About
First Five
Action
The Purpose
First Five Action was founded in 2020 to increase awareness of and advocacy for federal investments in early learning and child care.
Child care is an integral pillar to supporting a robust economy, with millions of Americans relying on it to go to work. But for decades the skyrocketing cost of quality care and the limited supply across the country created insurmountable challenges. Every day, working parents, businesses, and communities experience the impact of the country’s child care challenges.
First Five Action mobilizes and supports ongoing efforts to ensure all children from birth through age five have equal access to affordable, comprehensive, high-quality care and education.
The Work
First Five Action uses a variety of tools and resources to drive solutions, including:
- Educating Congressional offices on key policies and investments;
- Connecting with campaigns on the importance of early learning and child care issues;
- Working with the media to demonstrate the need for greater federal investment in early learning and childcare.
Child care Matters to Voters
America’s child care system is overburdened and unsustainable. With growing staff shortages and rising costs, long-term solutions to the growing crisis facing young learners, their families, and their care providers is a necessity.
Lawmakers at the federal level have the opportunity to work across the aisle to support child care and early learning nationwide, and voters want Congress and the White House to make it a priority.
61% of Republican voters, 74% of Independent voters, and 86% of Democratic voters agree that “increasing funding for child care and early childhood education programs is an important priority and a good use of tax dollars.”
Meet the First Five Action Board of Directors
Sarah Rittling
First Five Years Fund
President
Diana Rauner
Start Early
Treasurer
Libby Doggett
Libby Doggett Consulting
Kelly King Dibble
Northern Trust Corporation
Kevin Madden
Penta Group
Charlie Joughin
Communications Executive
Cheryl Oldham
Vice President of Education Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce