[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7355 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7355

    To direct the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, to award competitive grants to 
   eligible partnerships to establish, expand, or support career and 
  technical education programs of study in early childhood education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2024

  Ms. Kuster (for herself, Ms. Bonamici, Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer, and Mr. 
   Lawler) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, to award competitive grants to 
   eligible partnerships to establish, expand, or support career and 
  technical education programs of study in early childhood education.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Early Childhood Workforce 
Advancement Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS OF 
              STUDY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

    (a) Grant Program Authorized.--The Secretary of Education, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 
award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships for the 
purpose of establishing, supporting, or expanding career and technical 
education programs of study in early childhood education.
    (b) Grant Duration.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a grant awarded 
        under this section may not exceed a 5-year grant period.
            (2) Extension.--The Secretary may extend the grant period 
        for an eligible partnership for not more than 1 additional 2-
        year period if the eligible partnership demonstrates to the 
        Secretary that the eligible partnership--
                    (A) is achieving the program objectives for which 
                the eligible partnership is receiving the grant; and
                    (B) has improved education outcomes for students 
                participating in the programs funded by such grant, 
                including special populations.
    (c) Application.--To be considered for a grant under this section, 
an eligible partnership shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require, including--
            (1) a description of how the eligible partnership will use 
        such grant to establish, support, or expand a career and 
        technical education program of study in early childhood 
        education;
            (2) a description of the roles and responsibilities of each 
        partner of the eligible partnership;
            (3) the grant budget, how the partnership will fund 
        necessary expenses for the career and technical education 
        program of study described in paragraph (1), which will not be 
        covered by the grant (such as any funds to be provided by 
        State, local, or private entities), and how the eligible 
        partnership will continue the program after the grant period 
        ends;
            (4) a description of how the grant will directly benefit 
        students, including special populations, served by the eligible 
        partnership;
            (5) a description of how such career and technical 
        education program of study will be coordinated with the 
        activities carried out under section 124 or 135 of the Carl D. 
        Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 
        2344; 2355);
            (6) a description of how the program reflects the needs of 
        regional, State, or local employers, as demonstrated by the 
        local comprehensive needs assessment under section 134(c) of 
        Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006;
            (7) a description of how the program will benefit the child 
        care industry and early childhood education workforce;
            (8) an assurance that the eligible partnership will--
                    (A) provide information to the Secretary of 
                Education, as requested, for evaluations that the 
                Secretary may carry out; and
                    (B) make data available to third parties for 
                validation, in accordance with applicable data privacy 
                laws, including section 444 of the General Education 
                Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g, commonly known as the 
                ``Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974'');
            (9) a description on how the program will include 
        curriculum and practical training opportunities focused on 
        infant and toddler development and the learning and development 
        of infants or toddlers with a disability (as defined in section 
        632 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 
        U.S.C. 1432)); and
            (10) a description, if applicable, about how the program 
        will respond to the needs or goals identified by the applicable 
        State in the statewide needs assessment or statewide strategic 
        plan developed, updated, or implemented for purposes of a 
        preschool development grant under section 9212 of the Every 
        Student Succeeds Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 note).
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary, jointly with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
shall--
            (1) ensure an equitable national geographic distribution of 
        the grants;
            (2) award grants to applicants that propose to serve 
        communities in rural areas and to applicants that propose to 
        serve communities in urban areas;
            (3) give priority to applicants located in areas with a 
        documented shortage of childcare providers;
            (4) give priority to applicants that include an institution 
        of higher education with a program of study in early childhood 
        education or a consortium of such institutions; and
            (5) give priority, if applicable, to applicants that 
        demonstrate, in the application submitted under subsection (c) 
        for a grant under this section, that the program to be funded 
        with such grant will respond to the needs or goals identified 
        by the applicable State in the statewide needs assessment or 
        statewide strategic plan developed, updated, or implemented for 
        purposes of a preschool development grant under section 9212 of 
        the Every Student Succeeds Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 note).
    (e) Use of Funds.--Each eligible partnership receiving a grant 
under this section shall use such grant to establish, support, or 
expand career and technical education programs of study in early 
childhood education, which shall include one or more of the following:
            (1) curriculum development and delivery, including 
        classroom instruction, work-based learning, support attainment 
        of dual or concurrent enrollment credits, industry credentials 
        such as a Child Development Associate, a preapprenticeship, and 
        an apprenticeship through career and technical student 
        organizations;
            (2) supporting the recruiting, hiring, and training of 
        effective educators in early childhood education, including 
        educators who became certified through State and local 
        alternative routes to certification;
            (3) improving career and technical education outcomes of 
