A Republican bill with 4 Democratic cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Hearings held.
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 Child Care Workforce Act aims to increase the supply of quality child care services by improving worker wages. It establishes a pilot program where the Secretary of Health and Human Services awards competitive grants to States, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations. These funds are intended to supplement the wages of eligible child care workers to help attract and retain staff. The program also focuses on improving worker well-being and the overall availability of affordable child care. Grantees must provide plans for how these supplements will be distributed and how they will measure the program's impact. A report of the evaluation results must be submitted to Congress two years after implementation.
Yes· 3 of 14
- Scored +6
Does this make child care cost less?
The act explicitly aims to increase the availability of affordable child care services.
- Scored +5
Would children be better off under this?
The bill aims to improve the quality and availability of child care services.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Increased availability of affordable child care benefits low-income families.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Worker Compensation: The bill provides funding to supplement the wages of eligible child care workers, which is intended to help attract and retain them (Section 2; Section 4(a)).
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Enhanced Worker Well-being: By increasing wages, the program aims to improve the well-being of eligible child care workers (Section 2; Section 4(c)(5)).
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Increased Child Care Availability and Quality: The program seeks to improve the quality of child care services and increase the availability of affordable child care (Section 2; Section 6).
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Targeted Support for High-Need Areas: Grant funds are intended to be prioritized for areas facing staffing challenges, underserved geographic areas, or shortages in services for specific groups like infants, toddlers, or children with disabilities (Section 4(c)(3)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial Destabilization Risks: There is a potential for destabilization to occur once the grant funds are expended, requiring states or tribes to have a plan to address and minimize this effect (Section 4(c)(7)).
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Tax and Benefit Implications: Wage supplements may have effects on an individual's taxes or their eligibility for public benefits (Section 5(b)(3)).
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 aims to improve the quality and availability of child care services. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Increased availability of affordable child care benefits low-income families. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill includes competitive grants specifically available to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill prioritizes areas that serve children with disabilities. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Increased child care availability can benefit middle-income families seeking affordable options. Would women be better off under this? — Increased child care availability typically supports women's labor force participation. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill provides wage supplements for child care workers. Would business owners be better off under this? — Improved child care availability can assist parents in the workforce.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make child care cost less? — The act explicitly aims to increase the availability of affordable child care services. Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — The bill prioritizes funding for programs that serve children with disabilities. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill supplements the wages of low-wage child care workers.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill aims to attract and retain child care workers through wage supplements. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Increasing the availability of affordable child care can support workforce participation.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The Secretary is required to submit an evaluation report to Congress.
- 3/19/2026
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Hearings held.
- 3/6/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/4/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1499-1500)
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Angus KingIndependent · Maine
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire