Caring for Children Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to develop: (1) distance learning child care training technology infrastructures; and (2) model technology-based training courses for child care providers and child care workers, to be provided through distance learning programs made available through the infrastructure. Requires, to the maximum extent possible, that such grants be awarded in regions with the fewest training opportunities for child care providers.
Directs the Secretary to establish a demonstration program of competitive grants to States to help them provide funds to encourage the establishment and operation of small business employer-operated child care programs. Requires a State to give priority for such assistance to applicants that desire to form a consortium to provide child care in an area where such care is not generally available or accessible. Allows such consortia to include businesses, nonprofit agencies or organizations, local governments, or other appropriate entities.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 233 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 233
To increase the supply of quality child care.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 1, 2005
Mr. Roberts introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase the supply of quality child care.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Caring for Children Act''.
TITLE I--CHILD CARE TRAINING THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING
SEC. 101. GRANTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD CARE TRAINING
INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Authority to Award Grants.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall award grants to eligible entities to develop distance
learning child care training technology infrastructures and to develop
model technology-based training courses for child care providers and
child care workers, to be provided through distance learning programs
made available through the infrastructure. The Secretary shall, to the
maximum extent possible, ensure that such grants are awarded in those
regions of the United States with the fewest training opportunities for
child care providers.
(b) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under subsection (a), an entity shall--
(1) develop the technological and logistical aspects of the
infrastructure described in this section and have the
capability of implementing and maintaining the infrastructure;
(2) to the maximum extent possible, develop partnerships
with secondary schools, institutions of higher education, State
and local government agencies, and private child care
organizations for the purpose of sharing equipment, technical
assistance, and other technological resources, including--
(A) developing sites from which individuals may
access the training;
(B) converting standard child care training courses
to programs for distance learning; and
(C) promoting ongoing networking among program
participants; and
(3) develop a mechanism for participants to--
(A) evaluate the effectiveness of the
infrastructure, including the availability and
affordability of the infrastructure, and the training
offered through the infrastructure; and
(B) make recommendations for improvements to the
infrastructure.
(c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), an entity shall submit an application to the Secretary
at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require, and that
includes--
(1) a description of the partnership organizations through
which the distance learning programs will be made available;
(2) the capacity of the infrastructure in terms of the
number and type of distance learning programs that will be made
available;
(3) the expected number of individuals to participate in
the distance learning programs; and
(4) such additional information as the Secretary may
require.
(d) Limitation on Fees.--No entity receiving a grant under this
section may collect fees from an individual for participation in a
distance learning program funded in whole or in part under this section
that exceed the pro rata share of the amount expended by the entity to
provide materials for the program and to develop, implement, and
maintain the infrastructure (minus the amount of the grant awarded
under this section).
(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed as requiring a child care provider to subscribe to or
complete a distance learning program made available under this section.
SEC. 102. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010.
TITLE II--REMOVAL OF BARRIERS TO INCREASING THE SUPPLY OF QUALITY CHILD
CARE
SEC. 201. SMALL BUSINESS CHILD CARE GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall establish a
program to award grants to States, on a competitive basis, to assist
States in providing funds to encourage the establishment and operation
of employer operated child care programs.
(b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, a State shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including an assurance that
the funds required under subsection (e) will be provided.
(c) Amount of Grant.--The Secretary shall determine the amount of a
grant to a State under this section based on the population of the
State as compared to the population of all States receiving grants
under this section.
(d) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--A State shall use amounts provided under a
grant awarded under this section to provide assistance to small
businesses located in the State to enable the small businesses
to establish and operate child care programs. Such assistance
may include--
(A) technical assistance in the establishment of a
child care program;
(B) assistance for the startup costs related to a
child care program;
(C) assistance for the training of child care
providers;
(D) scholarships for low-income wage earners;
(E) the provision of services to care for sick
children or to provide care to school aged children;
(F) the entering into of contracts with local
resource and referral or local health departments;
(G) assistance for care for children with
disabilities; or
(H) assistance for any other activity determined
appropriate by the State.
