Sponsor
The bill increases and stabilizes federal child care funding and preserves eligibility for parents in work or training—expanding access and supporting young children—while removing an alternative eligibility clause that could exclude vulnerable children, shifting administrative burdens and costs onto states and families and increasing federal spending subject to appropriation uncertainty.
Low-income parents and families gain expanded access to subsidized child care: the bill adds $850 million per year (FY2027–2031) and preserves eligibility for parents who are working or enrolled in job training/education, enabling more families to afford care and remain in the workforce or training.
Children benefit from expanded early childhood care and services as additional funding lets states serve more children and/or invest in quality improvements that support school readiness.
State and local programs receive predictable federal authorization over five years, improving their ability to plan and expand child care capacity and provider supports.
Children receiving or needing protective services and other at‑risk children may lose eligibility under the removed alternative clause, reducing access to child care and associated supports for vulnerable youth.
Parents of children who lose eligibility could face higher child care costs or be forced to reduce work or training, harming family economic stability and labor participation.
States may face increased administrative complexity and reduced federal CCDBG coverage for certain at‑risk children, potentially shifting costs and administrative burdens onto state governments and families.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Narrows CCDBG's "eligible child" definition by removing a protective-services alternative and authorizes $850M/year for FY2027–FY2031 for CCDBG.
Representative · D-WA
Official title: To clarify the eligibility of certain student populations for child care assistance under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990.
Introduced April 29, 2026 by Marilyn Strickland · Last progress April 29, 2026
This bill narrows the statutory definition of an “eligible child” under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) by removing an alternative clause that previously allowed children receiving or needing protective services to qualify when their parents do not meet the work/training/education criteria. It also authorizes an additional $850 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031 to carry out CCDBG, on top of amounts otherwise authorized. The effect is twofold: (1) fewer children may meet the federal definition of eligibility for CCDBG-funded care because the protective-services alternative is removed; and (2) federal child care funding is significantly increased for five years through new annual appropriations authorizations.