On February 2, 2015, President Barack Obama released his budget blueprint for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2016.  Following on commitments announced during the recent State of the Union, President Obama’s budget proposal includes new initiatives and funding proposals designed to improve “access to high-quality child care and early education.”

Following up on Tuesday’s State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama today detailed his proposal for making child care a “national economic priority.”

Fresh off the State of the Union, President Obama announced a landmark proposal to help all working families with young children afford child care.

Last night, President Barack Obama made child care a front and center issue in his State of the Union address. The need for quality child care was the first issue mentioned by the President in addressing ways to move America forward.

Tonight, January 20, 2015 at 9PM Eastern, President Barack Obama will deliver the annual State of the Union address. President Obama's State of the Union address will focus on middle-class economics and provide some new proposals to help families offset the burden of child care costs.

From the Department of Health and Human Services:

"HHS’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) today announced preliminary winners for its Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships grants to improve the quality of existing child care programs and expand access to high-quality care for infants and toddlers.

Thus far, 234 preliminary selected grant applicants in 49 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands will receive over $435 million in funding to help offer care and services to ensure that infants and toddlers have access to Early Head Start services in their communities."