Working to create a smarter, stronger, healthier & more productive America with high-quality child care and early education through bipartisan federal advocacy.

Washington, DC
Joined April 2011
Check out this reminder from @RepMeuser about the importance of federal investments in Head Start programs to ensure that children have a great start in life.
It was great visiting the Bradford Tioga Head Start in Towanda this week to see firsthand the important work they do to prepare the next generation for success and support families in our community. I am a huge supporter of the Head Start program and their mission to provide children with the educational, health, nutritional, and family services they need to get a great start in life. I have been a strong supporter of Head Start in Congress and this year voted for an $85 million increase in Head Start funding for FY26. Thank you to Hank Dunn, Executive Director Wendy Swingle, Assistant Executive Director Kim Sexauer, and everyone at Bradford-Tioga Head Start for having me and for helping children build a strong foundation.
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Head Start serves more than half a million children across all 50 states! Of the 435 congressional districts across the country, what percentage have Head Start centers serving children?
0%25%
0%38%
0%65%
100%100% - all 435
7 votes • 6 days
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"Access to quality, affordable child care is important for families, communities, and the economy." We agree! Thank you, @RepBonamici for your continued support of child care and early learning.
Access to quality, affordable child care is important for families, communities, and the economy. And spending time with young children is a great way to start the morning! Thanks to KinderCare for the wonderful tour and for giving me the opportunity to read to some very enthusiastic children.
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FFYF First Look shares the day’s news on a variety of topics, ranging from the rising cost of child care to the latest legislation. Start your day off with the latest stories from across the country to stay updated on child care and early learning. Subscribe here: ffyf.org/five-minute-updates…
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New statewide polling in Nebraska from FFYF and @FirstFiveNebr finds strong bipartisan agreement that child care is a serious challenge for working families in Nebraska. 73% of Nebraska voters say the ability to find and afford quality child care is a crisis or major problem.
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NEW polling in Louisiana shows that some families are delaying having kids due to lack of affordable child care. Get all the details from @LaRadioNetwork with insights from FFYF's @SarahRittling.
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Head Start has a long history of giving kids a strong start through comprehensive early learning, health, and nutrition services– thank you @RepGilCisneros for your commitment to supporting this important program!
For decades, Head Start has ensured that every child has the opportunity for a high-quality early education. I visited the Options State Preschool in Azusa to see their Head Start program in action!  I will never stop fighting to protect the future of our children’s education.
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Worth a Read: @MeganCerullo from @CBSNews shares new data revealing that child care costs are rising faster than rent, putting even more pressure on family budgets. And voters are feeling it: Our polling finds that 82% of voters say child care costs are part of the broader affordability crisis.
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The SEED Act recognizes the early educators who make child care possible for millions of families and help power our economy every day. Thank you @RepJimmyPanetta for championing this important legislation and sharing the ways it will benefit early educators in your community!
Great to work with Lisa Holbert, Director at the Cabrillo College Children’s Center & Lab School, on highlighting my recently enacted SEED Act for early childhood educators. The new law will allow pre-K teachers to deduct up to $350 in out-of-pocket classroom expenses from their federal income taxes beginning with the 2026 tax year. Proud to play my part in providing such a tax deduction and recognizing our teachers.
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Head Start’s whole family approach is central to why Head Start works! 🏠 Celebration of Head Start Awareness Month continues with a new exploration of how Head Start's comprehensive service help kids AND their families. Stay tuned next week for more on why Head Start is so important to communities nationwide!
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Great to see @RepLucyMcBath at a Head Start center in her district highlighting the importance of investing in our youngest learners!
I recently celebrated Georgia Pre-K Week by joining two reading events at Sheltering Arms Longview Center and Chattahoochee YMCA Head Start Academy. Thank you to the educators and caregivers investing in our youngest learners every day. Georgia’s future starts with them!
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"Every story in that room came back to the same two problems: child care costs too much, and there aren’t enough spots for the families who need them." True! Thank you @SenRubenGallego for uplifting the voices of Arizona's child care leaders, parents and providers.
Thank you to the child care leaders, parents, and providers who joined me at my town hall yesterday. Every story in that room came back to the same two problems: child care costs too much, and there aren’t enough spots for the families who need them. We have to do better for Arizona's kids and families.
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Hey, working parents! 👋 Open Season for federal tax benefits starts Nov 9, so **right now** is the perfect time check with your employer about the recently expanded child care tax benefit known as DCAP (the FSA where you can set aside pre-tax income to help pay for child care expenses).
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NEW POLLING 🚨 A recent survey from FFYF and the @PolicyInstLA finds that the high cost of child care is a significant part of Louisiana voters’ broader affordability concerns, including: 🔴 71% of Republicans 🟣 83% of Independents 🔵 90% of Democrats.
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