For more than 80 years, the federal government has invested in child care and early education programs to help parents work and children succeed. Over time, these programs have varied in intent, scope, and design, and have evolved in response to changes such as the influx of women in the workforce, a greater understanding of childhood brain development, and developments in societal beliefs and values around the social safety net. Federal early childhood programs are often viewed as a patchwork of solutions which have emerged in reaction to these changes and are still evolving today. (author abstract)