Child Care Small Business Insight and Improvement Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Brian Fitzpatrick and 2 co-sponsors

The bill requires the SBA to study and report within 120 days on challenges, needs, resources, gaps, fraud risk, and recommended legislative actions for for-profit child care provi

Introduced in House

Summary of HR 9553 (119th Congress, 2nd Session)

Title

Child Care Small Business Insight and Improvement Act of 2026

Purpose

To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to conduct a study and submit a report to Congress examining for-profit child care providers, including their challenges, needs, current SBA resources, and potential legislative actions to improve support and prevent misuse of federal funds.

Key Provisions

Study and Report Deadline: The SBA Administrator must deliver the report to Congress within 120 days after enactment.

Scope of the Report (Section 2(a)): The report must include:

An assessment of the challenges and needs of for-profit child care providers.
A description of SBA resources and support currently available to these providers.
Identification of deficiencies in the SBA resources and support described.
Recommendations for legislative actions needed to address identified challenges or needs.
Identification of leadership needs required to effectively implement the recommendations.
The number of instances of fraud among for-profit child care providers and recommendations for statutory changes to prevent misuses of federal funds received by these providers.

Definition of For-Profit Child Care Provider (Section 2(b)): A for-profit provider is defined as:

An eligible child care provider (as defined in section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. 9858n),
That operates on a for-profit basis, and
That operates in one or more states, territories/possessions, or the District of Columbia.

No New Funding: The bill states that no additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Act (i.e., it relies on existing SBA funding).

What the Bill Would Change or Establish

Establishes a formal requirement for a focused, government-wide assessment of the for-profit child care sector from the SBA perspective.

Seeks to illuminate gaps in SBA-backed support for for-profit providers and to propose concrete legislative actions to address those gaps.

Calls for evaluation of fraud risk within for-profit child care providers receiving federal funds, plus policy recommendations to reduce misuse.

Who Would Be Affected

Primary: For-profit child care providers (as defined by the bill), SBA and its programs that serve child care providers, and congressional stakeholders receiving the report.

Indirect: Policy makers and legislators who oversee child care funding, small business support programs, and compliance/enforcement related to federal childcare funds.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

The bill was introduced on June 30, 2026, and referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

If enacted, the SBA must complete and submit the mandated study and report within 120 days of enactment.

The act specifies that no new appropriations are authorized, indicating the effort would be conducted within existing SBA resources.

Potential Impact and Considerations

The bill aims to improve knowledge about the for-profit child care sector and to inform potential future legislative or administrative actions.

It could lead to enhanced SBA guidance, reporting, or policy changes concerning for-profit child care providers and federal funding integrity.

Since no new funding is authorized, implementation would depend on current SBA capabilities and priorities.