A bill to amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to require States to make payments to child care providers based on verified attendance in child care programs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Ted Cruz (Republican-TX)February 12, 2026

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Requires states to pay child care providers based on kids' actual attendance, not just enrollment.

This bill would change how states pay child care providers who receive federal money through the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Instead of paying based on how many children are enrolled, states would have to pay based on verified attendance. This aims to ensure payments match the services actually provided.

What Would Change

Currently, states can pay child care providers based on enrollment alone, even if a child doesn't attend regularly. If this bill becomes law, states would be required to pay providers based on verified attendance, using attendance records or other methods. It would also make it clear that states can pay providers after child care services have been provided.

Key Provisions

Requires state agencies to pay child care providers based on verified attendance, not just enrollment.
Demands states use attendance records or other reliable methods to check if children are actually present.
Lets state agencies pay child care providers after services are given, rather than before.

View on Congress.gov

S 3862 · 119th Congress · February 12, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 8/10

A bill to amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to require States to make payments to child care providers based on verified attendance in child care programs, and for other purposes.

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity