What a Government Shutdown Means for Early Childhood Programs
NAEYC remains committed to advocating for robust and sustainable investments in early childhood education. As Congress works to reach a funding agreement for the 2026 fiscal year and in light of the current government shutdown, we continue to push for an appropriations agreement that includes robust funding for the early care and education programs that children, families, and educators rely on every day.
The federal government officially shut down on Oct. 1, 2025, when Republicans and Democrats could not reach a funding agreement to keep the government open. While we don’t know how long the government will remain shut down, some early childhood programs will feel a squeeze until an agreement is reached.
A shutdown pauses or scales back many federal operations, which may delay or disrupt funding to programs. While many federally funded early child services should be able to operate as usual in the short term, the longer a government shutdown goes on, the greater the likelihood it could disrupt and impact your work and the families you serve.
We’re actively monitoring the situation and advocating to protect and prioritize early childhood programs.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is a government shutdown?
Each year, Congress must pass appropriations legislation to fund the federal government. This bill must be signed into law by the president before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1. If Congress does not pass an appropriations bill or short-term funding known as a Continuing Resolution (CR) to temporarily extend funding, the government experiences a shutdown, where services and programs deemed “non-essential” are paused until a funding agreement is reached. This year, the Administration is also threatening to fire, rather than furlough, many impacted federal staff, which could have longer-term implications for the management of federal programs and services.
How did we get here?
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Congress had until September 30 to pass legislation to fund the government for the next fiscal year (October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026).
- The Senate has proposed protecting and, in some cases, expanding funding for early childhood programs.
- The House proposal includes deep and harmful cuts to ECE, such as eliminating funding for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five and the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program.
- Since Congress has not yet reached an agreement on spending levels and individual program funding (on a range of issues much broader than ECE), leaders are debating plans for a short-term CR to temporarily extend funding. The disagreement at this moment largely revolves around whether and how Congress extends healthcare subsidies that expire at the end of the year and could cause insurance premiums to rise for many individuals and families.
What Could This Mean for Early Childhood Programs?
Government shutdowns are costly and disruptive to the public and to the effective administration of publicly funded programs and supports; however, not all programs are impacted in the same way at the same time. Many ECE programs can continue temporarily using carryover or mandatory funds; a prolonged shutdown could lead to more serious disruptions. Here’s what we know so far about potential implications for key early childhood education programs:
Child Care and Development Block Grant
CCDBG funding is discretionary and subject to the annual appropriations process, but impacts on programs in the short term should be mitigated by the fact that states have funding on hand, multiple years to spend down discretionary funds, and receive additional mandatory funding through the Child Care Entitlement to the states. So in the short term, programs serving families receiving subsidies should not have their payments disrupted immediately; however, a longer shutdown risks a greater impact to program stability.
Head Start
Head Start funding is also discretionary, and grants are awarded on a rolling basis, starting at different months throughout the year. A handful of programs with grant start dates on October 1 are expected to face immediate disruptions, while a more prolonged shutdown will have a greater impact, especially if it extends to November 1 and beyond.
IDEA special education and early intervention
IDEA programs are forward-funded and receive their funding in July and October. The Department of Education has put in place a contingency plan to ensure funding goes out on October 1.
Next steps
NAEYC is continuing to work alongside our partners and allies to:
- Advocate for critically needed investments in essential early childhood programs
- Ensure policymakers understand the real-world impact of delays and cuts
- Keep educators, providers, and families informed about potential disruptions and available resources
We need your voice alongside ours. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to pass a funding bill that protects and invests in early childhood programs.
We want to hear about your experience in the shutdown. Please share your story if your program faces disruptions or challenges in the face of the government shutdown.