Care Across Generations Act
Care Across Generations Act would amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to create a competitive grant program (Section 423) to fund multigenerational activities in long-term care facilities. The program aims to have qualified child care facilities operate within or in partnership with long-term care facilities, coordinate intergenerational activities, and even support building or expanding facilities to enable these activities. Grants would be awarded on a competitive basis by the Assistant Secretary (within the federal aging/adult services system), with grantees required to evaluate the program’s effectiveness and report back to both the federal agency and Congress. Grants must run for at least 36 months and include infection control and sanitation requirements. In short, the bill seeks to intentionally co-locate or coordinate child care with elder care to promote intergenerational engagement, while adding accountability through structured evaluation and reporting.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of a competitive grant program under the Older Americans Act (Sec. 423) to fund multigenerational programs in long-term care facilities.
- 2Eligible activities for grants include: (1) operating a qualified child care facility inside a long-term care facility or contracting with one; (2) coordinating multigenerational activities between the child care facility and the long-term care facility; (3) building new or expanding an existing long-term care facility to support these purposes.
- 3Evaluation and reporting requirements: grant recipients must evaluate the effectiveness of operating the child care facility, coordinating multigenerational activities, and the impact on older adults and children; they must report these evaluations within 6 months after the grant period ends, and the Assistant Secretary must provide aCongressional report summarizing findings and policy implications.
- 4Definitions: clear terms for eligible entities (organizations operating a long-term care facility), long-term care facilities (includes skilled nursing, nursing facilities, board and care, and similar adult care homes), multigenerational activities (as defined by existing law), and qualified child care facilities (licensed and compliant with state/local laws).
- 5Grant period: each grant must run for no less than 36 months.
- 6Infection control and safety requirements: applications must certify visitor screening for infection control and compliance with sanitation and infection-control laws and regulations.