The recent passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR) marks a critical moment in the federal government’s budgeting process. On March 14, 2025, the Senate passed the House’s Continuing Resolution, and President Trump signed it into law, ensuring the federal government is funded through September 30, 2025. While this bill serves as a temporary fix to avoid a government shutdown, it has far-reaching implications for federal funding programs that children, families, and our communities rely on.
A Closer Look at the CR: What’s at Stake
The current Continuing Resolution is not just a simple extension to fund the government. It’s a deeply partisan bill that increases defense spending by $6 billion while cutting $13 billion from nondefense programs. These cuts could have serious consequences for American families who rely on essential services like healthcare and education. With these drastic reductions, vital programs, including Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG), Head Start, and other safety nets, are at risk of losing the support they desperately need to serve families in need.
As the House and Senate move forward with their respective budget processes, the broader impact of these decisions is becoming clearer. While they are negotiating annual appropriations for FY26 (which include programs like CCDBG and Head Start), they are also working on the reconciliation process, which impacts mandatory spending for crucial services such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
What This Means for Children and Families
The budget cuts proposed by Republicans in both chambers threaten to slash funding for the very programs that support children, families, and our communities. Many of the most vulnerable families rely on these federal programs to make ends meet, and any funding changes that do not increase support for services like CCDBG, Head Start, and TANF could have devastating consequences.
CCDBG: The Child Care and Development Block Grant is a critical source of funding that helps low-income families afford child care. Without sufficient support, many families could lose access to affordable care, jeopardizing their ability to work and care for their children.
Head Start: This early childhood education program helps children from low-income families get a head start on their education. Budget cuts to this program would deny thousands of children the chance to access high-quality early education.
TANF & SNAP: Reductions to these safety net programs would place millions of children at risk of food insecurity and disrupt access to basic necessities like housing, healthcare, and nutrition.
These proposed cuts would eliminate child care for thousands of children and leave millions more without vital services that help families thrive. You can read more about the potential impacts of these cuts in the following articles:
The Road Ahead: What’s Next?
The federal budget process is far from over. The two chambers of Congress have passed distinct budget proposals, but before any bill becomes law, both chambers need to agree on a unified plan. With partisan divides making negotiations challenging, there is still a long road ahead before any decisions are finalized. Politico reports a growing concern that Republicans will struggle to pass their agenda through both chambers and have time to enact the proposed cuts.
As Congress continues to debate the budget, it’s critical that advocates for children, families, and our communities speak out against these cuts. We must demand that lawmakers prioritize funding for child care, early care and education, and family support programs to ensure that our children and communities can thrive.
How You Can Help: Take Action Now
We need your voice. We urge you to take action. Federal lawmakers need to hear from you about the importance of protecting and expanding funding for early care and education programs. The future of millions of children and families depends on it.
Contact your representatives: Let them know that cuts to child care and education are unacceptable.
Raise awareness: Share information on social media about the importance of preserving funding for early care and education.
Stay informed: Keep up with the latest updates on the federal budget process and how it impacts child care and education by subscribing to our mailing list.
Together, we can make a difference in ensuring that the programs families rely on remain fully funded and accessible.
You can read more at the following links:
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