CLASP Child Care & Early Education

Black History Month—A Time to Commemorate and Interrogate the Deep Roots and Ongoing Consequences of Inequities in Child Care | CLASP This Black History Month calls us to commemorate the deep roots and ongoing consequences of inequity in the child care sector.

The lack of value and funding for child care is rooted in the forced labor of enslaved Black women—and continues to harm Black providers and families. CLASP's new blog interrogates this history, how it affects the system today, and where to go from here. www.clasp.org/blog/black-h...

FY26 Funding for CCDBG Offers Important Increase Amidst Challenging Times for Children and Families | CLASP On February 3, 2026, Congress passed an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, funding all federal programs with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security for a full year. ...

Congress has approved most of the fiscal year 2026 spending bills, allotting an additional $85 million to the Child Care and Development Block Grant. @clasp.org has analyzed how the minimal but important increase will be distributed across states. www.clasp.org/publications...

Child Care Providers Across Many States Attacked by “Influencers”; HHS Response Threatens Access for Children and Families | CLASP Washington, D.C., January 5, 2026 — Last week, an ill-informed YouTube “influencer” accused child care centers run by Somali providers in Minnesota of fraud. In response to these accusations and witho...

Read @clasp.org's statement on the accusations of child care fraud in Minnesota and the administration’s harmful response. www.clasp.org/press-room/p...

How the Trump Administration has Undermined Child Care and Early Education Programs in 2025 | CLASP By Shira Small, Rachel Wilensky, and Stephanie Schmit Since taking office on January 20, the Trump Administration has repeatedly undermined families’ access to child care and early education—dispropor...

Since taking office on January 20, the Trump Administration has repeatedly undermined families’ access to child care and early education. See @CLASP_DC’s latest factsheet for a timeline and detailed documentation of the administration’s actions. www.clasp.org/publications...

Meet Our New Child Care and Early Education Parent Fellow: Lily Ana Marquez | CLASP By Lily Ana Marquez 1. What motivates me to show up as a parent leader and advocate? Being the parent of two children who are very different motivates me to continue as a parent leader and a strong ad...

Meet our Parent Fellow: Lily Marquez! Lily is a powerful advocate for equity in child care, education, & economic opportunity. She has nearly a decade of state and federal leadership in parent organizing and systems-change advocacy. Learn more www.clasp.org/blog/meet-ou...

Meet Our New Child Care and Early Education Parent Fellow: Alecia Murray | CLASP 1. What motivates me to show up as a parent leader and advocate?  Being the parent of two children who are very different motivates me to continue as a parent leader and a strong advocate. It is my re...

Meet our Parent Fellow: Alecia Murray! Alecia is a champion for early childhood education, health equity, and parent voice. Her leadership spans local, state, and national advocacy—strengthening connections between families and schools. Learn more: www.clasp.org/blog/meet-ou...

Child Care and Early Education Policy Fellowship for Parents | CLASP About Us Centering and Elevating Parent Voice in National Child Care Policy The CLASP Child Care and Early Education Policy Fellowship for Parents is designed to center and elevate the lived experienc...

We are excited to announce our CCEE Policy Fellowship for Parents! Follow along as we center parent expertise in national child care policy and provide training, professional development, and advocacy opportunities for parent leaders. www.clasp.org/child-care-e...

🚨 Emergency Call: ICE Out of Child Care Centers & Schools! · National Domestic Workers Alliance C3 On November 5, ICE took a childcare worker from her workplace — in front of the children she dedicates her life to protecting. This is unacceptable. We all deserve to feel safe at home, at work, and i...

This MONDAY: ICE out of Child Care and Schools Emergency Call! Nov. 10th at 8pm ET, join us to hear how we can organize to protect our children and care workers/teachers! 👉: bit.ly/ice-OUT

White House and Congress Manufactured a Crisis that Threatens Jobs, Food Assistance, and Head Start and Will Increase Health Care Costs | CLASP The stalemate created by the refusal of Congressional leadership and the Trump Administration to come to the table is unnecessarily threatening food assistance, access to Head Start, and other importa...

Over 9,000 children and families cannot access their Head Start programs due to the government shutdown, and more people stand to lose care with each day that passes. Congress must take action to meet the needs of children and families across the country. www.clasp.org/press-room/p...

Nobody should have to fear for their safety in early education spaces – parent, child, provider, or otherwise. www.clasp.org/publications...

Confirmed Closures.docx | Powered by Box

As the government shutdown continues, Head Start closures have now left over 8,000 children and families without care. Congress must extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits, reopen the government, and deliver the programs people rely on. nhsa.app.box.com/s/9wlp8e6em4...

Ongoing Federal Shutdown Threatens Head Start Access for Over 65K Children 'We don't want to see our children ... caught in the crosshairs of these types of political fights,' national deputy director said.

Over 65,000 children are at risk of losing access to Head Start if Congress doesn’t pass a budget by Nov 1 as many programs across the country may face closures. Children, families, and providers deserve better. Congress needs to do right by them. www.the74million.org/zero2eight/o...

Nearly a month into the government shutdown, millions of families are paying the price for deliberate policy choices by the Trump Administration and Congress.

This is a 🚨manufactured🚨 crisis that’s putting jobs, food, and care at risk.

2/ Head Start’s positive impacts are as vast as the program's geographical reach, with a Head Start program in every Congressional district in the country. Children and families deserve access to this critical program, this #HeadStartAwareness month and always.

