After Hours Child Care Act | ChamberLight

IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS

House BillHR 7498Families

After Hours Child Care Act

INTRO FEB 11· LAST ACTION FEB 11

READING

6MIN

COSPONSORS

17BIPARTISAN

READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL

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In Committee

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Passed Senate

Conference

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Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

Voters should care about this bill because it addresses a significant challenge faced by many working families today: finding child care outside of standard business hours. With a growing number of jobs requiring evening, night, or weekend shifts, a lack of 'after hours' child care can force parents, particularly mothers, to reduce their work hours, take lower-paying jobs, or leave the workforce entirely.

If this bill becomes law, it could alleviate a major source of stress for these families, allowing parents to maintain stable employment, advance their careers, and contribute more to household income and the economy. Without this bill, the shortage of accessible child care for non-traditional hours would likely continue, disproportionately affecting low-income families and those in industries with irregular schedules, potentially hindering economic mobility and workforce participation.

KEY PROVISIONS

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PROVISION 01

Establishes a 'Child Care and Development Innovation Fund' to improve access to child care for parents working non-traditional hours.

This creates a dedicated funding stream to tackle a specific gap in child care services that many families face.

PROVISION 02

Authorizes competitive grants for eligible entities to expand existing or establish new child care programs for non-traditional hours.

This provides financial support to create actual child care solutions where they are most needed.

PROVISION 03

Defines 'nontraditional work hours' to include shifts before 9 AM, after 5 PM on weekdays, or any time on weekends.

This clear definition ensures the grants target the specific child care needs the bill aims to address.

PROVISION 04

Allows grant funds to be used for staffing, facility improvements, curriculum development, and meeting health and safety requirements.

These flexible uses ensure providers can meet various needs to offer high-quality, safe, and effective child care.

PROVISION 05

Requires a 25% non-Federal match for grant funds, meaning recipients must contribute a portion of the costs.

This ensures local investment and commitment from grant recipients to the success of the programs.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 17

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 94%

DEM 9 REP 8 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

2 EVENTS

FEB 11

Introduced in House

INTROREFERRAL

FEB 11

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

HOUSE · INTROREFERRAL

BILL INFO

TypeHouse Bill

NumberHR 7498

Congress119th

StatusIn Committee

IntroducedFeb 11, 2026

Last actionFeb 11, 2026

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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED FEB 11, 2026

House BillHR 7498Families

After Hours Child Care Act

INTRODUCED FEB 11, 2026· LAST ACTION FEB 11, 2026

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

6 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps Congress.gov

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 2 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Establishes a 'Child Care and Development Innovation Fund' to improve access to child care for parents working non-traditional hours.

This creates a dedicated funding stream to tackle a specific gap in child care services that many families face.

high

Authorizes competitive grants for eligible entities to expand existing or establish new child care programs for non-traditional hours.

This provides financial support to create actual child care solutions where they are most needed.

med

Defines 'nontraditional work hours' to include shifts before 9 AM, after 5 PM on weekdays, or any time on weekends.

This clear definition ensures the grants target the specific child care needs the bill aims to address.

med

Allows grant funds to be used for staffing, facility improvements, curriculum development, and meeting health and safety requirements.

These flexible uses ensure providers can meet various needs to offer high-quality, safe, and effective child care.

low

Requires a 25% non-Federal match for grant funds, meaning recipients must contribute a portion of the costs.

This ensures local investment and commitment from grant recipients to the success of the programs.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the After Hours Child Care Act

Secretary shall establish a pilot program and begin awarding competitive grants.

5 years (cannot be renewed)

Grant duration for awarded grants.

Not less often than every 2 years

Secretary shall prepare and submit a report to Congress.

FUNDING & AUTHORIZATIONS

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

AMOUNT	PROGRAM	TYPE	YEARS
Up to 0.25% of the amount appropriated under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990	Child Care and Development Innovation Fund	discretionary	Fiscal Years 2027 through 2031

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Nontraditional work hours: Work hours where at least 25% occur before 9 AM or after 5 PM on a weekday, or any time on a Saturday or Sunday, or are scheduled within 7 days of the work requirement.
Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990: A federal law that provides funding to states to help low-income families pay for child care and to improve the quality of child care programs.
Eligible entity: A child care provider, or a partnership of a child care provider with another organization (like a business or a child care resource and referral organization), that can apply for a grant under this bill.
Competitive basis (for grants): A process where applicants submit proposals, and a limited number of grants are awarded based on how well the proposals meet specific criteria and demonstrate merit.
Federal share / Non-Federal share (of cost): The portion of a program's cost covered by federal government funds (Federal share) versus the portion covered by the grant recipient or other non-federal sources (Non-Federal share).
Fiscal intermediary: An organization that manages money and services on behalf of others, such as a network of family child care providers or a child care resource and referral organization.

ACTION TIMELINE

2 EVENTS

FEB 11

Introduced in House

INTROREFERRAL

FEB 11

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

INTROREFERRAL

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After Hours Child Care Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

After Hours Child Care Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

FUNDING & AUTHORIZATIONS

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

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