I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4358 
To amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to 
improve access to high-quality early learning and child care for low- 
income children and working families, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 16, 2009 
Ms. BALDWIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant 
Act of 1990 to improve access to high-quality early learn-
ing and child care for low-income children and working 
families, 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 ‘‘Starting Early Start-
ing Right Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
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(1) Children in child care learn and develop 
skills they need to succeed in school and in life. 
Child care is also fundamental to helping families 
get ahead by giving parents the support and peace 
of mind they need to be productive at work. 
(2) Child care teachers and providers carry the 
responsibility of providing a safe, nurturing, and 
stimulating setting for children entrusted to them 
each day. 
(3) In 2008, the national average wage for a 
child care worker was $9.79 per hour or $20,350 
annually. For full-time, full-year work, this is not 
much above the 2008 poverty guidelines of $17,600 
for a mother with two children. 
(4) As a result of low wages and limited bene-
fits, many child care providers do not work for long 
periods in the child care field. Only 65 percent of 
those employed in the child care field in 2005 were 
still working in child care in 2006. Such high turn-
over rates deny children consistent and stable rela-
tionships with their teachers. 
(5) Current reimbursement rates for child care 
providers receiving Federal funds are insufficient to 
recruit and retain qualified child care providers and 
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to ensure high-quality early care and education serv-
ices for children. 
(6) Research shows that high-quality child care 
helps low-income children enter school ready to suc-
ceed. One study found that children who had en-
rolled in high-quality child care demonstrated great-
er mathematical ability and thinking and attention 
skills, and experienced fewer behavior problems than 
other children in second grade. Effects were particu-
larly strong for low-income children. 
(7) Millions of low-income children could benefit 
from high-quality child care. In 2008, 11,100,000 
children under age 6 (44 percent) lived in low-in-
come families (families with incomes below 200 per-
cent of poverty). 
(8) Inadequate funding has reduced the number 
of children with access to child care. Only about 1 
in 7 eligible children receives Federal child care as-
sistance. 
(9) Many women work in low-wage jobs and 
cannot cover the cost of child care. For example, 
two-thirds of working poor families headed by single 
mothers who paid for child care spent at least 40 
percent of their cash income on child care. 
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(10) Problems with child care can make it dif-
ficult for parents, particularly low-income parents, to 
work, causing them to lose wages, be denied a pro-
motion, or lose their jobs. 
(11) Research shows that single mothers and 
former welfare recipients who received child care as-
sistance were much more likely to remain employed 
after 2 years than those who did not receive child 
care assistance. 
(12) Quality affordable child care is essential to 
creating and preserving jobs. First, it maintains and 
increases employment opportunities for child edu-
cators. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
3 occupations—preschool teachers, teacher assist-
ants, and child care workers—account for 77 per-
cent of all wage and salary jobs in the United 
States. Second, child care enables parents to keep 
and maintain their jobs while ensuring that their 
children can access educational opportunities. A 
2008 study showed that, by making it possible for 
parents to work, the licensed child care sector allows 
Americans to earn more than $100,000,000,000 an-
nually. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to im-
prove— 
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(1) access to high-quality early learning and 
child care for low-income children and working fami-
lies; and 
(2) the quality of child care and the number of 
high-quality child care providers. 
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE CHILD CARE AND DEVELOP-
MENT BLOCK GRANT ACT OF 1990. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
358B of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858) is amended by striking ‘‘is’’ and 
all that follows through ‘‘2002’’, and inserting ‘‘are au-
thorized to be appropriated to carry out this subchapter 
$4,127,181,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as 
may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 
2014’’. 
(b) APPLICATION AND PLAN.—Section 658E(c) of 
the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 
(42 U.S.C. 9858c(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (E)— 
(i) redesignating clause (ii) as clause 
(vi); and 
(ii) by inserting after clause (i), the 
following: 
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‘‘(ii) SITE
VISITS.—Certify that the 
State has in effect licensing requirements 
applicable to all licensed and regulated 
child care providers within the State that 
include one annual announced and one an-
nual unannounced visit to each site at 
which the provider provides child care serv-
ices. Nothing in the preceding sentence 
shall be construed to require that licensing 
requirements be applied to specific types of 
providers of child care services. 
