118th and 119th Congress: Bipartisan Child Care Legislation in the House and Senate

Reliable, affordable child care is essential for hardworking families, especially as two-thirds of all children under the age of five need care because all available parents are working. Yet, high costs and limited availability make it difficult for many families to find and afford the care they need. As a result, parents often face tough choices—pausing their careers, taking on debt, or enduring financial strain.

And child care challenges do not only affect families — they have become a leading concern among employers as well, who struggle to recruit and retain workers due to inadequate child care options. This affects daily productivity and costs the national economy billions in lost revenue, earnings, and productivity each year.

Quality child care is both pro-work and pro-family, and Congress plays a key role in addressing these realities to give families a wider range of options to meet their child care needs. Federal programs benefit families in all fifty states and every single Congressional district.

The document below lists a selection of bills that have been proposed by both Democrats and Republicans. These bills are designed to support working families, improve the early learning and care workforce, elevate quality, increase access and affordability, and strengthen existing programs.

Download118th Congress – Bipartisan Legislation (236.66 kB)