        students served by the eligible partnership through activities 
        such as--
                    (A) supporting the development and enhancement of 
                innovative delivery models for career and technical 
                education-related work-based learning (including 
                school-based simulated work sites, mentoring, 
                apprenticeship programs, work site visits, job 
                shadowing, project-based learning, and skills-based and 
                paid internships); and
                    (B) providing academic and nonacademic wrap-around 
                supports and services, including advising, tutoring, 
                test preparation, child care assistance, 
                transportation, and financial assistance (which may 
                include scholarships or stipends), during the period in 
                which such students--
                            (i) complete a Child Development Associate 
                        credential, early childhood education associate 
                        degree program, or baccalaureate degree 
                        program, as applicable;
                            (ii) access and complete State licensure or 
                        certification examinations; or
                            (iii) receive opportunities to practice and 
                        develop teaching in early childhood education; 
                        and
            (4) creating or expanding recruitment, retention, or 
        professional development activities for career and technical 
        education teachers, faculty, school leaders, administrators, 
        specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance 
        and academic counselors, and paraprofessionals, which may 
        include--
                    (A) high-quality teacher mentoring by experienced 
                teachers in early childhood education;
                    (B) providing resources and training to improve 
                instruction for, and provide appropriate accommodations 
                to, special populations, including the unique needs of 
                teaching in rural or urban communities;
                    (C) the integration of coherent and rigorous 
                academic content standards and career and technical 
                education curricula, including through opportunities 
                for appropriate academic and career and technical 
                education teachers to jointly develop and implement 
                curricula and pedagogical strategies;
                    (D) providing resources or assistance with meeting 
                State teacher licensure and credential requirements;
                    (E) implementing initiatives that increase 
                compensation for early childhood educators who attain a 
                Child Development Associate credential, or an associate 
                or baccalaureate degree in early childhood education; 
                or
                    (F) training for career guidance and academic 
                counselors at the secondary level to improve awareness 
                of postsecondary education and postsecondary career 
                options in early childhood education, and improve the 
                ability of such counselors to communicate to students 
                career opportunities and employment trends in early 
                childhood education.
    (f) Evaluation and Annual Report.--Each eligible partnership 
receiving a grant under this section shall provide for an independent 
evaluation of the activities carried out using such grant and submit to 
the Secretary an annual report that includes--
            (1) a description of how funds received under this section 
        were used; and
            (2) the performance of the career and technical education 
        program of study funded with such grant with respect to, at a 
        minimum, the performance indicators described under section 113 
        of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
        2006 (20 U.S.C. 2323), as applicable, and disaggregated--
                    (A) by subgroups of students described in section 
                1111(c)(2)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(c)(2)(B)); and
                    (B) by each special population; and
            (3) a quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of such 
        program.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Child care provider.--The term ``child care provider'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 658H(i) of the Child 
        Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
        9858f(i)).
            (2) Early childhood education.--The term ``early childhood 
        education program'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003).
            (3) Eligible recipient.--The term ``eligible recipient'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 3(21)(A) of the Carl 
        D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
        U.S.C. 2302(21)(A)).
            (4) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible 
        partnership'' means a partnership between or among--
                    (A) an eligible recipient; and
                    (B) one or more of the following:
                            (i) An institution of higher education with 
                        a program of study in early childhood education 
                        or a consortium of such institutions.
                            (ii) A child care provider.
                            (iii) A community stakeholder relevant to a 
                        career and technical education programs of 
                        study in early childhood education to be funded 
                        under this section, including a labor 
                        organization, a local or regional business or 
                        industry, or a local workforce development 
                        board.
                            (iv) A Child Care Resource and Referral 
                        Organization (as described in section 
                        658E(c)(3)(B)(iii) of the Child Care and 
                        Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
                        9858c(c)(3)(B)(iii)).
                            (v) A staffed family child care network.
            (5) Perkins terms.--Except as otherwise provided, any term 
        used in this Act that is defined in section 3 of the Carl D. 
        Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 has the 
        meaning given that term in such section.
            (6) Staffed family child care network.--The term ``staffed 
        family child care network'' means a nonprofit organization--
                    (A) that may be a component of a child care 
                resource and referral organization;
                    (B) that has at least one paid staff member; and
                    (C) that offers evidence-based professional 
                development, quality improvement support, business 
                support, and technical assistance, including on 
                achieving licensure as a child care provider, to family 
                child care providers.
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