‘‘(iii) TRAINING.—Certify that the 
State has in effect licensing or registration 
requirements applicable to child care pro-
viders within the State that require, within 
3 years of the date of enactment of the 
Starting Early Starting Right Act, that 
every lead teacher or aide of the provider, 
and each family child care provider, in a li-
censed and regulated setting— 
‘‘(I) have at least 40 hours of ap-
propriate health, safety, and child de-
velopment training prior to their em-
ployment with or operation as a pro-
vider (as determined in accordance 
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with guidelines to be issued by the 
Secretary); and 
‘‘(II) have at least 24 hours of 
annual training in appropriate health, 
safety, and child development training 
(as determined in accordance with 
guidelines to be issued by the Sec-
retary). 
‘‘(iv) OTHER TRAINING.—Certify that 
the State has a plan to implement, within 
3 years of the date of enactment of the 
Starting Early Starting Right Act, pre- 
and in-service training requirements appli-
cable to child care providers that provide 
services for which assistance is made avail-
able under this subchapter. 
‘‘(v) 
TRAINING
FOR
LIMITED- 
ENGLISH-PROFICIENT (LEP) PROVIDERS.— 
Certify that the State has a plan to pro-
vide for the training of child care service 
providers with limited-English proficiency 
to provide high-quality child care serv-
ices.’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (H)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘Demonstrate the man-
ner’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Demonstrate the 
manner’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(ii) SPECIFIC NEEDS.—Demonstrate 
the manner in which the State will meet 
the specific child care needs of low-income 
and working families, including— 
‘‘(I) the outreach strategies to be 
used to reach hard-to-serve children, 
including low-income children, English 
language learners, children with spe-
cial needs, and children in rural areas; 
‘‘(II) the use of contracts with 
child care centers, family child care 
homes, and organizations that manage 
and support family child care net-
works to reach hard-to-serve children 
and underserved communities; 
‘‘(III) the use of pilot or dem-
onstration projects to increase the 
supply of high-quality child care in 
underserved communities; 
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‘‘(ii) extending periods of redetermina-
tion for all families to 1 year; 
‘‘(iii) extending periods of job search 
eligibility; and 
‘‘(iv) informing families and providers 
that eligibility is ending in a timely man-
ner and in multiple formats.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 
subparagraph (D); and 
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A), 
the following: 
‘‘(B) IN GENERAL.—The State plan shall 
provide information demonstrating that the 
State is ensuring that payment rates for the 
provision of child care services for which assist-
ance is provided under this subchapter are 
equal to or exceed the 75th percentile of the 
current market rate for all types of child care, 
based on a research-based market rate survey 
that includes variations for geography, age of 
children, and provider type. 
‘‘(C) CHILD
CARE
FOR
UNDERSERVED 
POPULATIONS.—The State plan shall describe 
efforts to address the need for child care for 
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special populations, including care in low-in-
come and rural areas, care for infants and tod-
dlers, care for children with special needs, care 
for other populations, and care during non-
standard hours, such as paying rates for the 
provision of child care services for which assist-
ance is provided under this subchapter that ex-
ceed the 75th percentile of a current market 
rate for all types of care (based on the survey 
under subparagraph (B).’’. 
(c) ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CHILD 
CARE.—Section 658G of the Child Care and Development 
Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858e) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 658G. ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF 
CHILD CARE. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this section, 
the term ‘Quality Rating and Improvement System’ means 
a system with no less than 3 levels for benchmarking qual-
ity, designated and implemented in collaboration with 
community and statewide partners, for rating and improv-
ing licensed or regulated child care and other early child-
hood education programs and providers (including after- 
school programs and providers), for providing families 
with better information about the quality of child care and 
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early education programs and providers, for improving the 
quality of early care and education (including after-school 
programs) throughout the State, and for providing finan-
cial and other incentives, assistance, and rewards to pro-
grams and providers to meet and sustain higher levels of 
quality. 
‘‘(b) IN GENERAL.—A State that receives funding to 
carry out this subchapter for a fiscal year, shall use not 
less than 15 percent of the amount of such funds for ac-
tivities that are designed to improve the quality of child 
care, including the implementation of 2 or more of the 
following: 
‘‘(1) Developing and implementing a Quality 
Rating and Improvement System (referred to in this 
section as the ‘QRIS’) for child care centers and 
family child care homes, including criteria appro-
priate for each age group eligible for assistance 
under this Act with levels that lead to nationally rec-
ognized high standards. 
