The FY2022 appropriations package includes modest increases for programs critical to babies and families.
On Tuesday, March 15, the President signed into law the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) spending bill Congress approved through its annual appropriations process. With a limit of $1.5 trillion for the bipartisan omnibus spending package, the final increases for critical programs for babies and families were more modest than those approved earlier by the House, but clearly Congressional baby champions pushed growth in key programs. Early care and learning programs like the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), Head Start and Early Head Start, Preschool Development Grants, and Part C of IDEA all received increases. The bill also includes increases in funding for child welfare programs such as the Infant-Toddler Court Program, children’s mental health programs including Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Grants, and basic needs support like nutrition programs and housing.
