On March 9, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved, by voice vote, a bill (S. 525) to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) through FY2010. Enacted as part of the 1996 welfare reform law (P.L. 104-193), authorization of the CCDBG has been extended eight times since the law’s expiration in September 2002. The most recent extension will expire on March 31.
Sponsored by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), the Caring for Children Act would authorize $2.3 billion for the CCDBG in FY2006, $2.5 billion in FY2007, $2.7 billion in FY2008, $2.9 billion in FY2009, and $3.1 billion in FY2010.
Under the bill, the quality set-aside for training and development of child care workers would be increased to 6 percent. The measure would require states to use 70 percent of the allocated funds for direct services. In addition, S. 525 would require states to develop and implement voluntary guidelines on pre-reading, language, and mathematics skills.
Finally, the measure would establish a small business child care grant program, which would encourage small businesses to establish and operate child care programs for their employees.
The committee approved similar legislation in April 2003, but no final action on the bill took place before the 108th Congress adjourned for the year (see The Source, 4/4/03).
