Respect Parents’ Childcare Choices Act

Increased Support for Relative Caregivers: The bill requires states to certify that payment rates to relative caregivers are not less than 75 percent of the rate for family child care providers (Section 2(b)(1)(C)).

Expanded Choice for Parents: Parents are given the option to receive a child care certificate, and all direct services will be provided via these certificates (Section 2(b)(1)(A)).

Protection Against Assistance Termination After Marriage: States must certify they will not terminate assistance immediately upon a parent's marriage if the increased income exceeds the limit, requiring assistance to continue for at least 6 months (Section 2(b)(1)(F)(iii)(II)).

Increased Transparency for Caregiver Options: States are required to post on their websites that certificates may be used to pay relative caregivers, such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles (Section 2(b)(1)(G)(i)) and notify parents annually of this option (Section 2(b)(1)(G)(ii)).

Protection of Religious Independence: Religious child care providers are granted protections to retain their independence, religious character, and the ability to select employees based on religious adherence (Section 2(h)(1)(A)).

Reduction of Regulatory Burdens: The bill mandates a review of state and local regulations every 5 years to identify and remove unnecessary requirements that limit the number of relative caregivers (Section 2(b)(1)(G)(X)).

Repeal of Tax Credits: The bill includes a provision to repeal the credit for expenses for household and dependent care services (Section 3(a)).

Increased Burden on States to Prevent Fraud: The bill establishes a pilot program that requires states to implement systems to verify eligibility and identify fraud, which may involve new administrative processes (Section 2(k)(a)).