Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The PROSPECT Act is a $9 billion federal grant program (2026-2030) designed to help student parents—particularly those from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds—by expanding access to affordable infant and toddler child care at community colleges and minority-serving institutions. The bill addresses a critical problem: 43% of families pay unaffordable child care costs, student parents are twice as likely to drop out of college, and only 5% of colleges offer adequate child care. It funds four types of grants to community colleges and minority-serving institutions to establish on-campus licensed child care centers that provide free care to low-income student families, train early childhood educators through associate degree and credential programs, support community child care providers in underserved areas, and reimburse states for 90% of infant and toddler care assistance costs. The legislation also requires colleges to inform students about dependent care allowances in their financial aid packages and establishes extensive reporting requirements to track outcomes, with special attention to serving dual language learners, children with disabilities, and programs offering nontraditional hours.
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