I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1826 
To implement or strengthen programs that increase the supply of quality 
child care services by enhancing the wages of child care workers, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 4, 2025 
Mr. CARBAJAL (for himself, Mr. LAWLER, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, and Mr. 
CISCOMANI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and Workforce 
A BILL 
To implement or strengthen programs that increase the sup-
ply of quality child care services by enhancing the wages 
of child care workers, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Child Care Workforce 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to establish a pilot pro-
gram to increase the supply of quality child care services 
by providing funding to States, Indian Tribes, and Tribal 
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organizations to implement or strengthen programs to 
supplement the wages of eligible child care workers, in 
order to— 
(1) attract and retain eligible child care work-
ers; 
(2) improve eligible child care worker well- 
being; 
(3) improve the quality of child care services; 
and 
(4) increase the availability of affordable child 
care services. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CHILD
CARE
WORKER.—The term ‘‘child 
care worker’’ means any individual whose primary 
and daily focus of work is— 
(A) providing child care services, including 
direct care and education services, to children 
for a family child care provider or other child 
care provider, or a provider of early childhood 
education, that is in compliance with any licens-
ing or registration standards, or regulations, of 
the State, Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization 
involved; and 
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(B) providing the child care services in a 
center-based or home-based setting. 
(2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any of 
the several States, the District of Columbia, the Vir-
gin Islands of the United States, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
(4) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
organization’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘trib-
al organization’’ in section 658P of the Child Care 
and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 9858n). 
SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall establish a pilot program to award competi-
tive grants to States, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organiza-
tions to supplement the wages of eligible child care work-
ers. 
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(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In selecting States, Indian 
Tribes, and Tribal organizations to receive grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall consider— 
(1) the number of children under the age of 5 
residing in the State or on the Tribal land of the In-
dian Tribe or Tribal organization; 
(2) the number of child care workers working in 
licensed, regulated, or registered programs in the 
State or on the Tribal land; 
(3) the average wage of child care workers 
working in the State or on the Tribal land; 
(4) the percentage of families in the State or on 
the Tribal land who are eligible for child care sub-
sidies under the Child Care and Development Block 
Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.) but do 
not receive the subsidies; and 
(5) the need for additional child care workers in 
the State or on the Tribal land. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant under 
this section, a State, Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization 
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require, including— 
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(1) information showing a significant need for 
increased numbers of child care workers and in-
creased wages among child care workers; 
(2) a commitment to using the grant funds to 
supplement the wages of low-wage eligible child care 
workers; 
(3) a plan for using the grant funds to supple-
ment the wages of eligible child care workers, includ-
ing— 
(A) the criteria that will be used to deter-
mine which child care workers are eligible to re-
ceive the wage supplements; 
(B) a description of how funds will be 
prioritized for areas with greatest need, includ-
ing areas with overall staffing challenges, un-
derserved geographic areas, areas with short-
ages of programs that serve low-income children 
and families, and areas with shortages of pro-
grams that serve infants and toddlers, that 
serve children with disabilities, or that offer 
child care services during nontraditional hours; 
and 
(C) a description of how the wage supple-
ments will be provided to eligible child care 
workers (directly, through the employer, or 
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