Respect Parents’ Childcare Choices Act

Last progress February 12, 2025 (10 months ago)

Introduced on February 12, 2025 by James E. Banks

This bill updates the federal child care program and puts parents in charge of choosing care. States must give parents vouchers (child care certificates) for all direct services, and send at least 90% of funds straight to care through these vouchers . Parents can use them to pay relatives like grandparents, adult siblings, aunts, and uncles, or get a payment if a married parent is the caregiver, as long as the family meets program income and work rules. States must pay relative caregivers at least 75% of the local family child care rate and clearly post and notify families about these options; they must also review rules every five years to cut red tape that keeps relatives from providing care . Newly married parents who become over the income limit because of their spouse’s earnings keep child care help for at least six months.

It adds protections for religious child care providers. States cannot put extra rules on them compared with nonreligious providers; they can keep their religious names, symbols, and mission, and can go to court to enforce these rights . The bill sets aside up to 9% for quality improvements plus an extra 3% for infants and toddlers, creates two 2‑year pilot programs (one to prevent fraud and verify eligibility, and one to promote care by relatives) with $50 million each, and ends the federal tax credit for household and dependent care expenses starting with tax years after the law takes effect .

• Who is affected: parents who use child care assistance, relatives who provide care, religious child care providers, and taxpayers who use the household and dependent care tax credit .
• What changes: vouchers are required for all direct services (90% of funds), vouchers can pay relatives or a married parent caregiver, relatives must be paid at least 75% of the local rate, newly married parents keep aid for six months, religious provider protections are added, quality set‑asides are adjusted (9% + 3%), and two $50M pilot programs are created; the household/dependent care tax credit is repealed .
• When: pilot grants start within one year and run for two years; the tax credit repeal applies to tax years after enactment; states must notify families annually and review rules for relatives at least every five years .