Full-Year 2020 Passes, Including $1.3 Billion Funding Increase for Head Start

By Brooke Allen

On Dec. 16, 2019, bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate announced the details of the Full-Year 2020 federal spending, which includes $1.3 billion in increased funding for federal early learning programs.

In addition to this huge growth of funding, there will also be a $550 million increase for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. On Dec.17, the House passed FY2020, which will distribute $1.4 trillion through the federal government. On Dec. 19, the Senate passed both bills, and soon after, on Dec. 23, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan spending package into law.

According to the First Five Years Fund, these are the current approved funding numbers:

Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
$5.826 billion — $550 million above FY2019

Early Head Start / Head Start
$10.613 billion — $550 million above FY2019, of which an additional $100 million is to be used for expansion of Early Head Start or Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships

Preschool Development Grants
$275 million — $25 million above FY2019

IDEA Part B Preschool Grants
$394.12 million — $3 million above FY2019

IDEA Part C Grants for Infants and Families
$477 million — $7 million above FY2019

IDEA Grants to States
$12.764 billion — $400 million above FY2019

With these historical funding increases, support for early childhood education clearly remains bipartisan between current lawmakers.