Sec. 6. State application
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To be eligible to receive a grant under this Act through allotments made under subsection (b), (c), or
(e)of section 5, a State shall submit to the Secretary an application, as a supplement to the State plan described in section 658E of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858c ). Each such application shall include a description of each of the following: How the State will increase the number of high-quality child care slots for eligible families, to ensure, by the end of fiscal year 2026, access to high-quality infant and toddler child care for the eligible families in the State (referred to in this section as universal high-quality child care ). The ambitious goals and measurable benchmarks that the State will use to demonstrate progress toward achieving universal high-quality child care, including— substantially increasing the percentage of eligible families served; and addressing the needs identified in the needs assessment under section 7(a)(4). How the State will measurably improve, by the end of fiscal year 2026, the quality of child care available to children who are infants and toddlers, including such children who are dual language learners or are children with disabilities, and the ambitious goals and measurable benchmarks that the State will use to demonstrate progress toward achieving this improvement. How the State will maintain, using the Child Care and Development Fund and the funds made available under section 5(c), the caseload of children that were served using the Child Care and Development Fund on the date of enactment of this Act. How the State will conduct a study on the cost of high-quality child care for infants and toddlers, at least once every 3 years, consistent with this supplement— to determine provider payment rates that are sufficient— to ensure fair and competitive compensation for high-quality infant and toddler child care providers; to recognize child care providers who have the specialized knowledge and competencies of early childhood educators; and to recognize child care providers who offer a rich learning environment, use evidence-based classroom practices, and have provider competencies in engaging in stimulating, warm, and responsive adult-child interactions, consistent with the program performance standards referred to in section 641A(a)(1) of the Head Start Act ( 42 U.S.C. 9836a ), appropriate to the age of the child; and to assess the compensation levels necessary to attract, support, and retain a workforce of child care providers described in clause (i). Whether the State proposes to conduct the study required under subparagraph
(A)by carrying out a cost of quality study or survey that the State is currently conducting, as a requirement of its State plan under section 658E of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858c ). How the State will incorporate into the study information gathered through a public hearing to solicit input from relevant stakeholders including the infant and toddler child care workforce. How the State will use the results of the study to establish and annually update reimbursement rates for high-quality infant and toddler child care providers in the State. How the State will ensure and demonstrate that— the higher provider payment rates that the State proposes to pay under this Act are sufficient to achieve the compensation levels described in paragraph (4)(A)(ii), and attract, support, and retain child care providers described in paragraph (4)(A)(i); and the rates described in subparagraph
(A)will keep pace with inflation. The need in the State for high-quality child care for infants and toddlers, based on a needs assessment— that is conducted prior to the receipt of the corresponding allotment and at least once every 3 years consistent with the State plan; that is conducted by the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (designated or established pursuant to section 642B(b)(1)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act ( 42 U.S.C. 9837b(b)(1)(A)(i) )) or another entity as determined by the State; and that identifies such need for geographic areas and special populations of infants and toddlers, including children with disabilities, homeless children, children in foster care, children who are dual language learners, children living in rural areas, and children whose families work nontraditional hours. A unified approach to early care and learning that begins prenatally and supports children and their families at least until the children enter kindergarten, which includes a description of how the State will align infant and toddler child care with— other early care and learning programs, including State-supported programs of quality preschool if applicable; and programs carried out under section 619 and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1419 , 1431 et seq.). How the State will support early childhood educators and K–3 teachers, including the best practices that the State will use to support transitions into kindergarten and alignment of curricula, professional development, and early learning standards, to reflect an integrated approach to enabling children to achieve substantial gains in key skill areas across their development. How the State will coordinate activities with other public or private agencies to ensure that, to the extent that services are available in the community, infants and toddlers are referred to local agencies or other appropriate providers, including community-based organizations, for comprehensive health, mental health, family, and nutrition services similar to those provided through Early Head Start programs. How the State will address infant and toddler child care needs for populations that have acute barriers to accessing high-quality child care and the State’s plan to increase the supply of high-quality child care slots for populations for which the unmet need is greatest, including populations listed in section 658E(c)(2)(M) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858c(c)(2)(M) ), with methods such as grants and contracts. How the State will, at the option of an Indian tribe or tribal organization in the State, collaborate and coordinate activities with the Indian tribe or tribal organization in the development of the State plan. A plan that describes how the State will ensure successful engagement by parents and families in their child’s early care and learning and how this plan will promote engagement that continues from infant and toddler programs into preschool programs and beyond. How the State will collaborate and coordinate activities with early childhood educators and organizations that foster the professional development and collective engagement of the child care workforce. Each such application shall include each of the following: An assurance that the State will maintain, using the Child Care and Development Fund and the funds made available under section 5(c), the caseload of children that were served using the Child Care and Development Fund on the date of enactment of this Act. An assurance that the State will establish and support standards for high-quality child care for infants and toddlers in the State as described in section 7(a)(3). An assurance that the State will contribute a percentage toward the cost of activities authorized under section 5(b), toward the cost of activities authorized under section 5(c), and toward the cost of activities authorized under section 5(e), that is equal to the percentage that the State contributes under section 418(a)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 618(a)(2)(C) ) toward the cost of the child care authorized under section 418 of that Act ( 42 U.S.C. 618 ).
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