Hinson Co-Leads Bipartisan Bill to Expand Working Families’ Access to Childcare

Image June 9, 2026 Press Release Legislation reauthorizes the Child Care and Development Block Grant for the first time in over a decade Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) joined Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA-07), Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI-08), and Congresswoman Susie Lee (D-NV-03) in introducing the Child Care Modernization Act. This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize and improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), helping provide affordable childcare options for working families. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) recently introduced companion legislation in the Senate. "Childcare remains one of the biggest household expenses for families in Iowa and across the country. After more than a decade without reauthorization, the federal government's primary childcare program simply isn't equipped to meet the needs of our families. That’s why I helped introduce bipartisan legislation to expand access to affordable, quality childcare and ensure every working family can access quality, affordable childcare. This bill tackles barriers that make it harder to open and grow childcare facilities, creating more options for parents and strengthening our workforce. Family is at the heart of everything I do, and I'll keep fighting to make it easier to raise one.” — Congresswoman Ashley Hinson " Working families in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos count on access to high-quality, affordable child care here in our community. After childcare costs skyrocketed by 29% from 2020-2024, it’s more important than ever that we deliver the relief and reform that working families need to thrive. By bringing federal childcare support in line with the modern needs of parents and providers, the bipartisan Child Care Modernization Act will help to improve access, affordability, and quality for everyone. ” — Congressman Ryan Mackenzie “The lack of affordable, reliable child care – especially in rural communities – remains a huge issue for working families. It's why I introduced the Child Care Modernization Act to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant, driving meaningful improvements in child care access and quality. I applaud my colleagues in the House for introducing a companion bill – a critical step toward getting this legislation signed into law.” — Senator Deb Fischer “Child care continues to shape the daily decisions of working families, influencing when and where parents can work and how they plan for the future. The Child Care Modernization Act provides an important opportunity to strengthen and sustain the child care sector while helping states better address child care needs in real time. Families can’t press pause on their child care needs, and this legislation helps expand child care options and respond to families’ needs today. We’re so grateful to Representatives Ryan Mackenzie, Susie Lee, Ashley Hinson, and Kristen McDonald Rivet for their bipartisan leadership and commitment to working together to expand child care options for families.” — Sarah Rittling, Executive Director of First Five Years Fund "CCDBG has been a cornerstone bipartisan program for decades—but it hasn't been reauthorized in over ten years, and the gaps are showing. New Bipartisan Policy Center polling finds nearly half of caregivers struggle to find care that meets their needs, and 60% say difficulty accessing care caused someone in their household to miss work, reduce hours, or change jobs in the past year. A system that doesn't reach families isn't serving today's workforce or building tomorrow's. The Child Care Modernization Act takes a critical step by modernizing the way CCDBG works to better meet the real needs of working families. We commend Reps. Mackenzie (R-PA), McDonald Rivet (D-MI), Hinson (R-IA), and Lee (D-NV) for their cross-party leadership and urge Congress to advance this bill." — Michele Stockwell, president of Bipartisan Policy Center Action "As a child care provider with over 45 years of experience in classrooms, home visitation, and program assessment, I see every day the impact that CCDBG makes in my community by helping low-income families afford the care they need. But without reauthorization and improvement, the Child Care Assistance (CCA) subsidy program in Iowa is struggling. Just a few years ago several canters in my community which served majority CCA children had to close their doors as provider reimbursement rates were so far below the cost of care they could not afford to stay open." — Cathy Meyer, Iowa Volunteer Leader with Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) "The Child Care Modernization Act would reauthorize CCDBG for the first time in 12 years and help make many important improvements including supporting regular updates to provider reimbursement rates. Passing the CCMA is a critical step toward strengthening our nationwide child care system and ensuring that children and families in Iowa and across the nation have access to high quality, affordable care." — Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for SCAN The Child Care Modernization Act would: Create new grant opportunities to help high-quality providers build, expand, or renovate childcare facilities. Encourage states to update CCDBG reimbursement rates so they more accurately reflect the cost of providing quality childcare. Reduce unnecessary red tape that places burdens on small, rural, and home-based childcare providers. Strengthen support networks for home-based providers by expanding access to technical assistance and sharing best practices. Give states additional flexibility when determining income eligibility for families participating in the CCDBG program. Hinson’s extensive work in improving childcare options: As co-chair of the Pre-K and Child Care Caucus and a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Hinson has prioritized making a difference for children, families, and childcare providers — the workforce behind the workforce — across the country through supporting expansion of childcare options and critical funding for childcare and early childhood education programs. Congresswoman Hinson has introduced the After Hours Child Care Act to expand access to safe, reliable childcare for working families whose jobs don’t fit a traditional 9-to-5 schedule. She co-led the Early Education Savings Program Act to address barriers in accessing childcare by expanding 529 savings programs to cover childcare expenses and increasing support for early childhood education. Hinson also fought to strengthen key childcare tax credits – the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and 45F, the Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit — in the Working Families Tax Cuts. The full text of the bill can be found here . ###