I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4680 

To amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to 

improve the quality of infant and toddler care. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 20, 2014 

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts (for herself, Ms. MOORE, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. 

VAN HOLLEN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. TIERNEY, Mrs. DAVIS

of California, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. MENG, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, 

and Mr. SCHIFF) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant 

Act of 1990 to improve the quality of infant and toddler 

care. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Infant and Toddler 

5 Care Improvement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The brain undergoes its most dramatic de2 velopment during a child’s first 3 years of life, with 

3 700 new neurological connections being formed every 

4 second based on early experience. During this time, 

5 the brain’s foundational capacities for thinking, lan6 guage, emotion, and self-regulation are formed. 

7 (2) Economic deprivation can also affect the de8 velopment of the brain and impair all aspects of de9 velopment. Children in families below the poverty 

10 line are at risk for prolonged ‘‘toxic’’ stress, which 

11 can change the shape of the brain’s structure. Twen12 ty-five percent of children younger than 3 years of 

13 age live in families with incomes below the poverty 

14 level. 

15 (3) Child care is second only to the family set16 ting as the place in which early development takes 

17 place for many infants and toddlers. Sixty-one per18 cent of mothers with children younger than 3 years 

19 of age are in the labor force and over 6,000,000 

20 children younger than 3 years of age are cared for 

21 by someone other than their parents for some part 

22 or all of the day. Therefore, the relationship between 

23 the child and the child care provider often plays a 

24 significant role in child development. 


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1 (4) Research shows that high-quality child care 

2 can mitigate some of the effects of adverse experi3 ences caused by poverty and that low-income chil4 dren can benefit particularly well from high-quality 

5 child care. Yet, at-risk children younger than 3 years 

6 of age often receive low-quality child care that can 

7 lead to poor developmental outcomes. 

8 (5) High-quality child care has been shown to 

9 promote positive cognitive, language, and social and 

10 emotional development, and contribute to academic 

11 success. High-quality child care can also help im12 prove a child’s communication skills, cognitive skills, 

13 behavioral skills, math and language assessment 

14 scores, and verbal intelligence. 

15 (6) Providing training and technical assistance 

16 to family child care providers who are infant and 

17 toddler care providers, through family child care net18 works, has been shown to improve the quality of 

19 caregivers. 

20 (7) Twenty-seven States use infant and toddler 

21 specialist networks as the structure for providing 

22 training and technical assistance, using research23 based training and techniques such as mentoring 

24 and on-site coaching, to all types of providers of 

25 child care for infants or toddlers. 


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1 (8) Preparation for early childhood educators 

2 often does not include training specific to infants 

3 and toddlers. Only 21 States have infant and toddler 

4 credential requirements that define the particular 

5 knowledge and skills needed to work with children 

6 younger than 3 years of age. 

7 (9) Infants and toddlers have unique needs that 

8 differ from those of older children in areas such as 

9 health and safety, interaction with teachers and 

10 caregivers, and learning, yet not all States recognize 

11 those differences in licensing regulations or in their 

12 Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. Just 20 

13 States have infant and toddler quality indicators in 

14 their Quality Rating and Improvement Systems and 

15 only 3 States have separate categories of child care 

16 regulations related to infants and toddlers. 

17 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to improve 

18 the overall quality of child care programs serving infants 

19 or toddlers. 

20 SEC. 3. HIGH-QUALITY INFANT AND TODDLER CARE PRO21 GRAM. 

22 The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act 

23 of 1990 is amended by inserting after section 658G (42 

24 U.S.C. 9858e) the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 658H. HIGH-QUALITY INFANT AND TODDLER CARE 

2 PROGRAM. 

3 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE INFANT OR TODDLER CARE PRO5 VIDER.—The term ‘eligible infant or toddler care 

6 provider’ means an eligible child care provider, con7 sistent with section 658P, who provides care to an 

8 infant or toddler. 

9 ‘‘(2) INFANT OR TODDLER.—The term ‘infant 

10 or toddler’ means an individual under 3 years of 

11 age. 

12 ‘‘(3) INFANT OR TODDLER WITH A DEVELOP13 MENTAL DELAY OR DISABILITY.— 

14 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘infant or 

15 toddler with a developmental delay or disability’ 

16 has the meaning given the term ‘infant or tod17 dler with a disability’ in section 632 of the Indi18 viduals with Disabilities Education Act (20 

19 U.S.C. 1432). 

20 ‘‘(B) PLURAL FORM.—The term ‘infants 

21 and toddlers with developmental delays or dis22 abilities’ means more than 1 infant or toddler 

23 with a developmental delay or disability. 

24 ‘‘(4) LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT.—The 

25 term ‘limited English proficient’ has the meaning 


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1 given the term in section 637 of the Head Start Act 

2 (42 U.S.C. 9832). 

