Early Childhood Development Act of 1997

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Assistance for Young Children

Title II: Child Care for Families

Title III: Loan Repayment for Child Care Workers

Title IV: Full Funding for the Women, Infants, and Children

Program

Title V: Amendments to the Head Start Act

Title VI: School Involvement Leave

Early Childhood Development Act of 1997 - Title I: Assistance for Young Children - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make allotments to eligible States to pay for the Federal share of the cost of enabling them to make competitive grants to local collaboratives for young child assistance activities.

(Sec. 104) Authorizes appropriations.

Title II: Child Care for Families - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to establish a Zero-to-Six program of formula payments to States for child care assistance on behalf of children under six years of age.

(Sec. 201) Makes appropriations for such grants.

Title III: Loan Repayment for Child Care Workers - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a program of student loan repayment for child care workers. Directs the Secretary of Education to assume the obligation to repay specified types of student loans for any borrower who is: (1) awarded an associate degree, or a baccalaureate or graduate degree, in early childhood development; and (2) employed, for not less than two years, in a child care facility serving low-income children who are primarily age birth through three. Directs the Secretary to determine the maximum amount of loans that may be repaid under such program.

(Sec. 301) Authorizes appropriations.

Title IV: Full Funding for the Women, Infants, and Children Program - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to authorize appropriations for full funding of the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC). Makes appropriations for such purpose.

Title V: Amendments to the Head Start Act - Amends the Head Start Act to extend the authorization of appropriations and revise requirements for allotment of funds.

Title VI: School Involvement Leave - Time for Schools Act of 1997 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow covered employees to take up to 24 hours, during any 12-month period, of school involvement leave to participate in: (1) an activity of their child's school; or (2) literacy training under a family literacy program.

(Sec. 603) Amends Federal civil service law to apply the same school involvement leave allowance to Federal employees.