§1709C — Title 38 Veterans' Benefits | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must run a program to help certain veterans get child care so they can attend specific VA health care. Help is for veterans who are the main caregiver of a child and who get, or need, regular or intensive mental health care (or other intensive care the Secretary finds similar) from the VA. Care assistance only applies while the veteran is receiving those services at a VA facility and needs to travel to and from that facility. The program must be offered at every VA medical center within five years after the date of the enactment of the Deborah Sampson Act of 2020. Help can be paid child-care stipends (modeled after the VA Child Care Subsidy Program from the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2002), on-site VA child care, payments to private child care agencies, work with other federal programs, or other forms the Secretary decides. Local medical centers pick the option that fits their area. If a stipend is used, it must cover the full cost of the child care.

Title 38, §1709C

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall carry out a program to provide, subject to subsection (b), assistance to qualified veterans described in subsection (c) to obtain child care so that such veterans can receive health care services described in subsection (c)(2).

(b)Assistance may be provided to a qualified veteran under this section for receipt of child care only during the period that the qualified veteran—

(1)receives the types of health care services described in subsection (c)(2) at a facility of the Department; and

(2)requires travel to and return from such facility for the receipt of such health care services.

(c)For purposes of this section, a qualified veteran is a veteran who—

(1)is the primary caretaker of a child or children; and

(2)(A)receives from the Department—

(i)regular mental health care services;

(ii)intensive mental health care services; or

(iii)such other intensive health care services that the Secretary determines that provision of assistance to the veteran to obtain child care would improve access to such health care services by the veteran; or

(B)is in need of regular or intensive mental health care services from the Department, and but for lack of child care services, would receive such health care services from the Department.

(d)Not later than five years after the date of the enactment of the Deborah Sampson Act of 2020, the Secretary shall carry out the program at each medical center of the Department.

(e)(1)Child care assistance under this section may include the following:

(A)Stipends for the payment of child care offered by a licensed child care center (either directly or through a voucher program) that shall be, to the extent practicable, modeled after the Department of Veterans Affairs Child Care Subsidy Program established pursuant to section 630 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public Law 107–67; 115 Stat. 552).

(B)Direct provision of child care at an on-site facility of the Department.

(C)Payments to private child care agencies.

(D)Collaboration with facilities or programs of other Federal agencies.

(E)Such other forms of assistance as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(2)In providing child care assistance under this section, the child care needs of the local area shall be considered and the head of each medical center may select the type of care that is most appropriate or feasible for such medical center.

(3)In the case that child care assistance under this section is provided as a stipend under paragraph (1)(A), such stipend shall cover the full cost of such child care.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of the enactment of the Deborah Sampson Act of 2020, referred to in subsec. (d), is the date of enactment of title V of Pub. L. 116–315, which was approved Jan. 5, 2021. section 630 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2002, referred to in subsec. (e)(1)(A), is section 630 of Pub. L. 107–67, Nov. 12, 2001, 115 Stat. 552, which was classified to section 490b–1 of former Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and was repealed and restated as section 590(g) of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, by Pub. L. 107–217, §§ 1, 6(b), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1118, 1327.

§1709C Assistance for child care for certain veterans receiving health care

Summary

Title 38, §1709C

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Citations & Metadata