After Hours Child Care Act
Sponsored By: Representative Hinson
Introduced
Summary
This bill would expand access to child care for parents working nontraditional hours by creating a Child Care and Development Innovation Fund that awards competitive pilot grants to build evening, night, weekend, and irregular-shift care.
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- Families: Targets parents who work evenings, nights, weekends, or irregular schedules and aims to help them stay employed and pursue promotions or higher pay.
- Providers and partners: Eligible child care providers or partnerships could receive 5-year grants between $25,000 and $500,000 to expand or create programs. Grants must include a 25 percent non-Federal match.
- Program rules and oversight: The Secretary of Health and Human Services would run a competitive pilot, require biennial reporting to Congress on children served and employment impacts, and may reserve up to 0.25 percent of appropriations for administration for fiscal years 2027 to 2031.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Grants to Expand After-Hours Childcare
If enacted, the Secretary of Health and Human Services would set up a competitive pilot grant program within 90 days. Grants would run for five years, could not be renewed, and would range from $25,000 to $500,000. Grants would require a 25% non‑Federal match and could pay for staff, facilities and equipment upgrades, curriculum, licensing and safety work, planning and outreach, workplace onsite care, and SIDS/safe-sleep training. Eligible applicants would be child care providers or partnerships with providers. The Secretary would report to Congress at least every two years and could reserve 0.25% of related appropriations for 2027–2031 to run the program.
Pilot Exemptions from Child Care Rules
If enacted, this would make the new pilot section exempt from most requirements of the Child Care and Development Block Grant law, except for one specified section (658T). The change would take effect on enactment. This would reduce some program rules for the pilot and may speed implementation, but it would not itself provide money to families.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Hinson
IA • R
Cosponsors
Bonamici
OR • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Mackenzie
PA • R
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Pappas
NH • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Stefanik
NY • R
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Pocan
WI • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Fitzpatrick
PA • R
Sponsored 2/26/2026
Castro (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 2/26/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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