1.This Act may be cited as the
Child Care Investment Act of
2008
.
2.
(a)Section 418 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 618) is amended—
(1)in subsection (a)—
(A)in paragraph (3)—
(i)in the matter preceding subparagraph (A),
by striking section
and inserting
subsection
;
(ii)in subparagraph (G), by striking
2010.
and inserting 2008; and
; and
(iii)by adding at the end the following:
(H)$3,717,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2009 though 2014.
;
and
(2)in subsection (b)—
(A)by striking all that precedes paragraph (1)
and inserting the following:
(6)
;
(B)by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and aligning the margins of those
subparagraphs with the margins of section 418(a)(2)(C) of that Act;
(C)by striking this section
each place it appears and inserting this subsection
; and
(D)by striking subsection
(a)(1)
and inserting paragraph (1)
.
(b)Section 418 of the Social Security Act, as
amended by subsection (a), is further amended by inserting after subsection (a)
the following:
(b)
(1)In addition to amounts appropriated under
subsection (a), there is appropriated to carry out this subsection $300,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2014.
(2)The Secretary shall use the funds
appropriated under paragraph (1) to make grants to eligible States, through
allotments made to those States on the basis of the formula described in
subsection (a)(2)(B).
(3)To be eligible to receive a grant under
this subsection, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require, including an assurance that the State will use the grant funds as
described in paragraph (4).
(4)A State that receives a grant under this
subsection shall use the grant funds to carry out 2 or more activities
consisting of—
(A)establishing and implementing, or
maintaining, a Quality Rating and Improvement System for center-based child
care providers, group home child care providers, family child care providers,
and other early childhood education providers, as determined by the State,
which shall—
(i)include criteria appropriate for providers
for each age group of the children involved, with initial and progressively
higher levels that lead to standards that are consistent with nationally
recognized high standards; and
(ii)provides assistance for education,
training, and compensation initiatives to assist child care providers in
meeting the initial and progressively higher levels for the criteria;
(B)establishing and supporting a statewide
network of infant and toddler specialists to provide individual or group
training, and intensive consultation, to center-based child care providers,
group home child care providers, family child care providers, and relative
caregivers on strategies to improve the quality of care for infants and
toddlers, especially infants and toddlers in families who are eligible for
federally funded child care assistance;
(C)establishing and implementing standards
that require at least 40 hours of appropriate health, safety, and child
development training for an individual, prior to employment with or as a
licensed or registered child care provider;
(D)establishing and implementing requirements
that licensed or registered center-based child care providers, group home child
care providers, and family child care providers are visited by monitoring staff
at least twice a year, with a minimum of 1 such visit a year on an unannounced
basis; and
(E)paying reimbursement rates, for providers
of child care services for which financial assistance is made available under
the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et
seq.), at or above the 75th percentile of market rates for such services as
determined by a current (as of the date of the payment) market rate
survey.
.