NAEYC statement on House passage of the Stop Child Care Scams Act

Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to pass the Stop Child Care Scams Act, a legislative package purportedly aimed at addressing child care fraud. While we agree that fraud is harmful, and should be targeted and addressed where it exists, there is no evidence of widespread fraud in the child care subsidy program, and the policies included in this package risk far greater harm to programs and families who rely on federal child care dollars.

Among other provisions, the legislation would impose costly new administrative burdens on states and programs, make it easier for the federal government to withhold subsidy funding from states, and permanently prohibit providers from receiving federal funds for minor paperwork errors.

Because of these risks to children, educators, families and communities that rely on child care assistance, NAEYC and more than 200 of our partners across the country sent a letter to the House prior to this vote to reject this bill. As this bill now moves to the Senate, we urge Senators to reject this harmful package, listen to educators and families about what they truly need, and prioritize policies that invest in and support families' access to high-quality child care and early learning opportunities.