[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3545 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3545
To amend section 2202 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to
authorize States to expand the uses of the child care stabilization
funds to include support for the creation or enhancement of family
child care networks designed to increase, or to improve the quality of,
child care provided by family child care providers, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 25, 2021
Ms. Stefanik (for herself and Mr. Smucker) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend section 2202 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to
authorize States to expand the uses of the child care stabilization
funds to include support for the creation or enhancement of family
child care networks designed to increase, or to improve the quality of,
child care provided by family child care providers, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Family Child Care Networks Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS.
Section 2202 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law
117-2; March 11, 2021) is amended--
(1) in subsection (e) by striking ``such a subgrant'' and
inserting ``a subgrant under subsection (d)'',
(2) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (h), and
(3) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
``(f) Subgrants to Family Child Care Networks.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (d)(2)(A) and
with the authorization of the State under paragraph (6), the
lead agency may use the remainder of grant funds awarded
pursuant to subsection (c) to make subgrants to be obligated
before October 1, 2024, and expended before October 1, 2025, to
eligible entities to support the creation or enhancement of
family child care networks to provide core services to family
child care providers for the purpose of expanding the
availability of family child care services.
``(2) Priority.--In making subgrants under this subsection,
the lead agency shall give priority to eligible entities that
will offer core services to family childcare providers in
geographical areas identified by the State as having high
needs, based on a comprehensive needs assessment of under-
served areas and rural areas.
``(3) Definitions.--
``(A) Core Services. Services provided to family
child care providers that include the following:
``(i) Consolidated business practices or
administrative support.
``(ii) Startup support for new family child
care providers to reimburse the costs, not to
exceed $10,000 per provider, to make facility
improvements or modifications to meet health
and safety requirements, to form a small
business, to support initial marketing and
communications, to purchase technology and
supplies, and to participate in professional
development.
``(iii) Professional development of new
family child care providers, including support
to obtain the advanced skills and
certifications necessary to operate as a family
child care provider.
``(iv) Technical assistance, and health and
safety compliance assistance to support
providers who seek to obtain a license; or to
support providers who seeking to provide
services for which assistance is provided under
the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.) and the child
and adult care food program under section 17 of
the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
Act (42 U.S.C. 1766).
``(B) Eligible entities.--Entities qualified to
receive a subgrant under this subsection include
community-based organizations, private or public
nonprofit organization, and workforce development
boards that will offer not fewer than 2 of the core
services.
``(C) Family child care provider.--The term `family
child care provider' has the meaning given such term in
section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block
Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).
``(4) Use of funds.--An eligible entity that receives funds
through such a subgrant shall use funds to provide at least 2
of the core services described under paragraph (3) to family
child care providers and may use funds to provide additional
services, including--
``(A) monitoring support and improvement
activities;
``(B) peer networking and support activities;
``(C) recruitment of new family child care
providers;
``(D) technical assistance to increase family child
care services to support specialized populations,
including non-traditional hour care, children with
disabilities, dual-language learners, infants, and
toddlers;
``(E) community outreach to families and employers
to increase awareness of family child care
opportunities; and
``(F) collaborative purchasing of supplies and
technology to increase cost savings.
``(5) Reimbursements for providers.--Any family child care
provider seeking reimbursement for start-up expenses allowed
pursuant to paragraph (3)(A)(ii) shall provide the following
documentation to the eligible entity:
``(A) Invoices of each expense for which the
provider is seeking reimbursement.
``(B) An assurance such expenses are necessary,
one-time expenses to operate a family child care center
in accordance with local health and safety
requirements.
``(C) An assurance the provider cannot pay for the
work without assistance and that there is not access to
other Federal or State funding to help with the costs.
``(6) Amended plan and report.--If a State elects to
authorize the lead agency to provide subgrants to eligible
entities under this subsection the State shall amend the State
plan submitted under section 658E of the Child Care and
Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to specify--
``(A) the goals and outcomes the State intends to
achieve to improve the availability of services
provided by family child care providers;
``(B) how the State will measure and evaluate
family child care networks in relation to these goals;
``(C) how the State will continue to support family
child care networks that are successful at achieving
such goals after the expenditure of such subgrants,
including support of such networks under of the Child
Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
9857); and
``(D) after the expenditure of such subgrants by
such networks, the State shall submit to the Secretary
of Health and Human Services a report that measures
with respect to each supported eligible entity--
``(i) the amount of the subgrant received
by such entity;
``(ii) the period of time during which such
subgrant was expended by such entity;
``(iii) which core services were offered by
such entity during such period;
``(iv) the number of family childcare
providers who received core services described
in subparagraphs provided by such entity during
such period;
``(v) the number of children who received
services during such period from the supported
family child care providers;
``(vi) the increase or decrease in the
number of family child care providers in the
geographical area served by such entity during
such period; and
``(vii) the extent to which such goals and
outcomes improved the quality and availability
of services provided by family child care
providers served by such network.
``(g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the National Center on Early Childhood Quality
Assurance of the Office of Child Care, shall disseminate best practices
information and offer technical assistance to States, Territories,
Indian Tribes, and eligible entities to help implement family child
care networks and to support family child care providers, to carry out
the purposes and meet requirements of subsection (f). Information and
technical assistance provided under this subsection--
``(1) shall include supporting family child care networks
in offering the core services described in subsection
(f)(3)(A);
``(2) may include supporting family child care networks to
offer additional services described in subsection (f)(4); and
``(3) may include any other topic the Secretary identifies
as important or necessary to fulfil the goals of subsection
(f), including topics requested by States, family child care
networks, and family child care providers.''.
<all>