Sarah Rittling, executive director of the First Five Years Fund (FFYF), is dedicated to expanding access to high-quality childcare for children from infancy to age five. Her organization aims to shape early childhood policies and secure federal funding by building bipartisan support and championing initiatives in Congress. Rittling described the FFYF's work as "slow work built on gathering data, forming coalitions, and finding common ground," and stated that a significant achievement has been making childcare a truly bipartisan issue.
Legislative Efforts
The FFYF recently collaborated with House lawmakers to advance the Supporting Early-Childhood Educators' Deductions (SEED) Act, a bipartisan bill allowing childcare workers to deduct certain classroom supply costs from their taxes. This bill is currently under consideration in the Senate. The organization also advocated for measures within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (H.R.1), which included tax incentives aimed at reducing childcare expenses for families.
Experience and Strategy
Rittling's background includes extensive work with elected officials, many of them Republicans, and consulting. This experience provides her with an insider's perspective on policy-making. She emphasizes the dual importance of introducing new initiatives and defending existing federal programs, such as Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block Grant. To bolster advocacy efforts, Rittling has assembled a coalition of over 100 diverse organizations equipped to promote robust childcare policies at federal, state, and local levels.
The Urgency of Childcare Access
The need for strengthened childcare systems is underscored by a recent National Women's Law Center report indicating that the number of children on waiting lists for federally funded childcare assistance nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025. This surge is partly attributed to the expiration of emergency measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, which had supported parents in essential work. Rittling noted that the pandemic revealed childcare's critical role, highlighting the fragility of the existing system without government intervention. She emphasized that the challenges of childcare extend beyond individual families, stating, "This is more than just a mom's problem."
Rittling maintains a resilient approach despite historical challenges in securing consistent budget allocations for childcare across different administrations. She remains committed to the ongoing work of building lawmaker support and raising awareness about the realities faced by families and the economy. "We have to keep showing everything we know that’s going to move and change hearts and minds in our political system and in our legislative bodies, to try to shake something loose," she said.