“To establish and expand child care programs for parents who work nontraditional hours, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes the Child Care and Development Innovation Fund under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 as a five-year pilot program through which the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) awards competitive grants of $25,000 to $500,000 (covering the federal share, with a 25% nonfederal match) to eligible child care providers or partnerships to expand, establish, or contract for child care programs serving families where a parent works nontraditional hours (i.e., at least 25% before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. on weekdays, on weekends, or with short notice). Grant activities may include staffing, facility improvements, curriculum development, health and safety compliance, equipment, and training on safe sleep practices; HHS must initiate the program within 90 days of enactment, and the new programs are exempt from most block grant requirements. HHS must submit biennial reports to Congress on children served, parental employment, child care availability impacts, and progress toward grantees' specified quantity or quality objectives. (The section also redesignates section 658P as section 658T.)