First Focus on Children’s 2026 Children’s Budget Summit, titled “Babies and Children in the Federal Budget: The Danger of Disinvestment,” will explore the precipitous decline in the share of federal investment in the nation’s babies and children and will introduce findings from both our 2026 Children’s Budget and Babies in the Budget reports.
The share of federal spending on children has plunged more than 30% in the last five years, according to analysis by First Focus on Children, landing at just 8.43% of total spending in FY 2026. For babies, the share of federal spending sank to just 1.67% in FY 2026, meaning that for every $100 the federal government spends it devotes just $1.67 to children under 3. The President’s proposed FY 2027 budget would cut these numbers even further.
The summit will feature remarks and research from experts and scholars on why investment matters for America’s children and what we as a country can — and should — be doing about it.
