Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§9857 Short title and purposes

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 105— - COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II–B— - CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT › § 9857

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Names the law the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 and states its main goals. It gives each State wide freedom to design child care programs that fit local needs, supports parents’ ability to pick the care that works best for their families, and asks States to give parents information and involve families. It also directs States to provide high-quality, coordinated early care and education to expand parents’ choices and help parents leave public assistance, to raise care quality through health, safety, licensing, training, and oversight rules, to improve children’s development, and to increase the number and share of low-income children in high-quality child care.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §9857

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)This subchapter may be cited as the “Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990”.
(b)The purposes of this subchapter are—
(1)to allow each State maximum flexibility in developing child care programs and policies that best suit the needs of children and parents within that State;
(2)to promote parental choice to empower working parents to make their own decisions regarding the child care services that best suit their family’s needs;
(3)to encourage States to provide consumer education information to help parents make informed choices about child care services and to promote involvement by parents and family members in the development of their children in child care settings;
(4)to assist States in delivering high-quality, coordinated early childhood care and education services to maximize parents’ options and support parents trying to achieve independence from public assistance;
(5)to assist States in improving the overall quality of child care services and programs by implementing the health, safety, licensing, training, and oversight standards established in this subchapter and in State law (including State regulations);
(6)to improve child care and development of participating children; and
(7)to increase the number and percentage of low-income children in high-quality child care settings.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Subsection (a) of this section was formerly set out as a note under section 9801 of this title. Subsection (b) of this section was formerly set out as a note under section 9858 of this title.

Amendments

2014—Pub. L. 113–186 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “(a)

Short Title

.—This subchapter may be cited as the ‘Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990’. “(b) Goals.—The goals of this subchapter are— “(1) to allow each State maximum flexibility in developing child care programs and policies that best suit the needs of children and parents within such State; “(2) to promote parental choice to empower working parents to make their own decisions on the child care that best suits their family’s needs; “(3) to encourage States to provide consumer education information to help parents make informed choices about child care; “(4) to assist States to provide child care to parents trying to achieve independence from public assistance; and “(5) to assist States in implementing the health, safety, licensing, and registration standards established in State

Regulations

.” 1996—Pub. L. 104–193 inserted “and goals” after “title” in section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b). 1992—Pub. L. 102–401 and Pub. L. 102–586 made identical technical corrections to directory language of Pub. L. 101–508, § 5082(2), which added this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 9857

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73