Federal Shutdown Reflects Trump’s Chaotic Government; Children and Families Pay the Price | CLASP In a functioning government, this budget would be free from interference by a presidential administration. Instead, the administration is manufacturing chaos and dysfunction to continue to weaken the ...

1/ Head Start delivers critical services for families with low incomes across the country, but the government shutdown threatens to close programs that serve 65,152 children nationwide if it extends past November 1st. #HeadStartAwarenessMonth www.clasp.org/press-room/p...

Today marks day 14 of the ongoing government shutdown, with no clear end in sight. With each day that goes by, children and families' unmet needs mount. www.clasp.org/press-room/p...

Federal Cuts to Child Care and Head Start are an Attack on Families with Low Incomes | CLASP By Shira Small The Trump Administration’s cuts to federal child care and early education programs and staff are putting children, families, and the economy at risk. Children are already losing access ...

Attacks on child care and Head Start hit families with low incomes the hardest, worsening the affordability crisis and deepening inequities. www.clasp.org/blog/federal...

The Senate’s Budget Reconciliation Bill is Bad for Children and Families | CLASP Families are already struggling with higher costs of living, and the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill will only increase the costs of health care, food, and everyday necessities. The bill's text af...

Child care is increasingly inaccessible and unaffordable – and the Budget reconciliation bill will make families' and states' budgets even tighter. We can’t let kids and parents pay the price. Learn why. www.clasp.org/blog/senate-...

Cliff Notes: Pandemic Relief Funding Teaches Lessons About the Need for Sustained Child Care Investments | CLASP New fact sheet in collaboration with the National Womens Law Center highlights the urgent need for long term, sustainable investments in child care.

COVID relief expiration, the reconciliation bill, & the current policy environment are leaving many states facing fiscal tradeoffs. Learn about the progress achievable with sustained funding for child care, & what’s at stake without increased investment. www.clasp.org/publications...

Last week, two court rulings protected the rights of immigrant families and their access to certain public benefits, including Head Start. To learn more about this win for immigrant families and our country, read CLASP’s statement. www.clasp.org/press-room/p...

House Proposed Level Funding for CCDBG Would Mean Nearly 50,000 Children Lose Access Since Last Increase | CLASP As Congress negotiates the FY2026 appropriations package, another year of level funding for CCDBG, which has been proposed in the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencie...

Under the current FY25 continuing resolution, CLASP estimated that 24,000 fewer families would have access to child care assistance. Under the new House proposed FY26 budget, that number stands to rise to 50,000. Read the analysis here. www.clasp.org/publications...

FFN care provides an essential service to ensure families can go to work, yet caregivers often don’t have access to critical support such as fair wages, health care, and other benefits. FFN caregivers give so much and deserve so much more. #FFNCareIsAlwaysThere

House Proposed Level Funding for CCDBG Would Mean Nearly 50,000 Children Lose Access Since Last Increase | CLASP As Congress negotiates the FY2026 appropriations package, another year of level funding for CCDBG, which has been proposed in the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencie...

Flat funding comes with consequences. CLASP estimates the impact of the House-proposed level funding for CCDBG in FY26 will mean approximately 24,000 fewer children will have access to child care, on top of flat funding in FY25. Read our full analysis. www.clasp.org/publications...

When Hunger Speaks a Different Language: Food Insecurity, Immigrant Families, and the Invisible Barriers That Keep Kids Hungry | CLASP No child should worry if their mom ate breakfast. Yet in many immigrant families, that sacrifice is routine.

"These policy shifts don’t just tweak technical rules. They fundamentally alter who gets to eat and who doesn’t." - Parthenia Tawfik, our summer intern, discussing food insecurity for immigrant families and how to build a better future.

www.clasp.org/blog/food-in...

Speak up by the end of the day tomorrow to stop the Trump administration from prohibiting immigrant families from accessing Head Start and other valuable programs. Comment today! linktr.ee/together4hea...

Child Care Assistance 101 | CLASP Why is access to child care important for families?

#Childcare is a critical support for family well-being & economic stability. CCDF is the primary federal funding source to support access for families with low incomes & support the quality of care for all children. Learn more about it in our new 101! www.clasp.org/publications...

We are proud to endorse Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov and Rep. Bobby Scott's @bobbyscott.house.gov Child Care for Working Families Act to make #childcare access more equitable and affordable, and better compensate and value the #childcare workforce. www.murray.senate.gov/murray-scott...

Funding is frozen, but families can’t pause their need for care. Learn what’s happening with funding for afterschool and summer programs & how you can take action in @afterschool4all’s latest blog. afterschoolworksforamerica.org/release-the-...

CLASP Outraged by Reconciliation Bill’s Unprecedented Harm, Ready to Respond | CLASP Our fight to ensure the dignity, security, and well-being of those who have been most marginalized is far from over, and CLASP is ready to meet the moment.

The House just passed the devastating budget reconciliation bill. Trump is expected to sign it tomorrow.

This bill guts support for families with low incomes, immigrants, workers, women & children.

But CLASP is fighting back—our work is just beginning. www.clasp.org/press-room/p...

The Impact of Anti-immigrant Policies on Children, Families & the Child Care and Early Education Workforce | CLASP By Rachel Wilensky, Karla Coleman-Castillo, and Wendy Cervantes In the four months since inauguration, the Trump Administration has leveled a staggering number of threats on social programs–from execu...

The Trump Administration's anti-immigrant policies hinder families' access to child care and providers' participation in the child care workforce. Our latest brief with @nwlc.org outlines how these attacks are harming children, families, and early educators. www.clasp.org/publications...