HR 4418119th CongressIn Committee

Child Care for Working Families Act

Introduced: Jul 15, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] (D-Virginia)

Labor & EmploymentSocial Services

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Child Care for Working Families Act establishes a comprehensive federal entitlement program to provide high-quality, affordable child care for children under age 6 who are not yet in kindergarten. The bill creates a new funding stream through the Department of Health and Human Services to help states develop and maintain child care systems that ensure every eligible child can access quality care. The program aims to address child care affordability by capping family copayments on a sliding scale based on income (with no copayment for families earning up to 85% of state median income), while simultaneously improving child care quality through a tiered rating system and ensuring adequate compensation for child care workers comparable to elementary school teachers with similar credentials.

Key Points

1Universal Entitlement: Beginning October 1, 2026, every eligible child in participating states is entitled to receive child care assistance, with eligibility including children whose parents are working, in school, in job training, or participating in other qualifying activities, as well as vulnerable populations like children with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness, or in foster care
2Affordability Standards: Establishes a sliding fee scale where families earning up to 85% of state median income pay no copayment, with copayments capped at 2-7% of income for higher earners, and prohibits providers from charging families more than the subsidy plus copayment amount
3Provider Payment Rates: Requires states to conduct cost studies and set payment rates sufficient to cover the true cost of quality care, including adequate wages for child care workers that must at minimum provide a living wage and be equivalent to wages for elementary educators with similar credentials
4Quality Improvement System: Mandates states develop tiered quality rating systems with the highest tier equivalent to Head Start standards, with financial support to help providers move up quality tiers, and requires all children have access to highest-quality care within 10 years
5Workforce and Licensing: Requires states to develop appropriate licensing standards for various provider types (including family child care homes), create pathways to licensure, establish wage ladders for child care staff, and provide financial support to help providers meet licensing requirements

Impact Areas

Families: Dramatically reduces child care costs for working families across income levels, with the greatest relief for low and moderate-income households, while ensuring access to quality care regardless of work schedule or family circumstancesChild Care Providers: Increases compensation and professional development opportunities for child care workers, provides stable funding through improved payment rates and practices, and offers support for quality improvement and meeting licensing standardsChildren: Expands access to high-quality early learning environments, with particular focus on underserved populations including children with disabilities, dual language learners, infants and toddlers, and children in rural areas or experiencing homelessnessState and Local Governments: Requires significant administrative infrastructure development including cost studies, quality rating systems, streamlined enrollment processes, and coordination across agencies, with federal funding provided for implementation

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