§9858j — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary must, by July 31, 2016 and every two years after that, send a report to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The report must summarize and analyze the information from State reports under section 9858i, recommend ways Congress could improve public access to quality, affordable child care, and say whether each State using funds under this subchapter followed the priority for services in sections 9858c(c)(2)(Q) and 9858c(c)(3)(B). The Secretary must also run a national toll-free hotline and the website childcare.gov (directly or through grants or contracts). They must give parents clear consumer information, help families find safe, quality child care at different price levels, let people report suspected abuse, neglect, or health and safety violations (anonymously if desired), and let users search by zip code for local providers. The site must list eligible providers (showing licensed vs. license-exempt), include publicly available quality ratings and licensing/health information where possible, link to State databases and local referral organizations, and show State subsidy and financial help. The services must cover every State, offer 24-hour online access, serve speakers of languages other than English, and be easy to use. The Secretary cannot force States to give data that was not public as of November 19, 2014 unless the data relate to this subchapter and are subject to a notice-and-comment period of at least 90 days.

Title 42, §9858j

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

(a)Not later than July 31, 2016, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report that contains a summary and analysis of the data and information provided to the Secretary in the State reports submitted under section 9858i of this title. Such report shall include an assessment, and where appropriate, recommendations for the Congress concerning efforts that should be undertaken to improve the access of the public to quality and affordable child care in the United States. Such report shall contain a determination around whether each State that uses amounts provided under this subchapter has complied with the priority for services described in section 9858c(c)(2)(Q) and 9858c(c)(3)(B) of this title.

(b)(1)The Secretary shall operate, directly or through the use of grants or contracts, a national toll-free hotline and Web site, to—

(A)develop and disseminate publicly available child care consumer education information for parents and help parents access safe and quality child care services in their community, with a range of price options, that best suits 11 So in original. Probably should be “suit”. their family’s needs; and

(B)to allow persons to report (anonymously if desired) suspected child abuse or neglect, or violations of health and safety requirements, by an eligible child care provider that receives assistance under this subchapter or a member of the provider’s staff.

(2)The Secretary shall ensure that the hotline and Web site meet the following requirements:

(A)The Web site shall be hosted by “childcare.gov”. The Web site shall enable a child care consumer to enter a zip code and obtain a referral to local child care providers described in subparagraph (B) within a specified search radius.

(B)The Web site shall provide to consumers, directly or through linkages to State databases, at a minimum—

(i)a localized list of all eligible child care providers, differentiating between licensed and license-exempt providers;

(ii)any provider-specific information from a Quality Rating and Improvement System or information about other quality indicators, to the extent the information is publicly available and to the extent practicable;

(iii)any other provider-specific information about compliance with licensing, and health and safety requirements to the extent the information is publicly available and to the extent practicable;

(iv)referrals to local resource and referral organizations from which consumers can find more information about child care providers; and

(v)State information about child care subsidy programs and other financial supports available to families.

(C)The Web site and hotline shall have the capacity to help families in every State and community in the Nation.

(D)The Web site shall provide, to parents and families, access to information about child care services 24 hours a day.

(E)The Web site and hotline shall ensure the widest possible access to services for families who speak languages other than English.

(F)The Web site and hotline shall ensure that families have access to easy-to-understand child care consumer education and referral services.

(3)Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to allow the Secretary to compel States to provide additional data and information that is currently (as of November 19, 2014) not publicly available, or is not required by this subchapter, unless such additional data are related to the purposes and scope of this subchapter, and are subject to a notice and comment period of no less than 90 days.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2014—Pub. L. 113–186 substituted “Reports, hotline, and Web site” for “Report by Secretary” in section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, substituted “2016” for “1998” and “to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate” for “to the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate”, inserted at end of subsec. (a) “Such report shall contain a determination around whether each State that uses amounts provided under this subchapter has complied with the priority for services described in section 9858c(c)(2)(Q) and 9858c(c)(3)(B) of this title.”, and added subsec. (b). 1997—Pub. L. 105–33 substituted “1998” for “1997”. 1996—Pub. L. 104–193 substituted “

July 31, 1997, and biennially thereafter” for “

July 31, 1993, and annually thereafter” and “Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities” for “Committee on Education and Labor”. 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.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1997 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–33 effective as if included in the enactment of title VI of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104–193, see section 5603 of Pub. L. 105–33, set out as a note under section 618 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–193 effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 615 of Pub. L. 104–193, set out as a note under section 9858 of this title.

§9858j Reports, hotline, and Web site

Summary

Title 42, §9858j

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata