Scott Amendment to Maximize Parental Choice in Child Care for Low-Income Families Heads to White House for Signature
November 17, 2014
WASHINGTON, DC – As part of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (S. 1086) passed by the U.S. Senate, Senator Tim Scott’s (R-SC) amendment to ensure parental choice in child care is headed to the White House for the President’s signature. The amendment nullifies attempts by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to limit the options parents and states have in regards to Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds.
Senator Scott’s amendment, originally passed in March of this year, would clarify that the CCDBG Act does not favor or promote the use of grants or contracts over the use of child care certificates or vouchers, nor does it adversely impact the use of certificates in faith-based or other settings. The most recent HHS data, from 2011, shows that South Carolina uses only certificates to supply care to families in South Carolina under the CCDBG program.
“I am very pleased that my amendment was accepted as part of the overall bill, and look forward to the President signing it into law as soon as possible” Scott said. “My amendment was necessary to ensure parents keep the options they have today in regards to caring for a most important part of their lives – their kids. ”
S. 1086 reauthorizes the CCDBG program, originally established in 1990 with a primary goal “to promote parental choice to empower working parents to make their own decisions on the child care that best suits their family’s needs.” The last reauthorization was in 1996 as part of the welfare reform act and expired in 2002. CCDBG is the primary source of federal funding for child care services, providing block grants to states for child care subsidies for low-income, working families.
States currently have the flexibility to provide for the payment of child care services through certificates, grants or contracts, and nationally 90 percent are awarded as vouchers. However, HHS proposed a rule to increase the use of grants and contracts over certificates, limiting parental choice in child care.
