Child Care is Infrastructure Act

Bill: 117-hr-1911
Sponsor: Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5]
Introduced: 2021-03-16 in the House
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Building construction
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Child care and development
Child health
Child safety and welfare
Community life and organization
Congressional oversight
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Higher education
Housing and community development funding
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Labor standards
Performance measurement
Preschool education
Public contracts and procurement
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2021-03-16
text: 

Child Care is Infrastructure Act

 
This bill establishes grants for child care facilities and higher education loan repayment and scholarship programs for child care educators, among other provisions.
 
The Administration for Children and Families must conduct long- and short-term assessments of child care infrastructure, including the effect of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic on such facilities. The bill provides grants to (1) states to acquire, construct, or improve child care facilities; and (2) intermediary organizations with demonstrated experience in child care facilities financing to develop or finance child care facilities.
 
The bill further provides for education loan repayments of up to $6,000 per year for up to five years for early childhood educators who agree to work for certain child care providers. Additionally, the bill establishes a program for institutions of higher education to award grants of up to $3,000 per academic year to individuals who are enrolled in early childhood educator programs and agree to serve in a state-licensed early learning program.
 
Finally, the bill modifies and reauthorizes through FY2027 supports for campus-based child care for low-income parents enrolled in institutions of higher education and requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to consider early learning facilities in planning and implementation grants under the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-03-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2021-03-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support.
action_date: 2021-03-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-03-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-03-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-03-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-03-16
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2021-03-16
text: Introduced in House