---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 1709C"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "1709C"
heading: "Assistance for child care for certain veterans receiving health care"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/1709C"
units:
  - "Part II — General Benefits"
  - "Chapter 17 — Hospital, Nursing Home, Domiciliary, and Medical Care"
  - "Subchapter I — General"
---

# §1709C. Assistance for child care for certain veterans receiving health care

- (a) **Program Required.—** The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall carry out a program to provide, subject to [subsection (b)](#b), assistance to qualified [veterans](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) described in [subsection (c)](#c) to obtain [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care so that such [veterans](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) can receive health care services described in [subsection (c)(2)](#c-2).
- (b) **Limitation on Period of Payments.—** Assistance may be provided to a qualified [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) under this section for receipt of [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care only during the period that the qualified [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1)—
  - (1) receives the types of health care services described in [subsection (c)(2)](#c-2) at a facility of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1); 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](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) is a [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) who—
  - (1) is the primary caretaker of a [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) or children; and
  - (2)
    - (A) receives from the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1)—
      - (i) regular mental health care services;
      - (ii) intensive mental health care services; or
      - (iii) such other intensive health care services that the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) determines that provision of assistance to the [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) to obtain [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care would improve access to such health care services by the [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1); or
    - (B) is in need of regular or intensive mental health care services from the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1), and but for lack of [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care services, would receive such health care services from the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
- (d) **Locations.—** Not later than five years after the date of the enactment of the Deborah Sampson Act of 2020, the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall carry out the program at each medical center of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
- (e) **Forms of Child Care Assistance.—**
  - (1) [Child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care assistance under this section may include the following:
    - (A) Stipends for the payment of [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care offered by a licensed [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care center (either directly or through a voucher program) that shall be, to the extent practicable, modeled after the Department of Veterans Affairs [Child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) 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](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care at an on-site facility of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
    - (C) Payments to private [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care agencies.
    - (D) Collaboration with facilities or programs of other Federal agencies.
    - (E) Such other forms of assistance as the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) considers appropriate.
  - (2) In providing [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care assistance under this section, the [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) 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](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care assistance under this section is provided as a stipend under [paragraph (1)(A)](#e-1-A), such stipend shall cover the full cost of such [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) care.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 116–315, title V, § 5107(a)(1), Jan. 5, 2021, 134 Stat. 5030.)

## Notes

### 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.