3 ‘‘(5) LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY.—The term 

4 ‘low-income community’ shall be defined by the Sec5 retary. 

6 ‘‘(6) LOW-INCOME FAMILY.—The term ‘low-in7 come family’ means a family with a family income 

8 described in section 658P(4)(B). 

9 ‘‘(b) GRANTS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 

11 grants to eligible States, from allotments described 

12 in paragraph (2), to enable the States to improve 

13 the quality of care for infants and toddlers. 

14 ‘‘(2) ALLOTMENTS.— 

15 ‘‘(A) AMOUNTS RESERVED.— 

16 ‘‘(i) TERRITORIES AND POSSES17 SIONS.—The Secretary shall reserve an 

18 amount not to exceed 0.5 percent of the 

19 amount appropriated under this section for 

20 each fiscal year for payments to Guam, 

21 American Samoa, the United States Virgin 

22 Islands, and the Commonwealth of the 

23 Northern Mariana Islands, to be allotted in 

24 accordance with their respective needs. 


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1 ‘‘(ii) INDIAN TRIBES.—The Secretary 

2 shall reserve not less than 1 percent, and 

3 not more than 2 percent, of the amount 

4 appropriated under this section for each 

5 fiscal year for payments to Indian tribes 

6 and tribal organizations with applications 

7 approved under section 658O(c). 

8 ‘‘(B) ALLOTMENTS TO STATES.—After 

9 making reservations under subparagraph (A), 

10 the Secretary shall use the remainder of the 

11 amount appropriated under this section for a 

12 fiscal year to allot to each State an amount 

13 that bears the same relationship to that remain14 der as the amount allotted to the State under 

15 section 658O for that fiscal year bears to the 

16 amount allotted to all States under section 

17 658O for that fiscal year. 

18 ‘‘(C) STATE.—In this paragraph, the term 

19 ‘State’ does not include Guam, American 

20 Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, or the 

21 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is22 lands. 

23 ‘‘(c) AMENDMENT TO STATE PLANS.—A State that 

24 receives a grant under this section shall include in the 

25 State’s plan under section 658E, a description of how the 


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1 State will use funds provided under this section to improve 

2 the quality of infant and toddler care. 

3 ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.— 

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State that receives a 

5 grant under this section shall use the funds made 

6 available through the grant to carry out 1 or more 

7 of the activities described in paragraphs (2) through 

8 (7). 

9 ‘‘(2) INCREASING HIGH-QUALITY INFANT AND

10 TODDLER CARE.— 

11 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State may use the 

12 funds described in paragraph (1) to make 

13 grants to eligible entities to be resources for eli14 gible infant and toddler care providers, to im15 prove the quality of early care and development 

16 services provided to infants and toddlers in the 

17 community from low-income families and to 

18 help such providers serving low-income families 

19 improve their capacity to offer high-quality care 

20 to such families. 

21 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—To be eligible to 

22 receive a grant under this paragraph, an entity 

23 shall be an eligible child care provider that— 

24 ‘‘(i) serves infants and toddlers from 

25 low-income families; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii)(I) is ranked at the top level of 

2 the State’s Quality Rating and Improve3 ment System or similar rating system or 

4 accredited by a national accrediting body 

5 recognized, before the date of enactment of 

6 the Infant and Toddler Care Improvement 

7 Act, for high-quality program standards 

8 that are valid and reliable; or 

9 ‘‘(II) is an Early Head Start agency 

10 under section 645A of the Head Start Act 

11 (42 U.S.C. 9840a) that is in full compli12 ance with the performance standards appli13 cable to such an agency under the Head 

14 Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.). 

15 ‘‘(C) PRIORITY.—In making grants under 

16 this paragraph, a State— 

17 ‘‘(i) shall give priority to entities that 

18 will serve significant populations of low-in19 come families; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) may give priority to entities 

21 that— 

22 ‘‘(I) are located in low-income 

23 communities; 


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1 ‘‘(II) will serve communities with 

2 significant populations of families 

3 with limited English proficiency; or 

4 ‘‘(III) will increase the ability of 

5 caregivers to provide appropriate serv6 ices and coordinate activities with 

7 State and local systems providing 

8 services under part C of the Individ9 uals with Disabilities Education Act 

10 (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) for children 

11 with developmental delays or disabil12 ities, including such children in the 

13 child welfare system of the State. 

14 ‘‘(3) STAFFED FAMILY CHILD CARE NETWORKS

15 OR SYSTEMS.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State may use the 

17 funds described in paragraph (1) to make 

18 grants to organizations with expertise in pro19 viding child care and related technical assist20 ance, to establish new staffed family child care 

21 networks (new as of the date of amendment of 

22 the State plan under subsection (c)) or to oper23 ate existing staffed family child care networks 

24 or systems that offer, to family child care pro25 viders who are eligible infant and toddler care 


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1 providers, technical assistance, training, admin2 istrative support, or direct services including 

3 monitoring visits to providers. 

