Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Rise Up for Child Care Act of 2026”.
Rise Up for Child Care Act of 2026
A BILL
To increase child care supply availability and affordability and invest in home based child care, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Child care entitlement
Replacement of requirement that portion of funds be used for certain populations, with child care guarantee—
In general— Section 418(b)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 618(b)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
“(2) Child care guarantee for certain populations—As a condition of receiving funds under this section, a State shall guarantee the provision of child care services to—
“(A) each recipient of assistance under the State program funded under this part or under a State program funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)); and
“(B) each individual who is a former recipient of assistance under such a program, for any portion of the 24-month period beginning with the date the individual left the program involved.”
Conforming amendment— Section 418(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 618(c)) is amended by inserting “except to the extent that such a requirement or limitation would interfere with the provision of child care services required by subsection (b)(2)” before the period.
in paragraph (2)—
by striking subparagraphs (B) and (D) and redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B); and
in subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated), by striking “the lesser of the State's allotment under subparagraph (B) or”; and
in paragraph (5), by striking “(2)(C)” and inserting “(2)(B)”.
in paragraph (1), by striking “Subject to the amount appropriated under paragraph (3), each” and inserting “Each”; and
in paragraph (3), by striking “$3,550,000,000” and all that follows and inserting “such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for each fiscal year.”.
Home-Based child care investments—
Separate matching rate for expenditures to supplement wages and benefits for home-based child care providers— Section 418(a)(2)(B) of such Act, as so redesignated by subsection (b)(1)(A) of this section, is amended by inserting “, except that, with respect to the excess expenditures that are made to carry out a State plan to supplement the wages and benefits of persons working for a child care provider in a home-based child care setting, that percentage shall be 75 percent” before the period.
Study—
In general— The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this paragraph referred to as the “Secretary”) shall direct the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families to study the effects of the amendment made by paragraph (1), and conduct research and maintain a research portfolio with respect to the effects.
Personnel involved— In employing and retaining career civil servants for the conduct and maintenance of the research portfolio, the Secretary shall give priority to persons with any of the following characteristics:
Prior work experience at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Prior experience working on or evaluating discretionary grant programs.
Prior experience administering Federal grants, child care programs, or means-tested public assistance programs.
Report to Congress— During each Congress, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress on the results of the study required by subparagraph (A).
Funding— Out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated $20,000,000 for each fiscal year to carry out this paragraph.