PROSPECT Act

Sponsor: Jahana Hayes (Democratic-CT)April 10, 2025

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Free child care for student parents and more child care training would be created.

This bill authorizes $9 billion for grants to community colleges and minority-serving institutions. These grants would help these schools offer free, high-quality child care for as many as 500,000 infants and toddlers of student parents. It would also boost the number of trained child care workers and improve child care options in communities.

What Would Change

Today, many student parents struggle to find affordable child care, which can make it hard to complete their education. This bill would create a new grant program to help community colleges and minority-serving institutions offer free child care for their student parents. It would also expand training for child care providers and increase federal support for state child care programs, making it easier for families to access quality care.

Key Provisions

Authorizes $9 billion for grants to community colleges and minority-serving institutions for child care programs.
Creates grants for colleges to offer free, high-quality child care for up to 500,000 children under age three of student parents.
Requires on-campus child care staff to be paid wages comparable to elementary educators and at least a living wage.
Establishes grants to train new child care providers and expand the number of quality child care options in communities.
Changes federal child care assistance rules to make more student parents eligible for support.
Increases the federal matching payments for states that pay higher rates for infant and toddler child care.

View on Congress.gov

HR 2845 · 119th Congress · April 10, 2025 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10

PROSPECT Act

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity