I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7355 
To direct the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, to award competitive grants to eligible 
partnerships to establish, expand, or support career and technical edu-
cation programs of study in early childhood education. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2024 
Ms. KUSTER (for herself, Ms. BONAMICI, Mrs. CHAVEZ-DEREMER, and Mr. 
LAWLER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Education, in coordination with 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to award 
competitive grants to eligible partnerships to establish, 
expand, or support career and technical education pro-
grams of study in early childhood education. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Early Childhood Work-
force Advancement Act of 2024’’. 
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SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL 
EDUCATION PROGRAMS OF STUDY IN EARLY 
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary 
of Education, in coordination with the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, shall award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to eligible partnerships for the purpose of estab-
lishing, supporting, or expanding career and technical edu-
cation programs of study in early childhood education. 
(b) GRANT DURATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), a 
grant awarded under this section may not exceed a 
5-year grant period. 
(2) EXTENSION.—The Secretary may extend 
the grant period for an eligible partnership for not 
more than 1 additional 2-year period if the eligible 
partnership demonstrates to the Secretary that the 
eligible partnership— 
(A) is achieving the program objectives for 
which the eligible partnership is receiving the 
grant; and 
(B) has improved education outcomes for 
students participating in the programs funded 
by such grant, including special populations. 
(c) APPLICATION.—To be considered for a grant 
under this section, an eligible partnership shall submit an 
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application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may re-
quire, including— 
(1) a description of how the eligible partnership 
will use such grant to establish, support, or expand 
a career and technical education program of study 
in early childhood education; 
(2) a description of the roles and responsibil-
ities of each partner of the eligible partnership; 
(3) the grant budget, how the partnership will 
fund necessary expenses for the career and technical 
education program of study described in paragraph 
(1), which will not be covered by the grant (such as 
any funds to be provided by State, local, or private 
entities), and how the eligible partnership will con-
tinue the program after the grant period ends; 
(4) a description of how the grant will directly 
benefit students, including special populations, 
served by the eligible partnership; 
(5) a description of how such career and tech-
nical education program of study will be coordinated 
with the activities carried out under section 124 or 
135 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2344; 2355); 
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(6) a description of how the program reflects 
the needs of regional, State, or local employers, as 
demonstrated by the local comprehensive needs as-
sessment under section 134(c) of Carl D. Perkins 
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006; 
(7) a description of how the program will ben-
efit the child care industry and early childhood edu-
cation workforce; 
(8) an assurance that the eligible partnership 
will— 
(A) provide information to the Secretary of 
Education, as requested, for evaluations that 
the Secretary may carry out; and 
(B) make data available to third parties 
for validation, in accordance with applicable 
data privacy laws, including section 444 of the 
General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 
1232g, commonly known as the ‘‘Family Edu-
cational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974’’); 
(9) a description on how the program will in-
clude curriculum and practical training opportunities 
focused on infant and toddler development and the 
learning and development of infants or toddlers with 
a disability (as defined in section 632 of the Individ-
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uals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
1432)); and 
(10) a description, if applicable, about how the 
program will respond to the needs or goals identified 
by the applicable State in the statewide needs as-
sessment or statewide strategic plan developed, up-
dated, or implemented for purposes of a preschool 
development grant under section 9212 of the Every 
Student Succeeds Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 note). 
(d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary, jointly with the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, shall— 
(1) ensure an equitable national geographic dis-
tribution of the grants; 
(2) award grants to applicants that propose to 
serve communities in rural areas and to applicants 
that propose to serve communities in urban areas; 
(3) give priority to applicants located in areas 
with a documented shortage of childcare providers; 
(4) give priority to applicants that include an 
institution of higher education with a program of 
study in early childhood education or a consortium 
of such institutions; and 
(5) give priority, if applicable, to applicants 
that demonstrate, in the application submitted under 
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subsection (c) for a grant under this section, that 
the program to be funded with such grant will re-
spond to the needs or goals identified by the applica-
ble State in the statewide needs assessment or state-
wide strategic plan developed, updated, or imple-
mented for purposes of a preschool development 
grant under section 9212 of the Every Student Suc-
ceeds Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 note). 
