The need for improved access to quality services for children and their families has resulted in a wide variety of early childhood and out-of-school time initiatives. Recognizing that developing financing plans and finding funding sources are a major challenge for these initiatives, this guide is intended to assist state and local officials, as well as members of community-based organizations and collaboratives, in identifying and accessing federal funds to help meet program goals. Following an introduction, the guide is organized into several sections, as follows: (1) "The Current Context for Financing Early Childhood Supports and Services," identifying factors affecting funding for early childhood services, including welfare reform and the economy; (2) "A Brief Overview of Federal Funding Sources," presenting a framework for understanding entitlements, formula or block grants, project grants, and direct payments; (3) "Federal Funding for Early Childhood Supports and Services," analyzing the amount of funding through these programs and discussing the array of program purposes supported; (4) "Federal Funding Strategies," presenting strategies for maximizing access to and making best use of federal funds; and (5) "Catalog of Federal Funding Sources," providing information on 59 programs, including kinds of services funded, the application process, program purposes funded, and matching requirements. The guide's two appendices delineate the fiscal year 2000 federal assistance percentages for each U.S. state and territory, and list federal poverty guidelines for families of various sizes. The guide concludes with a list of other publications and organizations providing further resource information. (KB)