text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Infant and Toddler Care Improvement 
  Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
              (1) The brain undergoes its most dramatic development 
          during a child's first 3 years of life, with 700 new 
          neurological connections being formed every second based on 
          early experience. During this time, the brain's foundational 
          capacities for thinking, language, emotion, and self-regulation 
          are formed.
              (2) Economic deprivation can also affect the development of 
          the brain and impair all aspects of development. Children in 
          families below the poverty line are at risk for prolonged 
          ``toxic'' stress, which can change the shape of the brain's 
          structure. Twenty-five percent of children younger than 3 years 
          of age live in families with incomes below the poverty level.
              (3) Child care is second only to the family setting as the 
          place in which early development takes place for many infants 
          and toddlers. Sixty-one percent of mothers with children 
          younger than 3 years of age are in the labor force and over 
          6,000,000 children younger than 3 years of age are cared for by 
          someone other than their parents for some part or all of the 
          day. Therefore, the relationship between the child and the 
          child care provider often plays a significant role in child 
          development.
              (4) Research shows that high-quality child care can 
          mitigate some of the effects of adverse experiences caused by 
          poverty and that low-income children can benefit particularly 
          well from high-quality child care. Yet, at-risk children 
          younger than 3 years of age often receive low-quality child 
          care that can lead to poor developmental outcomes.
              (5) High-quality child care has been shown to promote 
          positive cognitive, language, and social and emotional 
          development, and contribute to academic success. High-quality 
          child care can also help improve a child's communication 
          skills, cognitive skills, behavioral skills, math and language 
          assessment scores, and verbal intelligence.
              (6) Providing training and technical assistance to family 
          child care providers who are infant and toddler care providers, 
          through family child care networks, has been shown to improve 
          the quality of caregivers.
              (7) Twenty-seven States use infant and toddler specialist 
          networks as the structure for providing training and technical 
          assistance, using research-based training and techniques such 
          as mentoring and on-site coaching, to all types of providers of 
          child care for infants or toddlers.
              (8) Preparation for early childhood educators often does 
          not include training specific to infants and toddlers. Only 21 
          States have infant and toddler credential requirements that 
          define the particular knowledge and skills needed to work with 
          children younger than 3 years of age.
              (9) Infants and toddlers have unique needs that differ from 
          those of older children in areas such as health and safety, 
          interaction with teachers and caregivers, and learning, yet not 
          all States recognize those differences in licensing regulations 
          or in their Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. Just 20 
          States have infant and toddler quality indicators in their 
          Quality Rating and Improvement Systems and only 3 States have 
          separate categories of child care regulations related to 
          infants and toddlers.
      (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to improve the overall 
  quality of child care programs serving infants or toddlers.
  
  SEC. 3. HIGH-QUALITY INFANT AND TODDLER CARE PROGRAM.
  
      The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 is amended 
  by inserting after section 658G (42 U.S.C. 9858e) the following:
  
  ``SEC. 658H. HIGH-QUALITY INFANT AND TODDLER CARE PROGRAM.
  
      ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
              ``(1) Eligible infant or toddler care provider.--The term 
          `eligible infant or toddler care provider' means an eligible 
          child care provider, consistent with section 658P, who provides 
          care to an infant or toddler.
              ``(2) Infant or toddler.--The term `infant or toddler' 
          means an individual under 3 years of age.
              ``(3) Infant or toddler with a developmental delay or 
          disability.--
                      ``(A) In general.--The term `infant or toddler with 
                  a developmental delay or disability' has the meaning 
                  given the term `infant or toddler with a disability' in 
                  section 632 of the Individuals with Disabilities 
                  Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1432).
                      ``(B) Plural form.--The term `infants and toddlers 
                  with developmental delays or disabilities' means more 
                  than 1 infant or toddler with a developmental delay or 
                  disability.
              ``(4) Limited english proficient.--The term `limited 
          English proficient' has the meaning given the term in section 
          637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832).
              ``(5) Low-income community.--The term `low-income 
          community' shall be defined by the Secretary.
              ``(6) Low-income family.--The term `low-income family' 
          means a family with a family income described in section 
          658P(4)(B).
      ``(b) Grants.--
              ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall make grants to 
          eligible States, from allotments described in paragraph (2), to 
          enable the States to improve the quality of care for infants 
          and toddlers.
              ``(2) Allotments.--
                      ``(A) Amounts reserved.--
                              ``(i) Territories and possessions.--The 
                          Secretary shall reserve an amount not to exceed 
                          0.5 percent of the amount appropriated under 
                          this section for each fiscal year for payments 
                          to Guam, American Samoa, the United States 
                          Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the 
                          Northern Mariana Islands, to be allotted in 
                          accordance with their respective needs.
                              ``(ii) Indian tribes.--The Secretary shall 
                          reserve not less than 1 percent, and not more 
                          than 2 percent, of the amount appropriated 
                          under this section for each fiscal year for 
                          payments to Indian tribes and tribal 
                          organizations with applications approved under 
                          section 658O(c).
                      ``(B) Allotments to states.--After making 
                  reservations under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
                  shall use the remainder of the amount appropriated 
                  under this section for a fiscal year to allot to each 
                  State an amount that bears the same relationship to 
                  that remainder as the amount allotted to the State 
                  under section 658O for that fiscal year bears to the 
                  amount allotted to all States under section 658O for 
                  that fiscal year.
                      ``(C) State.--In this paragraph, the term `State' 
                  does not include Guam, American Samoa, the United 
                  States Virgin Islands, or the Commonwealth of the 
                  Northern Mariana Islands.
      ``(c) Amendment to State Plans.--A State that receives a grant 
  under this section shall include in the State's plan under section 
  658E, a description of how the State will use funds provided under this 
  section to improve the quality of infant and toddler care.
      ``(d) Use of Funds.--
              ``(1) In general.--A State that receives a grant under this 
          section shall use the funds made available through the grant to 
          carry out 1 or more of the activities described in paragraphs 
          (2) through (7).
              ``(2) Increasing high-quality infant and toddler care.--
                      ``(A) In general.--A State may use the funds 
                  described in paragraph (1) to make grants to eligible 
                  entities to be resources for eligible infant and 
                  toddler care providers, to improve the quality of early 
                  care and development services provided to infants and 
                  toddlers in the community from low-income families and 
                  to help such providers serving low-income families 
                  improve their capacity to offer high-quality care to 
                  such families.
                      ``(B) Eligible entity.--To be eligible to receive a 
                  grant under this paragraph, an entity shall be an 
                  eligible child care provider that--
                              ``(i) serves infants and toddlers from low-
                          income families; and
                              ``(ii)(I) is ranked at the top level of the 
                          State's Quality Rating and Improvement System 
                          or similar rating system or accredited by a 
                          national accrediting body recognized, before 
                          the date of enactment of the Infant and Toddler 
                          Care Improvement Act, for high-quality program 
                          standards that are valid and reliable; or
                              ``(II) is an Early Head Start agency under 
                          section 645A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 
                          9840a) that is in full compliance with the 
                          performance standards applicable to such an 
                          agency under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 
                          et seq.).
                      ``(C) Priority.--In making grants under this 
                  paragraph, a State--
                              ``(i) shall give priority to entities that 
                          will serve significant populations of low-
                          income families; and
                              ``(ii) may give priority to entities that--
                                      ``(I) are located in low-income 
                                  communities;
                                      ``(II) will serve communities with 
                                  significant populations of families 
                                  with limited English proficiency; or
                                      ``(III) will increase the ability 
                                  of caregivers to provide appropriate 
                                  services and coordinate activities with 
                                  State and local systems providing 
                                  services under part C of the 
                                  Individuals with Disabilities Education 
                                  Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) for 
                                  children with developmental delays or 
                                  disabilities, including such children 
                                  in the child welfare system of the 
                                  State.
              ``(3) Staffed family child care networks or systems.--
                      ``(A) In general.--A State may use the funds 
                  described in paragraph (1) to make grants to 
                  organizations with expertise in providing child care 
                  and related technical assistance, to establish and 
                  operate staffed family child care networks or systems 
