Hinson Reintroduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Expand Child Care for Parents Working Nontraditional Hours

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) reintroduced the bipartisan After Hours Child Care Act alongside Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA-07) and Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), as well as Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH). This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would expand access to safe, reliable child care for working families whose jobs don’t fit a traditional 9-to-5 schedule.

“I hear consistently from parents about the difficulties they face while trying to find quality, accessible child care that makes sense for their families. This is even harder for parents who don’t work traditional 9-5 hours, like emergency service operators, nurses, first responders, and those in the service industry. These roles are critical to the safety and prosperity of our communities, and we have to make it easier for hardworking Iowans to stay in the workforce while raising a family. As a mom of two, I understand the importance of reliable child care options and remain committed to delivering bipartisan solutions that work for all families.” — Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

“It’s clear that working families in Oregon and across the country are struggling to find and afford child care. For parents who work non-traditional hours, including first responders, store clerks, nurses, and manufacturers, it’s a real struggle to find child care options for their families. This bipartisan bill will expand access to affordable and convenient child care by expanding existing programs and establishing new facilities to meet the after-hours needs of working families." — Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici

“Hoosier parents rely on affordable child care in order to work, advance their careers, and provide for their families. Currently, child care options are extremely limited for families, especially in rural Indiana communities. Our legislation will help address the needs of working parents, enabling them to more easily pursue employment opportunities that best fit the need of their families.” — Senator Todd Young

“Addressing the nation’s child care challenges is essential to supporting working families and maintaining a strong workforce. Because the needs of families are not one-size-fits-all, we must advance innovative and flexible solutions, especially for those working nontraditional hours, including first responders, health care professionals, manufacturers, and service industry employees. This legislation is an important step toward expanding access to safe, affordable, high-quality child care and helping parents remain attached to the workforce." — Bipartisan Policy Center Action President Michele Stockwell

“Almost half of U.S. parents work outside the traditional 9-to-5, which makes affordable child care even harder to access. Many of these families keep our communities running – working nights and weekends in hospitals, manufacturing plants, restaurants, and public safety – but struggle to find quality care for their own children because providers often lack the staff and resources to stay open during nontraditional hours. We’re grateful to Congresswomen Hinson and Bonamici and Senators Young and Hassan for their bipartisan leadership to help expand access to affordable, quality child care that better meets the needs of hardworking families.” — First Five Years Fund Executive Director Sarah Rittling

Background:

Many working parents do not work traditional hours, yet access to child care during evenings and weekends remains limited. The lack of after-hours child care contributes to workforce shortages and places additional strain on families and businesses.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is an existing bipartisan program that helps low-income working families afford quality child care. Building on the CCDBG, the After Hours Child Care Act:

• Establishes a pilot program to award grants to eligible child care providers to expand eligibility for child care programs serving nontraditional work hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and short-notice schedules.
   
• Supports the expansion of new child care facilities and workplace-based child care options.
   
• Requires a 25 percent match to federal funds for participating providers.
   
• Mandates a report every two years evaluating the bill’s effectiveness in improving access to child care.

Read here for exclusive reporting from The Gazette. The full bill text can be found here.

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