H.R. 6656, the Child Care Access and Affordability Act of 2025, directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive study of how inflation and state eligibility standards are creating barriers to child care assistance across the country. The study will examine state-by-state income limits that prevent families from qualifying for the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, investigate waiting lists for child care services, review payment rates providers receive, and analyze how inflation is affecting child care availability and affordability. The GAO must complete this study and report its findings to Congress within 18 months of the bill's enactment. The bill affects low-income families seeking child care assistance, child care providers, and state programs administering these benefits. Rather than making direct funding changes, this legislation seeks to gather data that could inform future policy decisions about improving access to affordable child care.
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