After months of negotiations, Congressional appropriators in the House and Senate have reached a bipartisan agreement on FY26 funding for key early learning programs with small but meaningful increases, for key child care and early learning programs, including $85 million in increases for the Child Care and Development Block Grant and Head Start while protecting  funding for the Preschool Development Grant, IDEA Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education, and Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS). If approved, this appropriations bill would also direct the Administration to conduct a new competition for CCAMPIS grants, supporting access to child care for student parents.  

As advocates for these programs, we have been supportive of these bipartisan agreements; however, recent actions by federal immigration enforcement officials in MN have jeopardized this progress. Right now, the Labor-HHS bill that funds child care and early learning is being considered as part of a package that includes funding for Department of Homeland Security, which funds federal immigration enforcement. We urge Congress to separate DHS from the rest of these funding bills so that bipartisan funding for child care and early learning and other national priorities can move forward while Congress considers additional oversight and accountability to address serious concerns about DHS. 

Robust federal investments in child care and early learning programs are more important than ever, and NAEYC continues to advocate for Congress to pass funding bills that prioritize early childhood educators and the children and families they support.

We need your voice alongside ours.  

Take action today and urge your members of Congress to pass appropriations legislation that prioritizes young children, families, and educators.