Sponsors (18)
The bill expands affordable, on-campus child care and supportive services for low-income student parents—improving access and college persistence—but requires significant federal spending and leaves gaps (smaller colleges, new-construction needs) while adding administrative burdens and some program uncertainty.
Low-income student parents gain subsidized campus child care, lowering out-of-pocket child care costs and supporting college persistence and completion.
Student families gain increased access to on-campus quality early childhood services as institutions can create or improve campus child care programs.
Eligible low-income student parents receive funding for support services (benefits navigation to SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, WIC, housing assistance, etc.), improving access to other social supports that stabilize families while they pursue education.
Taxpayers face increased federal spending of about $500 million per year (FY2026–2031) to fund the program.
Student parents at smaller colleges are excluded because institutions enrolling fewer than 150 Pell-eligible students are ineligible, leaving some families without access to these supports.
Institutions and student families in places that need new child care facilities may be underserved because funds cannot be used for new construction, limiting capacity expansion where it is required.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes five-year campus child care grants ($75K–$2M/year) for eligible institutions to expand subsidized child care and related supports for student parents.
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Tammy Duckworth · Last progress September 18, 2025
Authorizes campus-focused child care grants to institutions that enroll a substantial number of Pell-eligible students, funding campus child care, sliding-fee subsidies, and before/after-school programs to help student parents attend and complete college. Grants range from $75,000 to $2,000,000 per year, are awarded in five-year cycles with annual payments, allow supplemental requests within the five-year award and cap, and permit limited renovation but not new construction. Renewal awards are discretionary and depend on a Department of Education determination—based on required reporting—that the institution is making a good faith effort to provide affordable, quality child care for eligible student parents. The measure also defines eligible institutions (individual campuses or consortia) by a Pell enrollment threshold and lists permitted and prohibited uses of grant funds.