The United States has long failed to invest in its children, devoting a meager percentage of all federal spending to their health and well-being. This chronic underfunding hits the nation’s youngest children hardest: In Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, only 1.59% of all federal spending went toward supporting children under 3. Put simply, this means that for every $100 the federal government spends, it invests just $1.59 in infants, babies and toddlers. Advocates, experts, and Congressional staff analyzed findings from Babies in the Budget 2025, a forthcoming report from First Focus on Children that tracks federal investment in the nation’s infants, babies, and toddlers.
Resources from the Babies in the Budget Summit 2025
Fact Sheet:Overview: Babies in the Budget 2025
Fact Sheet: Maternal and Infant Health
Fact Sheet: The State-by-State Impact of H.R. 1 Cuts on Children Under 3
Issue Brief: How Trump Administration Cuts to Funding and Programs Will Impact Babies Around the Globe
Slide Deck: Babies in the Budget 2025
Slide Deck: Investing in Children: Benefits and where we go from here
