Child Care for Working Families Act

Lowered Costs for Families: The bill establishes a sliding fee scale for copayments, ensuring families earning up to 85 percent of the State median income pay no copayment for child care services (Section 101(f)(3)(F)(ii)(I)).

Increased Wages for Child Care Workers: The Act requires payment rates to ensure staff receive a living wage and wages equivalent to elementary educators with similar credentials and experience (Section s 101(f)(3)(A)(iv)(cc)).

Better Pay for Early Childhood Workers: Funding is authorized to help ensure that Head Start teachers and staff receive wages comparable to elementary educators in their state or, at a minimum, a living wage (Section 402(b)).

Improved Access for Underserved Groups: Provisions prioritize increasing the supply and quality of care for vulnerable populations, such as children with disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, and children in foster or kinship care (Section 101(f)(3)(I)).

Universal Preschool Access: The bill provides for a universal, high-quality, free, and inclusive preschool program for children aged 3 and 4 (Section 303(e)(2)(A)).

Increased Access to Consistent Education: Head Start agencies can receive grants to provide a full school day and a full school year of services, helping ensure children have access to consistent programming (Section 657C(a)(1)).

Support for Migrant Families: Migrant and seasonal Head Start agencies can access additional service hours to ensure their services are continuous (Section 657C(a)(2)).

Support for Provider Stability: Title II aims to promote stability in the child care sector by providing stable funding to help offset operating expenses (Section 201(1)).

Improved Program Quality: Agencies that already meet full-day and full-year requirements can apply for funds to enhance the quality of the services they provide to children (Section 657C(a)(3)).

Enhanced Facilities and Resources: Funds are available for facilities grants to support the remodeling, renovation, or construction of buildings (Section 101(h)(3)(B)(iii)), as well as for purchasing or maintaining facilities, buying classroom supplies, and providing professional development for staff (Section 657C(c)(1)).

Restrictions on Religious Facilities: Funds for facility grants may not be used for buildings or facilities that are used primarily for sectarian instruction or religious worship (Section 101(h)(3)(B)(iii)(V)).

Strict Requirements for Providers: To be eligible for assistance, child care providers must prohibit the use of suspension, expulsion, and aversive behavioral interventions (Section 101(f)(3)(L)(i)).

Increased Financial Burden on Certain Providers: Providers must participate in a State's tiered system for recognizing and supporting quality, which involves specific requirements to meet higher quality standards (Section 101(f)(3)(B)).

No Expansion of Enrollment: While the bill provides money to extend hours, Head Start agencies are prohibited from using these specific grant funds to expand the number of children served in their programs (Section 657C(c)(3)).