PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The VA must run a program that helps certain veterans pay for child care so they can get VA health care. Help is only for veterans who are the main caregiver of a child or children and who either get regular or intensive mental health care (or other intensive care the VA says qualifies) or who need such care but would not get it without child care. The help only applies while the veteran is getting those VA 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 Deborah Sampson Act of 2020 became law. Child care help can include things like stipends for licensed child care (based on the VA’s 2002 child care subsidy program and, if given as a stipend, must cover the full cost), on-site VA child care, payments to private child care agencies, partnerships with other federal programs, or other methods the VA finds appropriate. Each medical center head may choose the type that fits local needs.

Title 38, §1709C

Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Program Required.—

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)Limitation on Period of Payments.—

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)Qualified Veterans.—

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)Locations.—

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)Forms of Child Care Assistance.—

(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