Kaine, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Child Care for Parents Working Nontraditional Hours

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, joined Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Todd Young (R-IN) in introducing bipartisan legislation to improve access to affordable child care for families with parents working nontraditional hours. The After Hours Child Care Act would expand existing child care programs or establish new facilities in some cases, so parents can remain in the workforce and provide for their families while working outside of the traditional work hours of 9 AM to 5 PM.

“Many parents, especially those who work nontraditional hours, are facing challenges getting back to work because they can’t access child care,” said Kaine. “This bill will help ensure more Virginians have access to high-quality, affordable child care, help parents get back into the workforce to provide for their families, and strengthen our economy.”

Specifically, the After Hours Child Care Act would:

• Expand capacity for an existing child care program to serve families working nontraditional hours
• Support efforts to establish an on-site child care program at a workplace
• Ensure that the entity that receives federal dollars has to contribute 25% as a match
• Require a report every two years on the bill’s effectiveness in improving child care availability 

Kaine has long championed efforts to expand access to high-quality, affordable child care. The recent government funding bill, which Kaine helped pass, provided $8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, which provides financial assistance to help low-income families access child care. With that increase, Virginia is expected to receive more than $150 million through the CCDBG program. Kaine has also introduced a proposal alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) to expand the supply of quality child care facilities, increase child care and Head Start teacher wages, and lower child care costs for families across the country. 

Full text of the bill is available here.

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