Rise Up for Child Care Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
Introduced
Summary
Guarantees child care to every current recipient of certain state assistance and to anyone who left that aid in the last 24 months. This bill shifts the program from a capped, targeted allotment to an open-ended federal funding condition, adds a higher match for home-based providers, and orders a funded study to track effects.
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- Families: Current recipients and people who left within 24 months are entitled to child care services, creating a guaranteed pathway to care for those groups.
- Home-based providers and workers: A separate 75 percent federal matching rate applies to excess spending used to boost wages and benefits in home-based child-care settings.
- States: States must provide these guarantees as a condition of funds and no longer operate under the prior $3.6 billion program cap because funding is changed to "such sums as are necessary."
- Research and oversight: The Administration for Children and Families must run a study through its Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation and is funded at $20.0 million each fiscal year to report to Congress.
*Expands open-ended federal funding authority for the child care program, removes the $3.6 billion cap and creates greater federal spending exposure, and requires a $20.0 million annual appropriation for the study.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Guaranteed child care for families
If enacted, states receiving these funds would have to guarantee child care services to anyone who currently gets assistance under the State program or a State program funded with qualified State expenditures. The bill would also require coverage for anyone who was a recipient at any time during the 24-month period after they left the program. It would remove the prior $3.55 billion cap and instead authorize "such sums as are necessary" each fiscal year to carry out the section. The bill would add that other limits in Section 418(c) must not interfere with these guarantees. These changes would take effect upon enactment.
Higher federal match for home childcare
If enacted, the bill would set the federal matching rate at 75% for extra state spending used to boost wages and benefits for people who work for home-based child care providers. The HHS research office (OPRE) would be directed to study the effects and report to Congress during each Congress. The bill would give hiring priority for that research portfolio to people with specified prior experience and would provide $20 million each year for the research. These changes would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
WI • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov