The bill would renew the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act and authorize $14 billion per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2031. It would require states to offer eligible parents child care certificates for direct assistance and would allow certificates to pay certain relative caregivers, including some parents caring for their own children. It would set payment and eligibility rules for relative caregivers, create grant pilots related to fraud prevention and relative care, and add protections for religious child care providers. The bill would also repeal the federal tax credit for household and dependent care expenses.
If you qualify for child care assistance, the bill would give you the option to receive a certificate and would require states to notify families that certificates may be used for eligible relative care. Some married parents caring for their own child could receive a payment if they meet the bill’s work and income requirements. The bill would also end the household and dependent care tax credit for tax years beginning after enactment.
The bill authorizes $14 billion each year for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 for the child care grant program. It separately authorizes $50 million for a two-year fraud-prevention pilot and $50 million for a two-year relative-caregiving pilot. These are authorizations, not statements that the funds have been appropriated. The bill repeals the household and dependent care tax credit; it does not state a dollar amount for that change.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.