Sec. 6102. Improving rural childcare

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Section 6101(a) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 ( Public Law 115–334 ; 132 Stat. 4725) (as amended by section 6101(2)) is amended by striking paragraph

(2)and inserting the following: A merica In this paragraph, the term childcare program means a program that— provides quality care and early education for children who— are in elementary school or secondary school (as those terms are defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 )); or have not yet entered elementary school (as so defined); and is operated by— an eligible childcare provider described in section 658P(6)(A) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858n(6)(A) ); or a childcare provider that, on the date of enactment of this Act— is licensed, regulated, or registered in the State, territory, or Indian Tribe in which the provider is located; and meets applicable State, Tribal, territorial, and local health and safety requirements. In this paragraph, the term childcare program includes— a school-based program described in clause (i); a program described in clause

(i)that accommodates nontraditional working hours; a program described in clause

(i)that is an Early Head Start or Head Start program, including a migrant and seasonal Head Start program, carried out under the Head Start Act ( 42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq. ); a facility used for a program described in clause (i); and a service provided under a program described in clause (i). The Secretary shall make the following prioritizations for fiscal years 2025 through 2031: In addition to the priorities described in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), in selecting recipients of direct loans or grants for the development of essential community facilities under section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1926(a) ), the Secretary shall give priority to entities eligible for those direct loans or grants to develop facilities used for a childcare program, subject to the condition that the childcare program that uses those facilities shall employ staff that have appropriate expertise and training in childcare. In addition to the eligible uses of direct loans or grants for the development of essential community facilities under section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1926(a) ), an entity described in subclause

(I)that receives a direct loan or grant for the purpose described in that subclause may use the direct loan or grant funds to support the staffing needs of the facility described in that subclause, subject to the condition that the eligible entity shall not use more than 25 percent of the direct loan or grant funds for staffing purposes. In selecting recipients of financial assistance under the rural business development grant program under section 310B(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1932(c) ), the rural cooperative development grant program under section 310B(e) of that Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1932(e) ), the rural microentrepreneur assistance program under section 379E of that Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2008s ), and the rural innovation stronger economy

(RISE)grant program under section 379I of that Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2008w ), the Secretary may give priority to entities eligible for financial assistance under those sections— to provide technical or financial assistance for the acquisition, construction, renovation, or improvement of facilities used for a childcare program; to provide technical, financial, or managerial assistance to childcare programs; to assist in securing private sources of capital financing for childcare programs or other low-income community development; or to address the needs of licensed childcare programs located in the home of the childcare program provider. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024 , the Secretary shall conduct a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the projects carried out under this paragraph to improve access to childcare programs in rural areas, including a description of— the types of projects carried out under this paragraph; the communities in which those projects are carried out; the organizations and entities participating in those projects; the types of partnerships developed to carry out those projects; and the economic and social impacts of investments in rural childcare programs. . Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall— regularly coordinate to provide user-friendly resources to stakeholders in rural communities with information to improve access to childcare facilities in those communities, including information relating to— programs and funding opportunities at the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services that can be used to improve childcare access in rural communities; eligibility requirements for the programs described in subparagraph (A); and considerations in leveraging Federal resources; and not less frequently than once every 2 years, publish or update a joint resource guide that contains the information described in paragraph (1).

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