Child Care for Every Community Act

Increased Access to Child Care: The bill establishes that every covered child is entitled to participate in a child care and early learning program, which is not a capped entitlement (Section 111(b)).

Affordability for Families: Families with low incomes will not be charged fees for services (Section 114(j)(1)(A)), while other families may use a sliding fee scale to ensure affordability (Section 114(j)).

Support for Vulnerable Groups: The bill provides specific provisions for migrant and seasonal farmworkers, where the Secretary pays 100 percent of the costs (Section 112(c)(2)(B)), as well as Native American children and Native Hawaiian children (Section 112(c)(2)(C)). Additionally, the Secretary is required to report on the status of specific groups, including low-income, children with disabilities, homeless, and foster care children (Section 138(a)).

Enhanced School Readiness: Programs are designed to promote development in areas such as language, literacy, mathematics, science, and physical skills to prepare children for school (Section 101(3)).

Improved Workforce Standards: The bill requires that staff be paid competitive rates of compensation that are not less than a living wage (Section 136(b)(1)).

Community-Led Decision Making: Decisions regarding the nature of programs are to be made at the community level with the involvement of parents, families, and local organizations (Section 101(5)).

Improved Research Coordination: The creation of a Child Development Research Council aims to ensure the maximum utilization of resources and prevent the duplication of activities (Section (d)(3)).

Financial Help for Scaling Services: Prime sponsors can receive supplemental financial assistance to help them scale services, meet national standards, and access adequate facilities (Section 151(a) and (b)).

Workforce Support: States can use special grants to support compensation for the child care workforce, including retention or bonus awards (Section 152(b)(3)).

Increased Program Stability: Grants to States can cover portions of fixed operating expenses to support increased wages and program stability (Section 152(b)(16)).

Improved Service Delivery: Special grants can be used to encourage cooperation between State agencies and prime sponsors to provide health, nutrition, and mental health services (Section 152(b)(7)).

Potential Financial Burdens on Non-Low-Income Families: Families that are not considered low-income may be required to pay fees based on a sliding fee scale (Section 114(j)(2)).

Administrative Requirements for Providers: Prime sponsors and delegate providers must adhere to significant administrative, financial management, and record-keeping requirements (Section 132(a); Section 134).

Potential Limitations on Facilities: Use of financial assistance for construction or renovation is subject to specific determinations regarding cost-effectiveness and the availability of other facilities (Section 132(c)(1)).

Restrictions on State Spending: The "maintenance of effort" provisions prevent States from reducing their total expenditures for child care services below a certain average (Section 201(a)).

Eligibility Limitations: An eligible child may only receive child care services under this act if they are ineligible for services under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (Section 201(b)).