Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act of 2025

This bill creates a pilot program at the Department of Health and Human Services to help police officers find child care that fits shift work and other nontraditional hours. HHS would award competitive grants to state, territory, and Tribal lead agencies, which would fund police departments or local partnerships to start and run these child care options for officers’ children. Grants last three years, and at least 20% of the money must go to small departments or partnerships that include a small department, to support recruitment and retention of officers.

The goal is to lower child care barriers for officers and help communities keep and hire qualified staff, especially in smaller agencies.

• Who is affected
  • Law enforcement officers with minor children and their families.
  • Small police departments and local partnerships that include them.
  • Child care providers that meet federal health, safety, and background-check rules.
• What changes
  • Funds can cover startup costs, provider training, help paying families’ child care costs, care for sick children and children with disabilities, extended/nonstandard hours, and facility costs like operation, construction, or renovation.
  • No more than $3,000,000 can go to any single applicant; local matches grow over time: 10% in year 1, 25% in year 2, 33% in year 3.
  • Annual audits are required; misuse of funds can require repayment with interest.
• When
  • Funding is authorized at $24 million per year from 2026 through 2030; HHS must conduct 2‑year and 4‑year reviews and report results; the program ends September 30, 2030.