A number of trends are pushing states and communities to bring together traditionally separate services and programs and to create more integrated and responsive initiatives for young children and their families. Program directors and policymakers are devising new strategies for coordinating the funding for these initiatives. This strategy brief highlights the successes and lessons learned in blending early childhood fund streams and presents financing strategies that policymakers, community leaders, and program coordinators can use to align, coordinate, and integrate discrete, categorical funding streams. The brief is organized into four parts. Part 1 explores the current funding landscape for early childhood supports and services, and highlights those funding streams that most commonly support early care and education initiatives. Part 2 describes the challenges inherent in coordinating and integrating categorical funding streams. Part 3 presents three strategies for overcoming challenges and effectively bringing together and aligning separate funding streams. This part includes strategies relevant to federal, state, and local policymakers, as well as to program directors. Part 4 highlights key steps that policymakers and program directors can take to implement blended funding strategies effectively. The brief concludes by asserting that for financing efforts to be most successful, the work of program leaders to braid and blend a variety of funding sources must be supported by policymaking that increases the flexibility of and aligns funding streams. (Lists 15 additional resources and contains 8 endnotes.) (KB)