Bill > S846

This bill establishes a pilot program to increase the supply and quality of child care services by providing competitive grants to states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to supplement the wages of child care workers. The Department of Health and Human Services will award grants based on factors like the number of young children, current child care worker wages, and local child care needs. To be eligible for a grant, applicants must submit a detailed plan showing how they will use the funds to supplement wages for low-wage child care workers, prioritizing areas with the greatest staffing challenges, such as regions with shortages of programs serving low-income families, children with disabilities, or those needing care during nontraditional hours. Grant recipients must disburse wage supplements at least quarterly, provide workers with information about potential tax or benefit implications, and ensure worker participation is voluntary. Up to 10% of grant funds can be used for administrative costs. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to evaluate the pilot program's effectiveness in attracting and retaining child care workers, improving worker wellbeing, enhancing child care service quality, and increasing affordable child care availability. The Secretary must submit a report to Congress within two years of implementing the program, with funds authorized for fiscal year 2026 and subsequent years. The act will take effect 75 days after enactment.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/846/all-info