Family Child Care Networks Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3545 | Sponsor: Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. (R-NY)
Policy area: Families

Summary:
Family Child Care Networks Act of 2021
This bill expands the temporary child care stabilization grant program to permit states to award subgrants to support the creation or enhancement of family child care networks to provide specified core services to family child care providers in order to expand the availability of care.

To amend section 2202 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to 
  authorize States to expand the uses of the child care stabilization 
  funds to include support for the creation or enhancement of family 
child care networks designed to increase, or to improve the quality of, 
   child care provided by family child care providers, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Family Child Care Networks Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS.

    Section 2202 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 
117-2; March 11, 2021) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (e) by striking ``such a subgrant'' and 
        inserting ``a subgrant under subsection (d)'',
            (2) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (h), and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
    ``(f) Subgrants to Family Child Care Networks.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (d)(2)(A) and 
        with the authorization of the State under paragraph (6), the 
        lead agency may use the remainder of grant funds awarded 
        pursuant to subsection (c) to make subgrants to be obligated 
        before October 1, 2024, and expended before October 1, 2025, to 
        eligible entities to support the creation or enhancement of 
        family child care networks to provide core services to family 
        child care providers for the purpose of expanding the 
        availability of family child care services.
            ``(2) Priority.--In making subgrants under this subsection, 
        the lead agency shall give priority to eligible entities that 
        will offer core services to family childcare providers in 
        geographical areas identified by the State as having high 
        needs, based on a comprehensive needs assessment of under-
        served areas and rural areas.
            ``(3) Definitions.--
                    ``(A) Core Services. Services provided to family 
                child care providers that include the following:
                            ``(i) Consolidated business practices or 
                        administrative support.
                            ``(ii) Startup support for new family child 
                        care providers to reimburse the costs, not to 
                        exceed $10,000 per provider, to make facility 
                        improvements or modifications to meet health 
                        and safety requirements, to form a small 
                        business, to support initial marketing and 
                        communications, to purchase technology and 
                        supplies, and to participate in professional 
                        development.
                            ``(iii) Professional development of new 
                        family child care providers, including support 
                        to obtain the advanced skills and 
                        certifications necessary to operate as a family 
                        child care provider.
                            ``(iv) Technical assistance, and health and 
                        safety compliance assistance to support 
                        providers who seek to obtain a license; or to 
                        support providers who seeking to provide 
                        services for which assistance is provided under 
                        the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act 
                        of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.) and the child 
                        and adult care food program under section 17 of 
                        the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
                        Act (42 U.S.C. 1766).
                    ``(B) Eligible entities.--Entities qualified to 
                receive a subgrant under this subsection include 
                community-based organizations, private or public 
                nonprofit organization, and workforce development 
                boards that will offer not fewer than 2 of the core 
                services.
                    ``(C) Family child care provider.--The term `family 
                child care provider' has the meaning given such term in 
                section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block 
                Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).
            ``(4) Use of funds.--An eligible entity that receives funds 
        through such a subgrant shall use funds to provide at least 2 
        of the core services described under paragraph (3) to family 
        child care providers and may use funds to provide additional 
        services, including--
                    ``(A) monitoring support and improvement 
                activities;
                    ``(B) peer networking and support activities;
                    ``(C) recruitment of new family child care 
                providers;
                    ``(D) technical assistance to increase family child 
                care services to support specialized populations, 
                including non-traditional hour care, children with 
                disabilities, dual-language learners, infants, and 
                toddlers;
                    ``(E) community outreach to families and employers 
                to increase awareness of family child care 
                opportunities; and
                    ``(F) collaborative purchasing of supplies and 
                technology to increase cost savings.
            ``(5) Reimbursements for providers.--Any family child care 
        provider seeking reimbursement for start-up expenses allowed 
        pursuant to paragraph (3)(A)(ii) shall provide the following 
        documentation to the eligible entity:
                    ``(A) Invoices of each expense for which the 
                provider is seeking reimbursement.
                    ``(B) An assurance such expenses are necessary, 
                one-time expenses to operate a family child care center 
                in accordance with local health and safety 
                requirements.
                    ``(C) An assurance the provider cannot pay for the 
                work without assistance and that there is not access to 
                other Federal or State funding to help with the costs.
            ``(6) Amended plan and report.--If a State elects to 
        authorize the lead agency to provide subgrants to eligible 
        entities under this subsection the State shall amend the State 
        plan submitted under section 658E of the Child Care and 
        Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to specify--
                    ``(A) the goals and outcomes the State intends to 
                achieve to improve the availability of services 
                provided by family child care providers;
                    ``(B) how the State will measure and evaluate 
                family child care networks in relation to these goals;
                    ``(C) how the State will continue to support family 
                child care networks that are successful at achieving 
                such goals after the expenditure of such subgrants, 
                including support of such networks under of the Child 
                Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
                9857); and
                    ``(D) after the expenditure of such subgrants by 
                such networks, the State shall submit to the Secretary 
                of Health and Human Services a report that measures 
                with respect to each supported eligible entity--
                            ``(i) the amount of the subgrant received 
                        by such entity;
                            ``(ii) the period of time during which such 
                        subgrant was expended by such entity;
                            ``(iii) which core services were offered by 
                        such entity during such period;
                            ``(iv) the number of family childcare 
                        providers who received core services described 
                        in subparagraphs provided by such entity during 
                        such period;
                            ``(v) the number of children who received 
                        services during such period from the supported 
                        family child care providers;
                            ``(vi) the increase or decrease in the 
                        number of family child care providers in the 
                        geographical area served by such entity during 
                        such period; and
                            ``(vii) the extent to which such goals and 
                        outcomes improved the quality and availability 
                        of services provided by family child care 
                        providers served by such network.
    ``(g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, acting through the National Center on Early Childhood Quality 
Assurance of the Office of Child Care, shall disseminate best practices 
information and offer technical assistance to States, Territories, 
Indian Tribes, and eligible entities to help implement family child 
care networks and to support family child care providers, to carry out 
the purposes and meet requirements of subsection (f). Information and 
technical assistance provided under this subsection--
            ``(1) shall include supporting family child care networks 
        in offering the core services described in subsection 
        (f)(3)(A);
            ``(2) may include supporting family child care networks to 
        offer additional services described in subsection (f)(4); and
            ``(3) may include any other topic the Secretary identifies 
        as important or necessary to fulfil the goals of subsection 
        (f), including topics requested by States, family child care 
        networks, and family child care providers.''.
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