4 ‘‘(B) PRIORITY.—In making grants under 

5 this paragraph, a State— 

6 ‘‘(i) shall give priority to organizations 

7 described in paragraph (2)(C)(i); and 

8 ‘‘(ii) may give priority to organiza9 tions that have 1 or more of the 3 charac10 teristics described in paragraph (2)(C)(ii). 

11 ‘‘(4) STATEWIDE NETWORK OF INFANT AND

12 TODDLER SPECIALISTS.— 

13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State may use the 

14 funds described in paragraph (1) to support, or 

15 to make a grant to an organization with exper16 tise in providing child care technical assistance 

17 to support, a statewide network of specialists 

18 who are eligible infant and toddler care pro19 viders, that shall— 

20 ‘‘(i) provide individual or group train21 ing and intensive consultation services to 

22 eligible infant and toddler care providers, 

23 including relative caregivers, on strategies 

24 to improve the quality of care for infants 

25 and toddlers; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) assist eligible infant and toddler 

2 care providers in coordinating activities 

3 with other offices responsible for child 

4 care, including Early Head Start programs 

5 and Head Start programs carried out 

6 under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 

7 et seq.). 

8 ‘‘(B) PRIORITY.—In delivering services or 

9 making grants under this paragraph, a State— 

10 ‘‘(i) shall give priority to networks 

11 that deliver support to providers described 

12 in paragraph (2)(C)(i); and 

13 ‘‘(ii) may give priority to networks 

14 that deliver support to providers that have 

15 1 or more of the 3 characteristics de16 scribed in paragraph (2)(C)(ii). 

17 ‘‘(5) STATE WORKFORCE QUALITY INITIA18 TIVES.— 

19 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State may use the 

20 funds described in paragraph (1) to support ini21 tiatives to improve the quality of the workforce 

22 of eligible infant and toddler care providers, 

23 such as— 

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1 gible infant and toddler care providers, in2 cluding linking the training, development, 

3 or mentoring to career pathways for eligi4 ble infant and toddler care providers; 

5 ‘‘(ii) providing scholarships or other 

6 financial support to eligible infant and tod7 dler care providers to advance their edu8 cation and training; 

9 ‘‘(iii) coordinating activities with the 

10 State’s higher education system to expand 

11 the availability and quality of coursework 

12 for infant and toddler care providers, in13 cluding developing career pathways for eli14 gible infant and toddler care providers; or 

15 ‘‘(iv) improving the State 

16 credentialing of eligible infant and toddler 

17 care providers. 

18 ‘‘(6) SYSTEMS QUALITY.—A State may use the 

19 funds described in paragraph (1) to— 

20 ‘‘(A) develop infant and toddler compo21 nents for the State’s Quality Rating and Im22 provement System or similar rating system, 

23 child care licensing regulations, or voluntary 

24 early learning guidelines; 


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1 ‘‘(B) improve the ability of parents to ob2 tain information about high-quality infant and 

3 toddler care; or 

4 ‘‘(C) assist eligible infant and toddler care 

5 providers seeking to improve the quality of their 

6 infant and toddler care by increasing their 

7 ranking on the State’s Quality Rating and Im8 provement System or similar rating system, 

9 meeting performance standards applicable to an 

10 Early Head Start agency under the Head Start 

11 Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), or becoming ac12 credited by a national accrediting body de13 scribed in paragraph (2)(B)(ii). 

14 ‘‘(7) OTHER HIGH-QUALITY INITIATIVES.—A 

15 State may use the funds described in paragraph (1) 

16 to carry out other activities determined by the State 

17 to improve the quality of infant and toddler care 

18 provided in the State and for which there is evidence 

19 that the activities will lead to improved infant and 

20 toddler safety, infant and toddler development, or in21 fant and toddler well-being. 

22 ‘‘(e) REPORTING.—A State that receives a grant 

23 under subsection (b) shall submit in the State’s annual 

24 reports required under section 658K(a)(2), information on 

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1 section (b) to improve the quality of infant and toddler 

2 care and the effect such funding is having on the quality 

3 of infant and toddler care in the State. 

4 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

5 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

6 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014 and 

7 each subsequent fiscal year.’’. 

8 SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 

9 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—Section 658B of the Child 

10 Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 

11 U.S.C. 9858) is amended by inserting ‘‘(other than section 

12 658H)’’ after ‘‘subchapter’’. 

13 (b) ALLOTMENT.—Section 658O(a)(1) of such Act 

14 (42 U.S.C. 9858m(a)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘this 

15 subchapter’’ and inserting ‘‘section 658B’’. 

Æ 


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