Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act of 2025
The Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act of 2025 would create a dedicated initiative under the Secretary of Agriculture to develop, expand, and improve childcare in rural and farming communities from 2026 through 2030. The goal is to increase the availability, quality, and affordability of childcare by directing funding to projects that address gaps in rural areas, using existing USDA loan and grant programs and other rural development resources. Funding decisions would prioritize projects that improve childcare access in agricultural or rural communities and would be implemented through intermediaries with expertise in facility development, provider support, and leveraging private capital. The bill also requires an evaluation of funded projects within two years of enactment and a comprehensive report to Congress within three years.
Key Points
- 1Establishes the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative within the Department of Agriculture to address childcare in rural and farming-dependent areas for fiscal years 2026–2030.
- 2Defines childcare to include programs that provide quality care and early education for young children, including kindergarten readiness, operated by eligible providers or licensed/regulated providers meeting health and safety requirements.
- 3Requires funding priority for loan and grant recipients that propose to improve childcare availability, quality, or cost, using existing programs such as essential community facilities, technical assistance, rural development grants, rural business loans, microentrepreneur assistance, and RISE grants.
- 4Mandates priority to farming-dependent counties and ensures a balanced geographic distribution of benefits.
- 5Authorizes use of intermediaries (e.g., childcare resource/referral networks, staffed family child care networks, community development financial institutions, nonprofits) to deliver funding and provide related technical, financial, or capital-assisted support.