Federal Early Education Update: September 2026
The latest in federal early education news
Early Childhood Education
Five Things States Can Do to Support High-Quality Kindergarten and the Early Grades
Laws signal what matters, and funding, capacity, prepared adults, and aligned systems determine whether anything ch…
Changing the Narrative on Child Care and Early Education
The Better Life Lab offered another series of reporting grants to tell the story of child care’s role in our economy, communities, businesses, and fam…
Current Head Start Program Performance Standards Protect Children with Disabilities
The proposed rule, Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs…
New Report Offers Bipartisan Solutions to State Child Care Woes
The report offers examples of bipartisan steps that can be taken at the stat…
Five Places to Watch: Where Kindergarten Is Being Rediscovered
These bright spots show what’s possible when leaders begin to establish the right conditions for young learners.
Transitions Don’t End at the Schoolhouse Door
Gwinnett County is a bright spot for transitions to kindergarten and beyond.
Community-Focused Professional Development for Early Learning
Professional development for early educators in three communities strengthened social and emotional learning, dual language learning, and trauma-re…
Five Things History Teaches Us About Kindergarten That Are Also Important Today
The kindergarten many of us picture faded in recent memory, not in the distant past.
Five Things to Know About High Quality in Kindergarten
There is a lot we need to rethink about kindergarten.