Early Childhood Care and Education Programs in the 110th Congress: Background and Funding

Publication Date: January 2007

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

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Abstract:

Federal support for child care and education comes in many forms, ranging from grant programs to tax provisions. Some programs serve as specifically dedicated funding sources for child care services (e.g., the Child Care and Development Block Grant, or CCDBG) or education programs (e.g. Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I, Part A, Early Reading First, Even Start, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program, the Early Childhood Educator Professional Development program, and the Individuals with Disabilities Act -- Preschool Grants program and Infants and Toddlers program), while for others (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF), child care is just one of many purposes for which funds may be used. In many cases, federal programs target low-income families in need of child care assistance, but in the case of certain tax provisions, the benefits reach middle- and upper-income families as well. This report provides an overview of federal child care, early education, and related programs, and their funding status in the 110th Congress.

Funding for many child care, early education, and related programs is provided each year as part of the annual appropriations process for the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education (ED). Fiscal year (FY) 2007 appropriations bills for those departments (among most others) did not receive floor action in the House or Senate during the 109th Congress, although the 2007 fiscal year began on October 1, 2006. The process now extends into the 110th Congress, with a third continuing resolution (P.L. 109-383) temporarily funding government operations (through February 15, 2007) at rates based on the FY2006 funding levels. FY2006 appropriations (P.L. 109-149) included funding slightly below FY2005 amounts for most child care and related programs, as a result of an across-the-board rescission of 1% applied to most discretionary programs. Additional targeted funding for Head Start and the Social Services Block Grant -- supplemental funding targeted specifically in response to needs arising from the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005 -- was included in the FY2006 Defense Appropriations Act (P.L. 109-148).

Some of the programs discussed in this report have continued to receive funding despite expired program authorizations. Efforts to reauthorize the CCDBG (expired with FY2002) and the Head Start program (expired with FY2003) began in the 108th Congress, but have yet to reach fruition. Thus, potential legislative agenda items for the 110th Congress include reauthorization of those two programs, in addition to education programs covered by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), which expires with FY2007.

The Administration's budget proposals for FY2008 are expected to be released in February. This report will be updated to reflect such activity, as well as developments with respect to appropriations and changes to programs' reauthorization status.