‘‘(2) Providing assistance for education, train-
ing, and compensation initiatives to assist child care 
providers in meeting and maintaining the criteria for 
achieving progressively higher rating levels under the 
QRIS. 
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‘‘(3) Providing grants and other types of assist-
ance, including mentoring, to assist child care pro-
viders in meeting and maintaining the criteria for 
achieving progressively higher rating levels under the 
QRIS. 
‘‘(4) Maintaining a statewide network of child 
care resource and referral programs. 
‘‘(5) Inspecting and monitoring child care pro-
grams. 
‘‘(6) Providing grants to assist child care pro-
viders, including those who are limited-English-pro-
ficient, in becoming licensed or regulated and in 
meeting pre-service and ongoing training require-
ments. 
‘‘(7) Offering other assistance to child care pro-
viders to strengthen the quality of child care, includ-
ing support for education and training initiatives 
tied to compensation. 
‘‘(8) Providing grants to assist child care pro-
viders who are not required to be licensed or reg-
istered in receiving appropriate training and sup-
port. 
‘‘(9) Developing and implementing technological 
resources to assist low-income families in applying 
for child care assistance as well as to educate fami-
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lies concerning the range of and quality ratings of 
various child care providers. 
‘‘(c) EXTENSION FOR FULL-DAY CARE.—A State 
that receives funding to carry out this subchapter for a 
fiscal year, shall use not less than 5 percent of the amount 
of such funds for activities that are designed to fund ac-
tivities to extend the day or year for those children who 
are eligible for child care services and attend part-day or 
year programs. 
‘‘(d) HIGH-QUALITY CARE FOR INFANTS AND TOD-
DLERS.—A State that receives funding to carry out this 
subchapter for a fiscal year, shall use not less than 30 
percent of the amount of such funds for activities that 
are designed to fund initiatives to improve the quality and 
expand the availability of high-quality care for infants and 
toddlers.’’. 
(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Section 658K(a) 
of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858i(a)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(3) BI-ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than De-
cember 31, 2009, and every 2 years thereafter, a 
State that operates a Quality Rating and Improve-
ment System (referred to in this section as the 
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‘QRIS’) shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a 
report that includes aggregate data concerning— 
‘‘(A) the number of licensed center and 
family child care providers in the State; 
‘‘(B) the number of child care providers in 
each level of the State QRIS, listed by type, 
race and ethnicity, geographic area of the State, 
and number of children that each such provider 
is licensed to serve; 
‘‘(C) the disaggregated number and per-
centages of children receiving child care assist-
ance under this subchapter in each level of the 
State QRIS; 
‘‘(D) whether any change occurred in the 
number and percentage of child care providers 
in each level of the State QRIS, listed by type, 
geographic area of the State, and number of 
children each such provider is licensed to serve; 
‘‘(E) the disaggregated number and per-
centage of children receiving child care assist-
ance under this subchapter who are receiving 
care from child care providers in a higher-qual-
ity level (as determined under the State QRIS) 
as compared to the previous 12-month period; 
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‘‘(F) the disaggregated number of child 
care providers in low-income communities who 
have moved up to a higher-quality level of child 
care (as determined under the State QRIS) as 
compared to the previous 12-month period; and 
‘‘(G) the average child care reimbursement 
rate under this subchapter at each level of the 
State QRIS, listed by provider type, race and 
ethnicity, and geographic area of the State. 
‘‘(4) 5-YEAR REPORT.—Not later than Decem-
ber 31, 2013, and every 5 years thereafter, a State 
described in paragraph (1)(A) shall prepare and sub-
mit to the Secretary a report that includes aggregate 
data concerning the average individual compensation 
paid for each of the following in all licensed child 
care programs, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, cre-
dentials, and program type in the State: 
‘‘(A) Lead teacher. 
‘‘(B) Classroom assistant or aide. 
‘‘(C) Family child care provider. 
‘‘(D) Family child care assistant.’’. 
Æ 
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