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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§9858j Reports, Hotline, and Web Site

Title 42 › CHAPTER 105 — COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS › SUBCHAPTER II–B — CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT › § 9858j

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must send a report to the House Education and the Workforce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee by July 31, 2016 and every two years after that. The report must summarize the information states sent under section 9858i, give an assessment and any recommendations to improve access to quality, affordable child care, and say whether each State using these funds 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 a website hosted at childcare.gov. They must give parents clear consumer information, help parents find safe, quality child care at a range of prices, and let people report suspected child abuse, neglect, or health and safety violations (reports can be anonymous). The website must let users enter a zip code to get local referrals and must show lists of eligible providers, note licensed vs. license-exempt providers, include any publicly available quality ratings and licensing or safety information, link to local resource and referral organizations, and explain state child care subsidies. The hotline and site must serve every State, be available 24 hours on the website, offer services in languages other than English, and provide easy-to-understand help. The Secretary cannot force States to give data that was not publicly available on November 19, 2014 unless the data are related to this program and a notice-and-comment period of at least 90 days is provided.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §9858j

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

(a)Report by Secretary
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)National toll-free hotline and Web site
(1)In general
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 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)Requirements
The Secretary shall ensure that the hotline and Web site meet the following requirements:
(A)Referral to local child care providers
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)Information
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)Nationwide capacity
The Web site and hotline shall have the capacity to help families in every State and community in the Nation.
(D)Information at all hours
The Web site shall provide, to parents and families, access to information about child care services 24 hours a day.
(E)Services in different languages
The Web site and hotline shall ensure the widest possible access to services for families who speak languages other than English.
(F)High-quality consumer education and referral
The Web site and hotline shall ensure that families have access to easy-to-understand child care consumer education and referral services.
(3)Prohibition
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.

Legislative History

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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 9858j

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110