Child Care Access Means Parents in School Act

Summary: Child Care Access Means Parents in School Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to assist institutions of higher education in providing campus-based child care services to low-income students. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. CAMPUS-BASED CHILD CARE.

    Subpart 8 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1070f) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 420C. CAMPUS-BASED CHILD CARE.

    ``(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the `Child Care 
Access Means Parents in School Act'.
    ``(b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            ``(1) earning potential increases significantly when 
        individuals attend college for any period of time;
            ``(2) public assistance recipients who complete college are 
        more likely to leave public assistance permanently;
            ``(3) students who are parents and receive campus-based 
        child care are more likely to remain in school, and to graduate 
        more rapidly and at a higher rate than students who are parents 
        and do not receive campus-based child care;
            ``(4) students who are parents rate access to campus-based 
        child care programs as an important factor affecting their 
        college enrollment;
            ``(5) children placed in high quality child care programs 
        exhibit significant positive results from the experience, 
        including--
                    ``(A) higher earnings as adults;
                    ``(B) higher rates of secondary school graduation;
                    ``(C) lower rates of retention in grade level;
                    ``(D) lower rates of teenage pregnancy; and
                    ``(E) reduced need for special education or social 
                services;
            ``(6) the public saves $7 for every $1 invested in quality 
        child care; and
            ``(7) campus-based child care programs may have an 
        increasingly difficult time accessing Federal child care funds 
        under the structure of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
        Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 
        Stat. 2105).
    ``(c) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to support the 
participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through 
the provision of campus-based child care services.
    ``(d) Program Authorized.--
            ``(1) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants to 
        institutions of higher education to assist the institutions in 
        providing campus-based child care services to low-income 
        students.
            ``(2) Amount of grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The amount of a grant awarded to 
                an institution of higher education under this section 
                for a fiscal year shall not exceed 1 percent of the 
                total amount of all Federal Pell Grant funds awarded to 
                students enrolled at the institution of higher 
                education for the preceding fiscal year.
                    ``(B) Minimum.--A grant under this section shall be 
                awarded in an amount that is not less than $10,000.
            ``(3) Duration; renewal; and payments.--
                    ``(A) Duration.--The Secretary shall award a grant 
                under this section for a period of 3 years.
                    ``(B) Renewal.--A grant under this section may be 
                renewed for a period of 3 years.
                    ``(C) Payments.--Subject to subsection (f)(2), the 
                Secretary shall make annual grant payments under this 
                section.
            ``(4) Eligible institutions.--An institution of higher 
        education shall be eligible to receive a grant under this 
        section for a fiscal year if the total amount of all Federal 
        Pell Grant funds awarded to students enrolled at the 
        institution of higher education for the preceding fiscal year 
        equals or exceeds $1,000,000.
            ``(5) Use of funds.--Grant funds under this section shall 
        be used by an institution of higher education to support or 
        establish a campus-based child care program serving the needs 
of low-income students enrolled at the institution of higher education.
            ``(6) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
        construed to prohibit an institution of higher education that 
        receives grant funds under this section from serving the child 
        care needs of the community served by the institution.
            ``(7) Definition of low-income student.--For the purpose of 
        this section, the term ``low-income student'' means a student 
        who is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for the fiscal 
        year for which the determination is made.
    ``(e) Applications.--An institution of higher education desiring a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as 
the Secretary may require. Each application shall--
            ``(1) demonstrate that the institution is an eligible 
        institution described in subsection (d)(4);
            ``(2) specify the amount of funds requested;
            ``(3) demonstrate the need of low-income students at the 
        institution for campus-based child care services by including 
        in the application student demographics and other relevant 
        data;
            ``(4) contain a description of the activities to be 
        assisted, including whether the grant funds will support an 
        existing child care program or a new child care program;
            ``(5) identify the resources the institution will draw upon 
        to support the child care program and the participation of low-
        income students in the program, such as accessing social 
        services funding, using student activity fees to help pay the 
        costs of child care, using resources obtained by meeting the 
        needs of parents who are not low-income students, and accessing 
        foundation, corporate or other institutional support, and 
        demonstrate that the use of the resources will not result in 
        increases in student tuition;
            ``(6) contain an assurance that the institution will meet 
        the child care needs of low-income students through the 
        provision of services, or through a contract for the provision 
        of services;
            ``(7) in the case of an institution seeking assistance for 
        a new child care program--
                    ``(A) provide a timeline, covering the period from 
                receipt of the grant through the provision of the child 
                care services, delineating the specific steps the 
                institution will take to achieve the goal of providing 
                low-income students with child care services;
                    ``(B) specify any measures the institution will 
                take to assist low-income students with child care 
                during the period before the institution provides child 
                care services; and
                    ``(C) include a plan for identifying resources 
                needed for the child care services, including space in 
                which to provide child care services, and technical 
                assistance if necessary;
            ``(8) contain an assurance that any child care facility 
        assisted under this section will meet the applicable State or 
        local government licensing, certification, approval, or 
        registration requirements; and
            ``(9) contain a plan for any child care facility assisted 
        under this section to become accredited within 3 years of the 
        date the institution first receives assistance under this 
        section.
    ``(f) Reporting Requirements; Continuing Eligibility.--
            ``(1) Reporting requirements.--
                    ``(A) Reports.--Each institution of higher 
                education receiving a grant under this section shall 
                report to the Secretary 18 months and 36 months after 
                receiving the first grant payment under this section.
                    ``(B) Contents.--The report shall include--
                            ``(i) data on the population served under 
                        this section;
                            ``(ii) information on campus and community 
                        resources and funding used to help low-income 
                        students access child care services;
                            ``(iii) information on progress made toward 
                        accreditation of any child care facility; and
                            ``(iv) information on the impact of the 
                        grant on the quality, availability, and 
                        affordability of campus-based child care 
                        services.
            ``(2) Continuing eligibility.--The Secretary shall make the 
        third annual grant payment under this section to an institution 
        of higher education only if the Secretary determines, on the 
        basis of the 18-month report submitted under paragraph (1), 
        that the institution is making a good faith effort to ensure 
        that low-income students at the institution have access to 
        affordable, quality child care services.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $60,000,000 for fiscal year 1998 and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years to carry out this 
section.''.