To establish universal child care and early learning programs.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill establishes the legislative purposes for creating universal, comprehensive child care and early learning programs available to all young children, building on Head Start and military child care models, defines key terms for the child care program including covered child, prime sponsor, low-income, full-working-day (10+ hours), and dual language learner, and authorizes unlimited appropriations for the uncapped entitlement plus $500M annually for FY2026-2036 for training, research, and administration. It relies on compliance mandates, grants, price controls, and reporting requirements. The main policy areas are Child Care, Social Welfare, Education, and Labor.
Who Benefits and How
Child care workers and teachers could gain revenue opportunities, Labor unions could gain revenue opportunities, and Family child care home providers could gain revenue opportunities.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers could face higher costs, State governments could face higher costs, and Child care centers not meeting standards would take on compliance duties.
Key Provisions
- Establishes the legislative purposes for creating universal, comprehensive child care and early learning programs available to all young children, building on Head Start and military child care models.
- Defines key terms for the child care program including covered child, prime sponsor, low-income, full-working-day (10+ hours), and dual language learner.
- Authorizes unlimited appropriations for the uncapped entitlement plus $500M annually for FY2026-2036 for training, research, and administration.
- Creates an uncapped entitlement for every covered child to participate in a child care program, with federal financial assistance flowing to prime sponsors.
- Sets federal share at minimum 90% of costs, 100% for migrant/seasonal farmworkers and Indian tribes. Caps family fees at 7% of income.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The bill establishes the legislative purposes for creating universal, comprehensive child care and early learning programs available to all young children, building on Head Start and military child care models, defines key terms for the child care program including covered child, prime sponsor, low-income, full-working-day (10+ hours), and dual language learner, and authorizes unlimited appropriations for the uncapped entitlement plus $500M annually for FY2026-2036 for training, research, and administration.
Key Policy Areas
Child Care, Social Welfare, Education, Labor
Primary Purpose
The bill establishes the legislative purposes for creating universal, comprehensive child care and early learning programs available to all young children, building on Head Start and military child care models, defines key terms for the child care program including covered child, prime sponsor, low-income, full-working-day (10+ hours), and dual language learner, and authorizes unlimited appropriations for the uncapped entitlement plus $500M annually for FY2026-2036 for training, research, and administration.
Policy Domains
Title I - Universal Child Care and Early Learning Programs
Identified Gains
- Child care workers and teachers
- Labor unions
- Family child care home providers
- Children in child care
- Migrant and seasonal farmworker families
Identified Costs
- Federal taxpayers
- State governments
- Child care centers not meeting standards
- Prime sponsors and delegate providers
- Non-compliant child care providers
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Warren (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Smith, Mr. Booker, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Child care centers and family child care homes, Child care centers not meeting standards, Child care programs providing health screenings
Positive-direction: Child care centers and family child care homes, Child care programs providing meals, Child care providers, Child care workers, Child care workers and teachers, Child care workers seeking credentials, Family child care home providers, Prime sponsors and child care providers, Private child care centers
Negative-direction: Child care centers not meeting standards, Non-compliant child care providers, Prime sponsors and delegate providers
All children under compulsory school age, All families with children under school age, Children eligible for both programs
HHS Office of Child Care, Indian Tribes, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations
Positive-direction: Indian Tribes, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations
Negative-direction: Taxpayers
Prime sponsors, Prime sponsors in underserved areas, State governments
State governments faces effects in multiple directions
Positive-direction: Prime sponsors in underserved areas
Negative-direction: Prime sponsors
HBCUs, HSIs, and Tribal colleges, Local educational agencies, Universities with early childhood programs
Positive-direction: HBCUs, HSIs, and Tribal colleges, Universities with early childhood programs
Negative-direction: Local educational agencies
Construction contractors, Construction workers on child care projects
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "prime_sponsor"
- → State, locality, Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, or public/private nonprofit designated to carry out child care programs
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
An individual in a family with income not more than 200 percent of the poverty line.
A child who is not yet required to attend school under state compulsory attendance laws and meets requirements of regulations under section 124.
A State, locality, Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, or public/private nonprofit designated by the Secretary to enter into arrangements to carry out child care programs.
Not less than 10 hours per day.
A child acquiring two or more languages at the same time, or learning a second language while developing their first language.
Any program that provides child care and early learning services in child care and early learning centers (including schools) or in family child care homes.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology