I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3273 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out 
an early childhood educator loan assistance program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 8, 2025 
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts (for herself, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. GOMEZ, Ms. 
MCCLELLAN, Ms. PETTERSEN, and Ms. TOKUDA) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Work-
force 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to carry out an early childhood educator loan assistance 
program, 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 
Development Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR LOAN ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services may carry out a program of entering into 
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contracts with eligible early childhood educators under 
which such educators agree to serve for a period of 5 years 
as early childhood educators with a qualified employer, in 
consideration of the Federal Government agreeing to 
repay, for each year of such service, not more than $6,000 
of the principal and interest of the educational loans of 
such educators. 
(b) RECERTIFICATION.—An eligible early childhood 
educator seeking to continue to receive payments under 
this section shall submit on an annual basis to the Sec-
retary such information as the Secretary may require to 
certify that the educator is continuing to meet the criteria 
to be considered an eligible early childhood educator. 
(c) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF LOAN.—The total amount 
of payments received by an eligible early childhood educa-
tor under this section may not exceed the total amount 
of the principal and interest of the educational loans of 
such educator. 
(d) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS.—The 
following provisions of the National Health Service Corps 
Loan Repayment Program established under section 338B 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l) shall 
apply to the program established under this section in the 
same manner and to the same extent as such provisions 
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apply to the National Health Service Corps Loan Repay-
ment Program: 
(1) Paragraphs (1) through (3) of section 
338B(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l–1(c); relating 
to application information, understandability, and 
availability). 
(2) Section 338B(c)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
254l–1(c)(4); relating to recruitment and retention). 
(3) Section 338B(d) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
254l–1(d); relating to factors considered in providing 
contracts). 
(4) Section 338B(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
254l–1(e); relating to the approval required for par-
ticipation). 
(5) Section 338B(f) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
254l–1(f); relating to contents of contracts). 
(6) Section 338B(g) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
254l–1(g); relating to payments, including repay-
ment schedule and tax liability). 
(e) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 5 years 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Congress a report on the implementa-
tion of this section. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) The term ‘‘eligible early childhood educa-
tor’’ means an individual who— 
(A) as of the date on which the agreement 
referred to in subsection (a)(1) is entered 
into— 
(i) has outstanding Federal direct 
loans obtained for purposes of pursuing an 
associate’s degree, including a child devel-
opment associate credential, a bachelor’s 
degree, a graduate degree, or a combined 
bachelor and master’s degree, in early 
childhood education or a related field from 
an accredited institution (including any 
such loan for which the individual is en-
rolled in an income-based repayment plan); 
and 
(ii) is in good standing with respect to 
the loans referred to in clause (i); and 
(B) agrees to— 
(i) serve as an early childhood educa-
tor with a qualified employer for a period 
of not less than 5 years; and 
(ii) make timely payments with re-
spect to the loans described in subpara-
graph (A)(i). 
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(2) The term ‘‘qualified employer’’ means a 
childcare provider that receives or is eligible to re-
ceive vouchers or assistance under the Child Care 
and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 9857 et seq.). 
(3) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031. 
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Education (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) shall carry out a program under which the 
Secretary makes payments to institutions of higher edu-
cation with a qualified early childhood educator program 
to enable such institutions to make grants, on a competi-
tive basis, to eligible individuals who file an application 
and agreement in accordance with subsections (b) and (c). 
(b) APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall periodi-
cally set dates by which eligible individuals shall file 
applications for a grant under this section. Each eli-
gible individual desiring a grant under this section 
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shall file with the Secretary an application con-
taining such information and assurances as the Sec-
retary may determine necessary to enable the Sec-
retary to carry out the functions and responsibilities 
of this section. 
(2) RENEWAL.—A grant awarded under this 
section may be renewed for additional one-year peri-
ods if— 
(A) the recipient submits a renewal appli-
cation containing such information and assur-
ances as the Secretary may determine nec-
essary; and 
(B) the grant is renewed not more than 
three times, for a total of not more than four 
academic years for each eligible recipient. 
(c) SERVICE OBLIGATION.— 
(1) AGREEMENTS TO SERVE.—Each application 
under subsection (b) shall include, or be accom-
panied by— 
(A) an agreement by the applicant that— 
(i) in the event that the applicant re-
ceives a grant under this section, the appli-
cant shall— 
(I) not later than 4 years after 
completing the qualified early child-
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hood program for which the applicant 
will be receiving such grant, serve as 
a full-time or part-time educator in a 
licensed early learning program for a 
total of not less than one academic 
year, and four additional months for 
each subsequent grant renewal; and 
(II) submit a certification of 
service in a licensed early learning 
program in such form as the Sec-
retary may determine necessary; and 
(ii) in the event that the applicant is 
determined to have failed or refused to 
carry out such service obligation, the sum 
of the amounts of any grants received by 
such applicant under this section will be 
treated as a loan and collected from the 
applicant in accordance with paragraph (3) 
and the regulations thereunder; and 
(B) a plain-language disclosure form devel-
oped by the Secretary that clearly describes the 
nature of the grant award, the service obliga-
tion, and the loan repayment requirements that 
are the consequence of the failure to complete 
the service obligation. 
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(2) TREATMENT OF CONCURRENT SERVICE.— 
An individual who serves as a full or part-time edu-
cator in a licensed early childhood education pro-
gram concurrently while enrolled in a qualified early 
childhood educator program may count such service 
toward the fulfillment of the service obligation in the 
agreement under paragraph (1). 
(3) REPAYMENT FOR FAILURE TO COMPLETE 
SERVICE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), in the event that any recipi-
ent of a grant under this section fails or refuses 
to comply with the service obligation in the 
agreement under paragraph (1), the sum of the 
amounts of any grants received by such recipi-
ent shall, upon a determination of such a fail-
ure or refusal in such service obligation, be 
treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Staf-
ford Loan under part D of title IV of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et 
seq.) except that— 
(i) no interest shall accrue on such 
amounts; and 
(ii) such amounts shall be subject to 
repayment in accordance with— 
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(I) an income-contingent or in-
come-based repayment plan described 
in subparagraph (D) or (E) of section 
455(d)(1) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(d)(1)), 
respectively, if the individual meets 
the eligibility requirements for such a 
repayment plan; and 
(II) such other terms and condi-
tions as are specified by the Secretary 
in regulations promulgated under this 
section. 
(B) HARDSHIP EXTENSION.—In the case 
of a recipient who has made a good faith effort 
to find employment in a licensed early learning 
program and has been unable to acquire such 
employment, the Secretary is authorized to pro-
vide a hardship extension for a period of not 
more than one year to grant recipients who fail 
to complete their service requirement within the 
4-year period described in paragraph (1)(A)(i). 
(d) GRANT AMOUNT.—An eligible individual selected 
to receive a grant or a grant renewal under this section 
shall receive a grant in an amount not to exceed $4,000 
for each academic year during which the individual is en-
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