Sponsors (2)
This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Jahana Hayes · Last progress April 10, 2025
Creates a federal grant program and related changes to expand free, high-quality infant and toddler (under age 3) child care for student parents at public community colleges and minority‑serving institutions, build and diversify the early childhood workforce, and address child care deserts. The bill authorizes $9 billion for FY2026–FY2030 for planning, access, impact, and pipeline grants, sets program priorities (including serving low‑income/Pell students and child care deserts), requires state and institutional reporting and nondiscrimination protections, and adjusts CCDBG matching rules to incentivize higher infant/toddler reimbursement rates. Also requires clearer campus outreach about dependent care allowances for student financial aid and amends CCDBG and Social Security Act authorities to change state plan assurances and federal matching calculations to support infant/toddler care funding and participation by student parents.
The bill would substantially expand campus-based infant/toddler care and strengthen the early childhood workforce—reducing child-care barriers for student parents—at the cost of sizable public and institutional spending, added administrative burden, and uneven state and eligibility impacts.
Student parents (millions) will have greater on-campus access to free or subsidized infant/toddler care, reducing childcare barriers to college enrollment and completion and improving early child outcomes.
Early childhood workers will get higher, more stable pay and expanded training pathways (microgrants, apprenticeships, lab-school practicums), which should grow the infant/toddler workforce and improve care quality.
Federal investments (authorized grants and enhanced matching incentives) increase funding available to expand infant/toddler slots and campus facilities, supporting program scale-up.
Taxpayers, colleges, states, and small providers may face substantial new costs (construction, staffing, wage increases, matching funds) that could strain budgets or lead to trade-offs with other priorities.
Complex application, licensing, reporting, and compliance requirements will increase administrative burden and costs for colleges and community providers, potentially slowing program rollout.
Emphasizing need without guaranteeing full, ongoing funding (or excluding some under‑3 care) risks raising expectations that programs or services will not be delivered at scale or for all infants.