Burr’s bipartisan Child Care Protection Improvement Act ready for president’s signature

Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) to create a task force that will assist states in implementing federal work requirements for childcare workers is on the president’s desk to be signed into law.

The Child Care Protection Improvement Act of 2020, S. 2683, which Sen. Burr sponsored this fall with lead cosponsor and fellow bill author U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), received U.S. Senate approval on Dec. 19 after the House passed the bill in September. S. 2683 was presented to President Donald Trump on Dec. 21 for his signature.

“Our nation’s childcare workers serve an essential role on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and have faced unprecedented challenges over recent months,” Sen. Burr said. “As communities continue to slowly reopen and parents return to the workplace, they need child care that is not only reliable, but safe. This commonsense legislation prioritizes children’s safety by helping states meet employment requirements to ensure a high-quality child care workforce.”

The bill establishes an interagency task force, chaired by the Administration for Children and Families, to support states in conducting required criminal background checks for childcare staff members, according to the congressional record bill summary. 

Specifically, the task force must consult with relevant state agencies and develop recommendations and best practices, including evaluating how agencies are responding to interstate requests for information about staff, or prospective staff, who have lived in another state within the preceding five years, according to the summary. 

Additionally, the task force must submit a final report with its recommendations within one year of its first meeting.

The legislation received endorsements from the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Early Care and Education Consortium, the First Five Years Fund, and KinderCare.