HERO Child Care for Military Families Act

Key Points

• The bill expands who can work at military child care centers by removing a prior service requirement and allowing national service volunteers to be placed in those centers through interagency partnerships. This opens the door to a bigger pool of qualified workers to fill staffing gaps.
• A new preclearance system lets potential child care workers complete background checks and health screenings before a job even opens up, so they can start working faster once hired. Preclearance stays valid for up to one year with annual reverification required.
• Child care workers at military centers could gain access to base perks like commissary and exchange shopping on workdays, fitness centers, tuition assistance, and referral bonuses. These benefits are meant to help recruit and keep employees in jobs that often struggle to compete with local pay.
• Job-sharing arrangements are authorized so two part-time workers can split one full-time position, each working at least 20 hours per week. This is designed to attract people who cannot commit to full-time schedules due to caregiving, school, or other personal reasons.
• The Defense Department must create a unified data system tracking child care capacity, waitlists, staffing vacancies, and unmet needs across all military branches, updated at least every 90 days. Congress will receive regular briefings on findings and recommendations.