(e) USE OF FUNDS.—Each eligible partnership re-
ceiving a grant under this section shall use such grant to 
establish, support, or expand career and technical edu-
cation programs of study in early childhood education, 
which shall include one or more of the following: 
(1) curriculum development and delivery, in-
cluding classroom instruction, work-based learning, 
support attainment of dual or concurrent enrollment 
credits, industry credentials such as a Child Devel-
opment Associate, a preapprenticeship, and an ap-
prenticeship through career and technical student 
organizations; 
(2) supporting the recruiting, hiring, and train-
ing of effective educators in early childhood edu-
cation, including educators who became certified 
through State and local alternative routes to certifi-
cation; 
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(3) improving career and technical education 
outcomes of students served by the eligible partner-
ship through activities such as— 
(A) supporting the development and en-
hancement of innovative delivery models for ca-
reer and technical education-related work-based 
learning (including school-based simulated work 
sites, mentoring, apprenticeship programs, work 
site visits, job shadowing, project-based learn-
ing, and skills-based and paid internships); and 
(B) providing academic and nonacademic 
wrap-around supports and services, including 
advising, tutoring, test preparation, child care 
assistance, transportation, and financial assist-
ance (which may include scholarships or sti-
pends), during the period in which such stu-
dents— 
(i) complete a Child Development As-
sociate credential, early childhood edu-
cation associate degree program, or bacca-
laureate degree program, as applicable; 
(ii) access and complete State licen-
sure or certification examinations; or 
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(iii) receive opportunities to practice 
and develop teaching in early childhood 
education; and 
(4) creating or expanding recruitment, reten-
tion, or professional development activities for career 
and technical education teachers, faculty, school 
leaders, administrators, specialized instructional sup-
port personnel, career guidance and academic coun-
selors, and paraprofessionals, which may include— 
(A) high-quality teacher mentoring by ex-
perienced teachers in early childhood education; 
(B) providing resources and training to im-
prove instruction for, and provide appropriate 
accommodations to, special populations, includ-
ing the unique needs of teaching in rural or 
urban communities; 
(C) the integration of coherent and rig-
orous academic content standards and career 
and technical education curricula, including 
through opportunities for appropriate academic 
and career and technical education teachers to 
jointly develop and implement curricula and 
pedagogical strategies; 
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(D) providing resources or assistance with 
meeting State teacher licensure and credential 
requirements; 
(E) implementing initiatives that increase 
compensation for early childhood educators who 
attain a Child Development Associate creden-
tial, or an associate or baccalaureate degree in 
early childhood education; or 
(F) training for career guidance and aca-
demic counselors at the secondary level to im-
prove awareness of postsecondary education and 
postsecondary career options in early childhood 
education, and improve the ability of such coun-
selors to communicate to students career oppor-
tunities and employment trends in early child-
hood education. 
(f) EVALUATION AND ANNUAL REPORT.—Each eligi-
ble partnership receiving a grant under this section shall 
provide for an independent evaluation of the activities car-
ried out using such grant and submit to the Secretary an 
annual report that includes— 
(1) a description of how funds received under 
this section were used; and 
(2) the performance of the career and technical 
education program of study funded with such grant 
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with respect to, at a minimum, the performance in-
dicators described under section 113 of the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
2006 
(20 
U.S.C. 
2323), 
as 
applicable, 
and 
disaggregated— 
(A) by subgroups of students described in 
section 1111(c)(2)(B) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6311(c)(2)(B)); and 
(B) by each special population; and 
(3) a quantitative analysis of the effectiveness 
of such program. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CHILD CARE PROVIDER.—The term ‘‘child 
care provider’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 658H(i) of the Child Care and Development 
Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858f(i)). 
(2) EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.—The term 
‘‘early childhood education program’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 103 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003). 
(3) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘eligible 
recipient’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
3(21)(A) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Tech-
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nical 
Education 
Act 
of 
2006 
(20 
U.S.C. 
2302(21)(A)). 
(4) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘‘eligi-
ble partnership’’ means a partnership between or 
among— 
(A) an eligible recipient; and 
(B) one or more of the following: 
(i) An institution of higher education 
with a program of study in early childhood 
education or a consortium of such institu-
tions. 
(ii) A child care provider. 
(iii) A community stakeholder relevant 
to a career and technical education pro-
grams of study in early childhood edu-
cation to be funded under this section, in-
cluding a labor organization, a local or re-
gional business or industry, or a local 
workforce development board. 
(iv) A Child Care Resource and Refer-
ral Organization (as described in section 
658E(c)(3)(B)(iii) of the Child Care and 
Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 9858c(c)(3)(B)(iii)). 
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(v) A staffed family child care net-
work. 
(5) PERKINS TERMS.—Except as otherwise pro-
vided, any term used in this Act that is defined in 
section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Tech-
nical Education Act of 2006 has the meaning given 
that term in such section. 
(6) STAFFED FAMILY CHILD CARE NETWORK.— 
The term ‘‘staffed family child care network’’ means 
a nonprofit organization— 
(A) that may be a component of a child 
care resource and referral organization; 
(B) that has at least one paid staff mem-
ber; and 
(C) that offers evidence-based professional 
development, 
quality 
improvement 
support, 
business support, and technical assistance, in-
cluding on achieving licensure as a child care 
provider, to family child care providers. 
Æ 
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