,,ii #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dacj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #af1 #bjbd,mrs4 ,shaheen 7for herself and ,ms4 ,ernst7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services ,a ,,bill ,to require the establishment of a pilot program to expand early child care options for members of the ,armed ,forces and their families4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,expanding ,access to ,child ,care for ,military ,families ,act of #bjbd4 #b4 ,pilot program to expand early child care options for members of the ,armed ,forces and their families 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,defense shall direct the ,secretaries of the military departments to carry out a pilot program to improve the access of members of the ,armed ,forces and their families to high quality early child care opportunities by establishing partnerships with eligible child care providers-- 7#a7 to increase the capacity of those providers2 7#b7 to improve early child care workforce development2 and 7#c7 to increase recruitment and retention of employees for eligible child care providers4 7b7 ,selection of eligible child care providers and networks of such providers 7#a7 ,in general ,under the pilot program required by subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall direct the ,secretaries of the military departments to enter into a total of #ab partnerships with eligible child care providers1 or networks of such providers1 to1 in communities under the jurisdiction of such secretaries-- 7,a7 increase the number of early child care slots available to members of the ,armed ,forces and their families2 7,b7 facilitate recruitment and retention of employees for eligible child care providers2 and 7,c7 provide additional professional development opportunities for such employees4 7#b7 ,limitation ,the ,secretary may direct the ,secretaries of the military departments to enter into not more than one partnership with each eligible child care provider1 or network of such providers1 under the pilot program required by subsection 7a74 7#c7 ,locations ,in selecting eligible child care providers or network of such providers with which to enter into partnerships under the pilot program required by subsection 7a71 the ,secretary-- 7,a7 shall direct the ,secretaries of the military departments-- 7i7 to ensure that-- 7,i7 each partnership is based at a different military installation2 and 7,,ii7 at least one partnership is based at-- 7aa7 a ,navy installation that is not a ,marine ,corps installation2 7bb7 a ,marine ,corps installation2 7cc7 an ,army installation2 7dd7 an ,air ,force installation that is not a ,space ,force installation2 7ee7 a ,space ,force installation2 and 7ff7 a joint military installation2 and 7ii7 to consider-- 7,i7 geographic diversity and population demographics to reflect the inclusion of multiple communities across the ,united ,states2 7,,ii7 the appropriate qualifications1 consistent with ,department of ,defense regulations and training requirements and under applicable ,state and local laws1 to provide services to meet the needs of eligible children2 and 7,,iii7 existing resources available to the eligible child care providers or networks of such providers to train and support employees for eligible child care providers2 and 7,b7 may authorize the ,secretaries of the military departments to establish partnerships in communities near military installations with military child development centers or other existing early childcare programs of the ,department of ,defense1 including the ,military ,child ,care in ,your ,neighborhood program4 7c7 ,authorized functions ,in carrying out the pilot program required by subsection 7a71 the ,secretary may-- 7#a7 direct the ,secretaries of the military departments-- 7,a7 to identify gaps between existing early child care needs and available eligible child care providers in communities where such ,secretaries are considering establishing the pilot program2 7,b7 to use resources of the ,department of ,defense to support eligible child care providers in recruitment and retention of employees1 including through professional development and financial incentives for such employees2 and 7,c7 to seek to enter into an interagency partnership with a ,federal agency with the ability to place national service participants and volunteers trained in education services1 including senior volunteer programs1 at military child development centers1 including such a center at an installation selected for a partnership under subsection 7b77#c71 in accordance with applicable national service laws and with all the benefits accorded to such participants and volunteers2 and 7#b7 provide training and resource subsidies to eligible child care providers and networks of such providers participating in partnerships established under subsection 7b74 7d7 ,assurance of not reducing early child care availability for nonmilitary families 7#a7 ,in general ,as a condition of entering into a partnership under subsection 7a71 an eligible child care provider or network of such providers participating in a partnership established under subsection 7b7 is required to provide assurances that the provider or network will not-- 7,a7 reduce early child care slots for nonmilitary families after entering into the partnership2 or 7,b7 enter into the construction of new child care facilities4 7#b7 ,assessments ,not later than #ahj days after the pilot program commences under paragraph 7#a77;,a7 of subsection 7h71 and every #ahj days thereafter until the pilot program terminates under that subsection1 the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 assess whether each eligible child care provider or network of such providers with which the ,secretary of a military department entered into a partnership under subsection 7b7-- 7i7 is providing the assurances required by paragraph 7#a72 and 7ii7 has not reduced early child care slots for nonmilitary families2 and 7,b7 if the ,secretary determines that the provider or network of providers