WeVote
Log In

Bill

AM

Bill

HR 8453

Rural Child Care Facility Expansion Act

119th Congress Introduced by April McClain Delaney and 4 co-sponsors

Provides federal low-interest loans to rural child care providers to renovate, expand, or adapt facilities, boosting licensed capacity in child care deserts.

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 8453

Summary of H.R. 8453: Rural Child Care Facility Expansion Act

Date introduced: April 22, 2026
Jurisdiction: United States, House of Representatives (Committee: Agriculture)
Primary sponsors: April McClain Delaney, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Eric Sorensen

1) Purpose and Intent

  • Establish a federal program to increase the availability of child care in rural communities by providing low-interest loans to qualified child care providers.
  • Target outcomes include expanding capacity, renovating or retrofitting facilities, and supporting expansion and adaptation of structures to serve more children in rural areas with limited existing licensed capacity.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

A. Low-Interest Loan Program

  • Effective date: Beginning 1 year after enactment.
  • Administered by: Secretary of Agriculture (acting through the Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development).
  • Purpose: Provide loans to covered child care providers to renovate, retrofit, expand, or adapt facilities to increase rural child care availability.

B. Definitions

  • Covered Child Care Provider:
    • Primary supplier of child care for birth to compulsory school age, or after-school care for school-age children, or provision of pre-school/Pre-K programs.
    • In compliance with state licensing requirements.
    • Conducts criminal background checks for each employee and regular volunteer that meet standards of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act.
    • Can include other providers the Secretary deems qualified to receive a loan.
  • Child Care Desert: A census tract where either:
    • The number of children exceeds the capacity of licensed providers by at least a factor of three, or
    • There are no licensed child care providers.
  • Rural Community: Any census-designated place with a population under 20,000, with possible Secretary-led modification.
  • Low-Interest Loan: Interest rate set at each loan advance equal to the Treasury constant maturity rate for a comparable maturity, plus 0.125 percentage points.
  • Secretary: Secretary of Agriculture, through the Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development.

C. Application and Processing

  • Eligible entities may apply for loans with details determined by the Secretary.
  • Processing timelines:
    • Within 30 days: Secretary must notify whether the application is complete or needs additional information.
    • Within 90 days: Secretary must notify whether the application is approved or disapproved.

D. Approval Criteria

  • A loan can be approved if:
    • The applicant is a covered child care provider.
    • The application demonstrates that project completion will increase child care availability in a child care desert within a rural community.

E. Use of Loan Funds

  • Primary use: Facilitate renovation, retrofitting, expansion, and adaptation of facilities to boost rural child care capacity.
  • Percentage limitation: Up to 10% of the loan may be used for pre-development activities (planning and design) for a new facility.

F. Loan Terms and Repayment

  • Term: Loans may have terms up to 25 years (as determined by the Secretary).
  • Repayment: A repayment schedule will be established by the Secretary.

G. Reporting to Congress

  • Timeline: Reports due within 1 year of enactment and annually thereafter.
  • Contents:
    • Number of loans awarded.
    • Activities funded.
    • Number of new child care slots created (including slots serving low-income families and dual-language learners).
    • Number of slots at risk of elimination due to facility closures or price increases that were preserved.
    • Number of staff employed by covered providers receiving loans.
    • Demographic data about communities served.
    • Number of pre-Kindergarten providers receiving loans.

3) Who or What Would be Affected

  • Rural communities: Potentially increased access to licensed child care as facilities expand or upgrade to serve more children.
  • Covered child care providers: Eligible entities include those primarily providing child care services and meeting licensure and background-check requirements; the program could open loans to additional qualified providers deemed eligible by the Secretary.
  • Rural families (especially low-income and multilingual families): Indirectly affected through increased availability of affordable or accessible child care slots.
  • Local economies: Possible positive effects from expanded child care capacity, including potential impacts on workforce participation and stability.

4) Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Enactment timing: Effective 1 year after enactment for loan availability.
  • Application processing timelines: Notifications within 30 days (completeness) and 90 days (approval/disapproval).
  • Oversight: Annual reporting to House and Senate Agriculture committees starting one year after enactment.
  • Maximum loan term: 25 years.
  • Reporting Scope: Loans awarded, activities funded, capacity gains, preservation of existing slots, employment, and demographic data.

Plain-Language takeaway

The Rural Child Care Facility Expansion Act would create a federal (Department of Agriculture) program offering low-interest loans to rural child care providers to renovate, expand, or adapt facilities. The goal is to increase the number of licensed child care slots in rural "child care deserts," with specific safeguards (licensing and background checks) and reporting requirements to track impact on capacity, employment, and access for families, including those with low income or language needs.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.