Congress Buys Time: What It Means for Child Care Funding This Fall

A Short-Term Deal, Not a Final Answer

This week Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government funded at current levels, and President Trump promptly signed it. While the CR avoids a shutdown (good news), it doesn’t answer the bigger question child care advocates are watching: how much will Congress invest in Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, Head Start, and other early learning programs for the year ahead? 

That decision is postponed. Lawmakers now have until December 11 to write and pass the full-year funding bills that will settle it.

Where Child Care Stands: The Labor-HHS Bill

For child care, the bill that matters most is the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) bill. Funding for CCDBG, Head Start/ Early Head Start, and Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) are all included within this bill.

• In June, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its FY2027 Labor-HHS bill, including modest increases for CCDBG and Head Start/Early Head Start, but eliminated PDG B-5 entirely.
• The Senate has not yet released its own Labor-HHS funding bill.
• The CR keeps programs running at FY26 levels for now.

Why This Isn’t Enough

Even the strongest proposal on the table falls short of what families, providers, and states need. Flat or barely-there increases don’t keep pace with rising costs, and eliminating PDG B-5 would pull support from states building and strengthening their early childhood systems. CCAoA continues to urge Congress to increase funding, so that families can find care they can afford, providers can keep their doors open, and communities can grow.

What Advocates Should Do This Fall

It’s easy to assume Washington is too distracted by the midterm elections to focus on funding bills. But the lawmakers in office today are the ones who will write, negotiate, and vote on the final Labor-HHS bill before December 11. That makes the next few months a critical window, not a quiet one.

• Contact your Senators and Representative now, before the pre-election recess narrows the calendar even further.
• Ask them directly to support robust funding for CCDBG, Head Start and Early Head Start, and PDG B-5 in the final FY27 Labor-HHS bill.
• Share how child care funding affects your community — as a provider, a parent, or an advocate. Personal stories carry weight with offices weighing priorities.
• Stay engaged! Election season doesn’t pause the appropriations process, and neither should we.

Take Action

Congress still has time to do better. Let’s make sure they hear from you before the December 11 deadline.