# Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2024

This bill creates a federal grant program to help states and Native American tribes expand their child care services by funding two main types of projects: training more child care workers and building or improving child care facilities.

The program targets "child care deserts"—areas where there aren't enough licensed child care providers to meet the demand from families with young children. States and tribes can apply for competitive grants to either develop their child care workforce or construct and renovate child care facilities. For workforce grants, the money would go toward training programs, helping people earn credentials in child care and early childhood education, and covering costs like tuition, textbooks, and training materials. The bill specifically aims to reach people without college degrees who want to enter the child care field. For facility grants, states and tribes can use funds to build new child care centers, expand existing ones, or renovate family child care homes. Grants last up to five years, and the federal government would cover 50 percent of project costs while states or tribes provide the other half.

The bill sets aside $100 million total for the program from 2024 through 2030. States and tribes can use up to 10 percent of their grant money for administrative expenses. The bill also requires coordination with existing job training programs to help people access financial aid and other support while pursuing child care careers. After the grants end, the federal government must evaluate whether the program successfully increased the number of trained child care workers, expanded child care facilities, and reduced child care deserts across the country.