Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8937 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8937

    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

                              May 20, 2026

  Mrs. McBath (for herself, Mr. Lawler, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Thompson of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Mannion, and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
                               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 2026''.

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

    (a) Grant Program Authorized.--The Secretary, 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) 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) a description of how such funds will be allocated for
        necessary expenses for the career and technical education
        program of study described in paragraph (1), including the use
        of additional funding provided by State, local, or private
        entities, and plans to maintain and sustain the program;
            (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
        the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006
        (20 U.S.C. 2354(c));
            (7) a description of how the program will benefit the child
        care system and early childhood education workforce;
            (8) an assurance that the eligible partnership will--
                    (A) provide information to the Secretary, 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 of how the program will include education
        and training opportunities focused on infant and toddler
        development, including the developmental needs 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).
    (c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary, in coordination 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 provide child care
        services for infants and toddlers, child care services during
        nontraditional or extended hours, and inclusive child care
        services for children with disabilities;
            (5) 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
            (6) 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).
    (d) 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) Educational materials and resources, 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, dependent 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 develop the
                        necessary content knowledge and teaching skills
                        in early childhood education.
            (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.
    (e) 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;
            (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.
    (f) 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.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) 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 (20 U.S.C.
        2302) has the meaning given that term in such section.
            (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 child care provider.--The term ``eligible
        child care provider'' has the meaning given such term in
        section 658P(6)(A) of the Child Care and Development Block
        Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n(6)(A)).
            (4) 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)).
            (5) 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) An eligible 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.
                            (vi) A Head Start program (including an
                        Early Head Start program) carried out under the
                        Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.).
                            (vii) An early intervention service
                        provider.
            (6) Institution of higher education.--The term
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (7) Staffed family child care network.--The term ``staffed
        family child care network'' means a nonprofit organization--
                    (A) that may be a component of a State or local
                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 an eligible child care provider,
                to family child care providers.
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