[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 846 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 846
To implement or strengthen programs that increase the supply of quality
child care services by enhancing the wages of child care workers, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 4, 2025
Mrs. Britt (for herself, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. King, and Mrs.
Gillibrand) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To implement or strengthen programs that increase the supply of quality
child care services by enhancing the wages of child care workers, 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 ``Child Care Workforce Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a pilot program to increase
the supply of quality child care services by providing funding to
States, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations to implement or
strengthen programs to supplement the wages of eligible child care
workers, in order to--
(1) attract and retain eligible child care workers;
(2) improve eligible child care worker well-being;
(3) improve the quality of child care services; and
(4) increase the availability of affordable child care
services.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Child care worker.--The term ``child care worker''
means any individual whose primary and daily focus of work is--
(A) providing child care services, including direct
care and education services, to children for a family
child care provider or other child care provider, or a
provider of early childhood education, that is in
compliance with any licensing or registration
standards, or regulations, of the State, Indian Tribe,
or Tribal organization involved; and
(B) providing the child care services in a center-
based or home-based setting.
(2) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands of the
United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(4) Tribal organization.--The term ``Tribal organization''
has the meaning given the term ``tribal organization'' in
section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).
SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall establish a pilot
program to award competitive grants to States, Indian Tribes, and
Tribal organizations to supplement the wages of eligible child care
workers.
(b) Considerations.--In selecting States, Indian Tribes, and Tribal
organizations to receive grants under this section, the Secretary shall
consider--
(1) the number of children under the age of 5 residing in
the State or on the Tribal land of the Indian Tribe or Tribal
organization;
(2) the number of child care workers working in licensed,
regulated, or registered programs in the State or on the Tribal
land;
(3) the average wage of child care workers working in the
State or on the Tribal land;
(4) the percentage of families in the State or on the
Tribal land who are eligible for child care subsidies under the
Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
9857 et seq.) but do not receive the subsidies; and
(5) the need for additional child care workers in the State
or on the Tribal land.
(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, a
State, Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization shall submit an application
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including--
(1) information showing a significant need for increased
numbers of child care workers and increased wages among child
care workers;
(2) a commitment to using the grant funds to supplement the
wages of low-wage eligible child care workers;
(3) a plan for using the grant funds to supplement the
wages of eligible child care workers, including--
(A) the criteria that will be used to determine
which child care workers are eligible to receive the
wage supplements;
(B) a description of how funds will be prioritized
for areas with greatest need, including areas with
overall staffing challenges, underserved geographic
areas, areas with shortages of programs that serve low-
income children and families, and areas with shortages
of programs that serve infants and toddlers, that serve
children with disabilities, or that offer child care
services during nontraditional hours; and
(C) a description of how the wage supplements will
be provided to eligible child care workers (directly,
through the employer, or through a trusted
intermediary) and how the supplements will be provided
in a timely manner;
(4) a plan to engage in a public awareness campaign
directed at eligible child care workers;
(5) a description of the measures that will be used to
assess the impact of the wage supplement pilot program on
attraction and retention of eligible child care workers,
eligible child care worker well-being, child care services
quality, and availability of affordable child care services,
provided by eligible child care workers;
(6) a description of how the pilot program will contribute
to the State's or Tribe's overall plan for increasing eligible
child care worker compensation;
(7) a description of the plan for addressing and minimizing
any destabilization that may occur after the grant funds are
expended; and
(8) such other information as the Secretary may require.
SEC. 5. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (c), a State,
Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization that receives a grant under
section 4 shall use the grant funds solely to supplement the wages of
eligible child care workers.
(b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), a State, Indian
Tribe, or Tribal organization shall--
(1) disburse the wage supplements to eligible child care
workers not less frequently than quarterly;
(2) target grant funding based on the areas described in
section 4(c)(3)(B);
(3) provide to eligible child care workers education on any
effect the wage supplements may have on taxes or public benefit
eligibility; and
(4) inform eligible child care workers that acceptance, of
the wage supplements, is voluntary.
(c) Administrative Costs.--The State, Indian Tribe, or Tribal
organization may use not more than 10 percent of the grant funds to pay
for administrative costs associated with the administration of payments
to eligible child care workers, financial counseling for eligible child
care workers, including as described in subsection (b)(3), and public
awareness campaigns to make child care workers aware of the
availability of such payments.
SEC. 6. EVALUATION.
The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the pilot program to
assess its effectiveness in--
(1) attracting and retaining eligible child care workers;
(2) improving eligible child care worker well-being and the
quality of child care services; and
(3) increasing the availability of affordable child care
services.
SEC. 7. REPORT.
Not later than 2 years after the date on which the pilot program
is implemented, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress
containing the results of the evaluation.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such
sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026 and each subsequent
fiscal year.
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect 75 days after the date of enactment of
this Act.
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