Goal of Legislation: a comprehensive bill that improves the lives of working families by providing paid leave for new parents, school events and family emergencies; improving the quality and availability of child care, in-school nutrition, and after school assistance; funding voluntary universal pre-school; and encouraging a family friendly work place.


Title I. Paid Family Leave

A. The Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Act (FIRST Act): This section establishes a program to support State initiatives that provide wage replacement to new parents to allow them to stay at home for a period of time with their new infant or newly adopted child. This program also can be used to support State initiatives that provide wage replacement for workers who need to take time off because of family emergencies.

B. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act: Would expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to allow employees to take limited leave to participate in or attend their children’s or grandchildren’s educational and extracurricular activities and to clarify that leave may be taken for routine medical needs and to assist elderly relatives.


Title II. Child Care Assistance

A. Child Care Expansion Act: This section amends the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to add specific funds for child care activities designed for the youngest children (under age three) and for children with disabilities. Allowable uses of these funds includes increasing the availability of child care for the youngest children and for children with disabilities; providing support services for networks of family child care providers; funding training, services, materials, and equipment for these groups of children; increasing compensation and bonuses to care givers, especially those with formal education in early childhood development; providing support networks between health care providers and caregivers; and increasing child care services for eligible children enrolled in Head Start programs.

B. Focus on Committed and Underpaid Staff for Children’s Sake Act (FOCUS): Establishes the Child Care Provider Development and Retention Grant Program, the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program, and a program of child care provider health benefits coverage. It also rewards and promotes the retention of committed, qualified child care providers by providing financial assistance to help them improve their educational qualifications. This ensures that children in child care settings will receive the high quality care and early education they need for positive cognitive and social development.

C. Child Care Construction and Renovation Act: Would authorize the use of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to construct and renovate child care facilities. It authorizes HUD to insure mortgages for new or rehabilitated child care facilities. HUD would also be able to acquire or refinance debt of existing child care facilities. It also directs a study on the availability of secondary markets for mortgages on child care facilities. It authorizes HUD grants to nonprofit organizations for technical facilities or equipment.

D. Child Care Availability Incentive Act: Establishes a grant program that awards grants to states on a competitive basis. The states make these funds available to businesses or consortiums of businesses that want to create or expand their own employer-operated child care centers, either on or near the workplace.


Title III. Pre-school; In-School and Afterschool Assistance

A. Voluntary Universal Pre-School: Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to make grants to States to develop high quality, full-day, full year voluntary universal prekindergarten programs for all three, four and five year old children in the State.

B. Universal School Breakfast Pilot Projects: Makes the current School Breakfast Pilot program permanent and expands it to all public elementary, middle and high schools.

C. Improving Nutrition in Public Schools: Authorizes competitive grants to schools that want to find ways to create a healthy school nutrition environment. Also authorizes the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on the best ways to regulate the availability of foods in schools to ensure the healthiest school nutrition environments, and requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations to carry out those recommendations.

D. Child and Adult Care Food Program Expansion (CACFP) Act: Reimburses schools for dinners served to eligible students in after-school programs.

E. Afterschool Education Enhancement Act: Makes funds available to all schools that choose to participate in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool program.


Title IV. Improving the Workplace for Families

A. Part-time and Temporary Workers Benefits Act: Part-time and temporary employees will be eligible for the same employee benefits that are available to full-time employees in their workplace, on a pro-rated basis. In order to be eligible, employees must have completed more than 500 hours of work per year, but less than 1,000 hours and is employed in a type of position that customarily requires 500 or more hours per year but less than 1,000 hours.

B. United States Business Telecommuting Act: Disseminates best practices of telecommunicating to encourage more employers to allow employees, particularly those with family responsibilities or disabilities, to telecommute for at least some of their workweek.