The Rural Child Care Access Act creates a grant program at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help small and rural child care facilities. Eligible facilities serve jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents. Grants may be used to modify, upgrade, or construct child care facilities only when the work clearly supports one of these goals: improving child care services; training and developing child care providers; recruiting and keeping providers; or supporting community engagement. Applications must include an estimated project cost and show financial need. HHS must issue guidance within 120 days, share information about the program, seek equitable geographic distribution of grants, and report to Congress starting 2 years after enactment and then every 2 years until 6 years after enactment. Reports must say whether projects are complete or delayed, describe community impacts, and list remaining project needs. Each grant may not exceed $4,000,000. The bill also directs HHS to periodically study and publish the met and unmet construction and renovation needs of a national sample of child care facilities.
If you run or work at a child care facility in a community with fewer than 50,000 people, your facility could apply to HHS for a grant to fix, expand, or build space tied to child care services, provider training, staffing, or community uses. Applications must include cost estimates and show financial need. HHS will publish guidance and information about the program and will try to spread grants across different regions.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.