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S 389 108th Congress Senate

Caring for Children Act

Official title: A bill to increase the supply of quality child care.

Introduced: February 13, 2003 See on congress.gov
Families AuditingChild care workersChild developmentChild health
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CommerceCongressCongressional reporting requirementsDay careDisabledDistance educationEconomics and Public FinanceEducationElementary and secondary educationEmployee benefit plansEmployee trainingFederal aid to educationFinance and Financial SectorGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment paperworkGovernment publicationsGovernment publicityGovernmental investigationsGrants-in-aidHealthHigher educationInternetLabor and EmploymentPreschool educationScholarshipsSchool-age child careScience, Technology, CommunicationsSmall businessSocial WelfareTeacher educationTelephoneWeb sitesWorking poor
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 25, 2003
Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Feb 25, 2003
Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Feb 13, 2003
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2466-2467)
Feb 13, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2465)
Feb 13, 2003
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action February 25, 2003

Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Caring for Children Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect and disseminate directly or through competitive award of contracts: (1) information concerning health and safety in various child care settings; and (2) relevant findings in the field of early childhood learning and development.

Directs the Secretary to award grants to eligible entities to develop: (1) distance learning child care training technology infrastructures; and (2) model technology-based training courses for child care providers and child care workers, to be provided through distance learning programs made available through the infrastructure. Requires, to the maximum extent possible, that such grants be awarded in those regions of the United States with the fewest training opportunities for child care providers.

Directs the Secretary to establish a demonstration program of competitive grants to States to help them provide funds to encourage the establishment and operation of small business employer-operated child care programs. Requires a State to give priority for such assistance to applicants that desire to form a consortium to provide child care in a geographic area within the State where such care is not generally available or accessible, and allows such consortia to include businesses, nonprofit agencies or organizations, local governments, or other appropriate entities.

 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 389: Caring for Children Act. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-389/
MLA
"S. 389: Caring for Children Act." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-389/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 389, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-389/.
Markdown link
[S. 389: Caring for Children Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-389/)
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