A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Rise Up for Child Care Act of 2026 aims to increase the availability and affordability of child care while investing in home-based providers. It proposes transforming child care into an entitlement by requiring states to guarantee services to current and former assistance recipients. The bill removes certain state caps on funding and establishes an open-ended entitlement system. Additionally, it creates a specific matching rate for states looking to supplement wages and benefits for home-based child care workers. Finally, it mandates a study on the effects of these wage supplements.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +9
Does this make child care cost less?
The bill guarantees child care services and provides wage support for providers to increase supply and affordability.
- Scored +8
Would children be better off under this?
The bill directly increases the availability and affordability of child care services.
- Scored +8
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The guarantee provides a critical safety net for those currently receiving or recently exiting assistance programs.
The opposite· 3 of 4
- Scored -5
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill limits state discretion by mandating a child care guarantee and eliminating state funding caps.
- Scored -3
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?
The bill creates an open-ended entitlement which increases long-term federal spending commitments.
- Scored -3
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill expands federal spending through new entitlement guarantees and matching rates.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Guaranteed Child Care Services: Under Section 2(a)(1), states would be required to guarantee child care services to each recipient of assistance under certain state programs and to individuals who have left those programs for up to 24 months. This provides a safety net for families transitioning out of assistance.
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Support for Home-Based Providers: Section 2(d)(1) establishes a 75 percent matching rate for state expenditures intended to supplement the wages and benefits of people working for child care providers in home-sittings. This is designed to support the income of home-based workers.
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Increased Funding Flexibility: Section 2(b) eliminates certain state caps, and Section 2(c)(1) changes the language to ensure that the provision of child care is not subject to specific appropriation limits in the same way previously required.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly detailed in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill directly increases the availability and affordability of child care services. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The guarantee provides a critical safety net for those currently receiving or recently exiting assistance programs. Would women be better off under this? — Increased child care accessibility often disproportionately benefits women in the workforce.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make child care cost less? — The bill guarantees child care services and provides wage support for providers to increase supply and affordability. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — By guaranteeing child care for assistance recipients, the bill helps stabilize family finances.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill includes specific funding for research on the impact of child care wage supplements.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill provides increased matching rates to support wages for home-based child care providers. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill expands federal spending through new entitlement guarantees and matching rates. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — The bill creates an open-ended entitlement which increases long-term federal spending commitments. Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — Removing appropriation limits in favor of an open-ended entitlement reduces strict fiscal controls.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into medical research? — The bill appropriates $20 million annually for research into the effects of wage supplements for child care workers.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill increases federal oversight by creating a national entitlement and mandate for states. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill limits state discretion by mandating a child care guarantee and eliminating state funding caps.
- 7/30/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- Introduced in House