This bill aims to boost child care access and quality through federal grants and expanded assistance, particularly for student parents and underserved communities, while also strengthening the early childhood education workforce.
Jahana Hayes
Representative
CT-5
This bill aims to increase access to high-quality, affordable infant and toddler child care, particularly for student parents at community colleges and minority-serving institutions, by establishing federal grants to support child care services on campuses and in communities. It expands eligibility for childcare assistance, increases federal matching payments to states, and requires colleges to inform students with dependents about dependent care allowances for federal student aid. These measures collectively support parents in completing their education, strengthen the early childhood education workforce, and improve the quality of care for young children.
$9 Billion PROSPECT Act Aims to Fund Child Care for Student Parents at Community Colleges and MSIs
Finding affordable child care while juggling classes is a major hurdle for college students with kids. The PROSPECT Act steps into this challenge by authorizing $9 billion in federal grants between fiscal years 2026 and 2030. The core idea is to help public community colleges and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) become hubs for infant and toddler care (kids under 3), both by providing care directly to student parents and by training the next generation of early childhood educators.
College and Child Care: Bridging the Gap
This bill recognizes that many student parents, especially at community colleges and MSIs, struggle to stay enrolled due to child care costs and availability – the bill notes average monthly costs ranging from nearly $1,000 to over $3,000. A key part of the plan involves Access Grants (Sec 123). These grants aim to provide free, high-quality infant and toddler care for potentially hundreds of thousands of children whose parents are students at these institutions.
How? Colleges could use the funds to operate their own on-campus centers, contract with local providers, expand existing facilities, offer flexible or drop-in care, or even renovate spaces. There are strings attached: on-campus centers funded by these grants must be state-licensed, meet quality standards, prioritize low-income student parents (specifically aiming for 85% Pell Grant eligibility among users, though waivers are possible), pay staff wages comparable to local elementary educators (and at least a living wage), and follow specific rules regarding enrollment continuity and suspensions.
Building the Bench: Training Child Care Pros
Beyond direct care access, the Act tackles the shortage of qualified caregivers, particularly in underserved areas often called 'child care deserts'. Pipeline Grants (Sec 125) are designed to boost the workforce. Colleges could use these funds to establish or expand early childhood educator programs, like associate degrees or certificates focused on infant/toddler care. This includes hiring faculty, creating partnerships with high schools for early career pathways, coordinating with on-campus centers for hands-on training (potentially turning them into 'lab schools'), and even offering microgrants to students for tuition, books, or practicum time.
Complementing this are Impact Grants (Sec 124). These grants focus on improving the supply and quality of child care in the wider community surrounding the college. Funds could go towards training, mentorship, technical assistance (like business support for providers), and startup funding for new or expanding child care programs, often in partnership with existing local child care organizations. A specific goal is to support home-based providers and prioritize resources in communities of color and low-income areas.
Making it Work: Funding, Rules, and Reality Checks
The overall program allocates $9 billion over five years (FY2026-2030). Institutions generally need to complete a one-year Planning Grant (Sec 122) first, involving needs assessments and committee consultations, before applying for the larger Access, Impact, or Pipeline grants, which last four years. Grant amounts can be substantial – up to $20 million for a single institution or $220 million for a consortium (Sec 113).
The bill prioritizes institutions serving high numbers of Pell-eligible students with young children and those in or near child care deserts (Sec 112). It also includes provisions to ensure culturally responsive teaching practices and support for dual language learners and children with disabilities.
Beyond the grants, the Act makes a couple of tweaks to existing federal programs. It clarifies that studying at a college counts as an eligible activity for parents seeking assistance through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program (Sec 201). It also nudges colleges to better inform students about the dependent care allowance, which can increase their financial aid package to help cover child care costs (Sec 301). While the goals are clear, success will hinge on effective implementation by the Department of Education, strong local partnerships, and ensuring the 'high-quality' standards are consistently met across diverse settings.