President Signs Child Care Reauthorization; Includes New State Requirements
Issue Brief 14-40
On November 19, 2014, the president signed
into law the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 (P.L.
113-186), which reauthorizes the program for the first time since 1996. The law
adds a number of new state requirements, more than doubling the size of the
statute. Many of these changes were included in proposed regulations issued by
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in May 2013 to improve the
safety and quality of child care.
P.L. 113-186 requires
states to establish educational, health, and safety standards in 10 specified
areas for child care providers receiving federal funding. States will also be
required to conduct background checks for child care staff, modify their
eligibility processes, meet new licensing requirements, and increase funds set
aside to improve the quality of child care. While the law authorizes additional
funding for CCDBG to implement these new requirements, this funding is not
guaranteed. Funding levels are determined through the annual appropriations
process.