Sponsors (15)
The bill offers targeted, accountable support to expand and improve nontraditional-hour child care—helping working parents and boosting provider capacity in participating sites—but the pilot's small scale, match requirement, one-time grants, and competitive application process limit reach and may leave smaller providers and low-income communities behind.
Parents who work evenings, nights, weekends, or variable schedules gain greater access to child care options specifically tailored to nontraditional hours, making it easier for these families to maintain employment.
Child care providers can receive one-time grants ($25,000–$500,000) to expand capacity, enabling more children to be served and potentially supporting additional jobs for providers.
Grant funds may be used for health and safety improvements and staff training (including SIDS/safe sleep training), improving program quality and child safety in participating programs.
Small or low‑income child care providers (including family child care homes) may be deterred from applying because grant applicants must provide a 25% non‑Federal match.
Funding for the pilot is limited to up to 0.25% of CCDBG appropriations for FY2027–2031, so the program is likely to serve only a small number of providers and families and have limited national reach.
Grants are one-time and nonrenewable for up to five years, creating a risk that expanded capacity and improvements will not be financially sustained after grant funding ends.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a competitive five-year grant pilot to expand child care serving parents who work nontraditional hours with $25k–$500k awards and a 25% match.
Official title: To establish and expand child care programs for parents who work nontraditional hours, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 11, 2026 by Ashley Hinson · Last progress February 11, 2026
Creates a new five-year Child Care and Development Innovation Fund pilot to expand or establish child care that serves parents who work nontraditional hours. The pilot will award one-time competitive grants of $25,000–$500,000 (with a 25% non‑Federal match), may be funded by up to 0.25% of CCDBG appropriations for FY2027–2031, must be established within 90 days of enactment, and requires biennial reporting to Congress on outcomes.