Issue Brief 14-40
December 10, 2014
Summary 

On November 19, 2014, the president signed into law the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-186), which reauthorizes the program for the first time since 1996. The law adds a number of new state requirements, more than doubling the size of the statute. Many of these changes were included in proposed regulations issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in May 2013 to improve the safety and quality of child care.

P.L. 113-186 requires states to establish educational, health, and safety standards in 10 specified areas for child care providers receiving federal funding. States will also be required to conduct background checks for child care staff, modify their eligibility processes, meet new licensing requirements, and increase funds set aside to improve the quality of child care. While the law authorizes additional funding for CCDBG to implement these new requirements, this funding is not guaranteed. Funding levels are determined through the annual appropriations process.