03.13.14

Hoeven Backs Bipartisan Legislation to Help Families Access Quality, Affordable Child Care

Senate Passes Child Care and Development Block Grant Act

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today voted for and the Senate passed the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act, bipartisan legislation that will improve access to affordable, quality child care for families in North Dakota and across the country. The legislation reauthorizes and improves the CCDBG program, a state block grant program that provides vouchers to help working parents obtain child care.

“Accessing quality, affordable child care is a concern for many families across North Dakota and the nation,” said Hoeven. “The Senate passed a strong, bipartisan bill today that will provide resources for working parents to find child care that works best for their children’s needs.”   

The legislation approved by the Senate today improves the quality of child care for more than 1.5 million children across the country, while maintaining significant state flexibility over the administration of the CCDBG program.

Specifically, the CCDBG Act:

  • Protects the health and safety of children by requiring states to ensure that child care providers that receive support through CCDBG are qualified, receive training, are regularly inspected and monitored and undergo criminal background checks.
  • Provides states with the option to waive any federal law that creates contradictory or confusing requirements in the delivery of child care services with federal dollars.
  • Reinforces the need for high-quality child care programs by gradually increasing the minimum that states must set-aside for activities designed to improve access to quality care from 4 to 10 percent over 5 years.
  • Maintains the core goals of the program, including state flexibility, parental choice and promoting work and economic self-sufficiency.

Hoeven has long supported initiatives to improve access to safe and affordable child care for North Dakota families. As governor, he provided state grants to build or expand child care facilities to meet community needs.