is not providing such assurances or has reduced such slots-- 7i7 notify the provider or network that the provider or network has #ij days to restore the slots2 and 7ii7 if the provider or network does not restore the slots during that #ij-;day period1 terminate the partnership4 7e7 ,location of pilot program ,the ,secretary shall direct the ,secretaries of the military departments to ensure that1 pursuant to a partnership entered into under the pilot program required by subsection 7a71 the program is administered at or near the site of the eligible child care provider or network of such providers with which the ,secretary entered into the partnership at or near a military installation4 7f7 ,administration ,not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall direct the ,secretaries of the military departments to develop one centralized administrative system to carry out the pilot program required by subsection 7a71 which may include information on-- 7#a7 available military child development centers at military installations at which partnerships are established under the pilot program2 7#b7 the number of early child care education slots available or needed at such installations2 7#c7 the fees and costs associated for parents participating in the pilot program2 and 7#d7 other relevant administration and technical assistance matters4 7g7 ,reporting requirements 7#a7 ,briefings by secretary of defense 7,a7 ,initial briefing ,not later than #ahj days after the pilot program required by subsection 7a7 commences under subsection 7h77#a77;,a71 the ,secretary shall direct the ,secretaries of the military departments to provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of ,congress on the implementation of the pilot program1 including-- 7i7 the demonstrated need for eligible child care providers in the locations of the pilot program1 including-- 7,i7 the number of such providers present at the start of the pilot program relative to the number of eligible children requiring care2 and 7,,ii7 data on children served through the pilot program1 disaggregated by criteria such as-- 7aa7 the number of infants and toddlers served2 7bb7 providers offering early child care during nontraditional or extended hours2 7cc7 early child care in rural communities2 and 7dd7 inclusive early child care services for children with disabilities2 7ii7 the change in the number of eligible child care providers as a result of the pilot program2 7iii7 the change in early child care education capacity for members of the ,armed ,forces and their families and an assessment of unmet need for such education2 7iv7 an assessment of the efficacy of the pilot program2 and 7v7 an assessment of the impact of the pilot program on early child care availability in communities in which the pilot program is operating1 including the impact of the pilot program on-- 7,i7 eligible child care providers operating before the commencement of the pilot program2 and 7,,ii7 the number of early child care slots available to nonmilitary families1 compared to the number of such slots available before the commencement of the pilot program4 7,b7 ,annual briefings on progress ,not later than one year after the pilot program required by subsection 7a7 commences under subsection 7h77#a77;,a71 and annually thereafter until the termination of the pilot program under subsection 7h71 the ,secretary shall direct the ,secretaries of the military departments to provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of ,congress on the progress of the pilot program4 7#b7 ,final report by secretary of defense ,not later than #abj days after the termination under subsection 7h7 of the pilot program required by subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall direct the ,secretaries of the military departments to submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a final report on the pilot program4 7#c7 ,reports by government accountability office 7,a7 ,progress report ,not later than #d years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress an interim report on the progress of the pilot program required by subsection 7a74 7,b7 ,final report ,not later than #abj days after the termination under subsection 7h7 of the pilot program required by subsection 7a71 the ,comptroller ,general shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a final report on the pilot program4 7h7 ,duration of pilot program 7#a7 ,in general ,the pilot program required by subsection 7a7 shall-- 7,a7 commence not later than ,january #a1 #bjbf2 and 7,b7 unless extended in accordance with paragraph 7#b71 terminate on ,december #ca1 #bjcj4 7#b7 ,extension ,the ,secretary may direct the ,secretaries of the military departments to extend the pilot program required by subsection 7a7 to terminate not later than ,december #ca1 #bjcb1 if the ,secretary notifies the appropriate committees of ,congress not later than ,june #cj1 #bjcj1 of the intention of the ,secretary to extend the pilot program1 along with a description of the benefits of extending the pilot program4 7i7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,appropriate committees of congress ,the term appropriate committees of ,congress means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,armed ,services of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,armed ,services of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,child care employee ,the term child care employee has the meaning given that term in section #ahjj of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#c7 ,eligible child ,the term eligible child means-- 7,a7 an infant or toddler2 7,b7 a three- or four-year-old2 or 7,c7 a school-aged child4 7#d7 ,eligible child care provider ,the term eligible child care provider has the meaning given that term in section #feh,p of the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihehn74 7#e7 ,military child development center ,the term military child development center has the meaning given that term in section #ahjj of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4