Respect Parents’ Childcare Choices Act

H.R. 2282 would reauthorize and modify the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant program. The bill would increase federal childcare funding to $14 billion annually from 2026 through 2031 and would require that 90 percent of federal childcare funding be distributed through vouchers rather than direct grants. The bill would expand eligibility to include stay-at-home parents and would allow payments to unlicensed relative caregivers such as grandparents and siblings. It would also address religious childcare providers by ensuring they are not subject to more burdensome requirements than non-religious providers.

The bill would repeal the existing tax credit for dependent care expenses, which currently allows families to deduct certain childcare costs from their taxes. Supporters argue that increased federal funding and expanded parental choice would offset this change. The bill also includes provisions to prevent fraud in childcare assistance programs and would modify eligibility criteria to reduce what some call marriage penalties in the current system.