(2) Application.--To be eligible to receive assistance from
a State under this section, a small business shall prepare and
submit to the State an application at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the State may
require.
(3) Preference.--
(A) In general.--In providing assistance under this
section, a State shall give priority to applicants that
desire to form a consortium to provide child care in a
geographic area within the State where such care is not
generally available or accessible.
(B) Consortium.--For purposes of subparagraph (A),
a consortium shall be made up of 2 or more entities
that may include businesses, nonprofit agencies or
organizations, local governments, or other appropriate
entities.
(4) Limitation.--With respect to grant funds received under
this section, a State may not provide in excess of $250,000 in
assistance from such funds to any single applicant.
(e) Matching Requirement.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section a State shall provide assurances to the Secretary that,
with respect to the costs to be incurred by an entity receiving
assistance in carrying out activities under this section, the entity
will make available (directly or through donations from public or
private entities) non-Federal contributions to such costs in an amount
equal to--
(1) for the first fiscal year in which the entity receives
such assistance, not less than 50 percent of such costs ($1 for
each $1 of assistance provided to the entity under the grant);
(2) for the second fiscal year in which the entity receives
such assistance, not less than 66\2/3\ percent of such costs
($2 for each $1 of assistance provided to the entity under the
grant); and
(3) for the third fiscal year in which the entity receives
such assistance, not less than 75 percent of such costs ($3 for
each $1 of assistance provided to the entity under the grant).
(f) Requirements of Providers.--To be eligible to receive
assistance under a grant awarded under this section a child care
provider shall comply with all applicable State and local licensing and
regulatory requirements and all applicable health and safety standards
in effect in the State.
(g) State-Level Activities.--A State may not retain more than 3
percent of funds for State administration and other State-level
activities.
(h) Administration.--
(1) State responsibility.--A State shall have
responsibility for administering a grant awarded for the State
under this section and for monitoring entities that receive
assistance under such grant.
(2) Audits.--A State shall require each entity receiving
assistance under the grant awarded under this section to
conduct an annual audit with respect to the activities of the
entity. Such audits shall be submitted to the State.
(3) Misuse of funds.--
(A) Repayment.--If the State determines, through an
audit or otherwise, that an entity receiving assistance
under a grant awarded under this section has misused
the assistance, the State shall notify the Secretary of
the misuse. The Secretary, upon such a notification,
may seek from such an entity the repayment of an amount
equal to the amount of any such misused assistance plus
interest.
(B) Appeals process.--The Secretary shall by
regulation provide for an appeals process with respect
to repayments under this paragraph.
(i) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) 2-year study.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the
date on which the Secretary first awards grants under
this section, the Secretary shall conduct a study to
determine--
(i) the capacity of entities to meet the
child care needs of communities within States;
(ii) the kinds of partnerships that are
being formed with respect to child care at the
local level to carry out programs funded under
this section; and
(iii) who is using the programs funded
under this section and the income levels of
such individuals.
(B) Report.--Not later than 28 months after the
date on which the Secretary first awards grants under
this section, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the
results of the study conducted in accordance with
subparagraph (A).
(2) 4-year study.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the
date on which the Secretary first awards grants under
this section, the Secretary shall conduct a study to
determine the number of child care facilities funded
through entities that received assistance through a
grant awarded under this section that remain in
operation and the extent to which such facilities are
meeting the child care needs of the individuals served
by such facilities.
(B) Report.--Not later than 52 months after the
date on which the Secretary first awards grants under
this section, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the
results of the study conducted in accordance with
subparagraph (A).
(j) Definition.--In this section, the term ``small business'' means
an employer who employed an average of at least 2 but not more than 50
employees on business days during the preceding calendar year.
(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section, $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal
years 2006 through 2010.
(2) Evaluations and administration.--With respect to the
total amount appropriated for such period in accordance with
this subsection, not more than $2,500,000 of that amount may be
used for expenditures related to conducting evaluations
required under, and the administration of, this section.
(l) Termination of Program.--The program established under
subsection (a) shall terminate on September 30, 2011.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S743)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S743-744)
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