Easier Rules for Tribes Building Child Care Centers
Published Date: 4/9/2026
Notice
Summary
Tribal Lead Agencies can now more easily request permission to use Child Care funds for building or fixing child care centers. The government updated the rules to make the process simpler and clearer, cutting down on paperwork. If you’re part of a Tribal Lead Agency, get ready to submit your requests under these friendlier guidelines by May 11, 2026!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Simpler requests to use CCDF funds
If you are a Tribal Lead Agency requesting Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) money to build or majorly fix child care facilities, the Program Instruction (PI) was reorganized and streamlined. The updated PI removed 5 requirements and 19 pages, and it cuts the estimated burden per response from about 20 hours to 6 hours.
ACF approval required before spending
Tribal Lead Agencies, including those consolidated under Public Law 102-477, must first request and receive approval from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) before using CCDF funds for construction or major renovation of child care facilities, under 42 U.S.C. 9858m(c)(6). The Program Instruction sets the uniform procedures ACF will use to solicit and consider those requests.
Expected requests and time burden
The Office of Child Care estimates it will receive approximately 20 requests per year from 266 eligible Tribal Lead Agencies. The updated PI estimates an average of 6 hours per response and an estimated total annual burden of 120 hours (20 hours for request submission plus 100 hours for application development).
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