriations bill. Including:

  • Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program: Level funded at $8B
  • Head Start and Early Head Start: $750M cut below FY2023 to $11.2B
  • Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) program: Eliminates this program
  • Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) program: Eliminates this program
  • IDEA Part B Preschool Grants: Level funded at $420M
  • IDEA Part C Grants for Infants and Toddlers: Level funded at $500M

 

Federal Fiscal Year 2023 Budget

  • Child Care and Development Block Grant - $8B
  • Head Start and Early Head Start - $12B
  • Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five program: $315M
  • IDEA Part B Preschool Grants: $420M
    IDEA Part C Grants for Infants and Toddlers: $500M

 

Proposals PennAEYC Supports and is Tracking
Child Care for Working Families Act 
S. 1354 and H.R. 2976  Reintroduced by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), the Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages. The legislation will also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers. Endorsed by NAEYC, a summary of the bills can be found here.

 

National Early Care and Education Federal Policy Resources

 

U.S. Health and Human Services