                  that offer, to family child care providers who are 
                  eligible infant and toddler care providers, technical 
                  assistance, training, administrative support, or direct 
                  services including monitoring visits to providers.
                      ``(B) Priority.--In making grants under this 
                  paragraph, a State--
                              ``(i) shall give priority to organizations 
                          described in paragraph (2)(C)(i); and
                              ``(ii) may give priority to organizations 
                          that have 1 or more of the 3 characteristics 
                          described in paragraph (2)(C)(ii).
              ``(4) Statewide network of infant and toddler 
          specialists.--
                      ``(A) In general.--A State may use the funds 
                  described in paragraph (1) to support, or to make a 
                  grant to an organization with expertise in providing 
                  child care technical assistance to support, a statewide 
                  network of specialists who are eligible infant and 
                  toddler care providers, that shall--
                              ``(i) provide individual or group training 
                          and intensive consultation services to eligible 
                          infant and toddler care providers, including 
                          relative caregivers, on strategies to improve 
                          the quality of care for infants and toddlers; 
                          and
                              ``(ii) assist eligible infant and toddler 
                          care providers in coordinating activities with 
                          other offices responsible for child care, 
                          including Early Head Start programs and Head 
                          Start programs carried out under the Head Start 
                          Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.).
                      ``(B) Priority.--In delivering services or making 
                  grants under this paragraph, a State--
                              ``(i) shall give priority to networks that 
                          deliver support to providers described in 
                          paragraph (2)(C)(i); and
                              ``(ii) may give priority to networks that 
                          deliver support to providers that have 1 or 
                          more of the 3 characteristics described in 
                          paragraph (2)(C)(ii).
              ``(5) State workforce quality initiatives.--
                      ``(A) In general.--A State may use the funds 
                  described in paragraph (1) to support initiatives to 
                  improve the quality of the workforce of eligible infant 
                  and toddler care providers, such as--
                              ``(i) providing relevant training, 
                          professional development, or mentoring to 
                          eligible infant and toddler care providers, 
                          including linking the training, development, or 
                          mentoring to career pathways for eligible 
                          infant and toddler care providers;
                              ``(ii) providing scholarships or other 
                          financial support to eligible infant and 
                          toddler care providers to advance their 
                          education and training;
                              ``(iii) coordinating activities with the 
                          State's higher education system to expand the 
                          availability and quality of coursework for 
                          infant and toddler care providers, including 
                          developing career pathways for eligible infant 
                          and toddler care providers; or
                              ``(iv) improving the State credentialing of 
                          eligible infant and toddler care providers.
              ``(6) Systems quality.--A State may use the funds described 
          in paragraph (1) to--
                      ``(A) develop infant and toddler components for the 
                  State's Quality Rating and Improvement System or 
                  similar rating system, child care licensing 
                  regulations, or voluntary early learning guidelines;
                      ``(B) improve the ability of parents to obtain 
                  information about high-quality infant and toddler care; 
                  or
                      ``(C) assist eligible infant and toddler care 
                  providers seeking to improve the quality of their 
                  infant and toddler care by increasing their ranking on 
                  the State's Quality Rating and Improvement System or 
                  similar rating system, meeting performance standards 
                  applicable to an Early Head Start agency under the Head 
                  Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), or becoming 
                  accredited by a national accrediting body described in 
                  paragraph (2)(B)(ii).
              ``(7) Other high-quality initiatives.--A State may use the 
          funds described in paragraph (1) to carry out other activities 
          determined by the State to improve the quality of infant and 
          toddler care provided in the State and for which there is 
          evidence that the activities will lead to improved infant and 
          toddler safety, infant and toddler development, or infant and 
          toddler well-being.
      ``(e) Reporting.--A State that receives a grant under subsection 
  (b) shall submit in the State's annual reports required under section 
  658K(a)(2), information on how the State is using the funding provided 
  under subsection (b) to improve the quality of infant and toddler care 
  and the effect such funding is having on the quality of infant and 
  toddler care in the State.
      ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
  appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
  for fiscal year 2013 and each subsequent fiscal year.''.
  
  SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
  
      (a) Authorization.--Section 658B of the Child Care and Development 
  Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858) is amended by inserting 
  ``(other than section 658H)'' after ``subchapter''.
      (b) Allotment.--Section 658O(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
  9858m(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``this subchapter'' and inserting 
  ``section 658B''.
target: Infant and Toddler Care Improvement Act - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to enable eligible states (including Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers, especially those from low-income families.
  
  Authorizes the use of grant funds to: (1) make grants to organizations with pertinent expertise to establish and operate staffed family child care networks or systems that offer family child care providers technical assistance, training, administrative support, or direct services; (2) support a statewide network of infant and toddler care specialists; and (3) support initiatives to improve the quality of the provider workforce.
  
  Allows the use of such funds also to: (1) develop infant and toddler components for the State's Quality Rating and Improvement System or a similar rating system, child care licensing regulations, or voluntary early learning guidelines; (2) improve the ability of parents to obtain information about high-quality infant and toddler care; or (3) assist eligible infant and toddler care providers seeking to increase their ranking on the State's Quality Rating and Improvement System or similar rating system, meet performance standards applicable to an Early Head Start agency, or become accredited by a national accrediting body.
feat_title: A bill to amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to improve the quality of infant and toddler care.