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S5683

Best Practices for Military Family Child Care Homes Act

Last scannedOct 19, 2026, 2:05 AM

In one sentence

This bill requires the Department of Defense to create and publish a guide with best practices for people who want to start a family child care home on a military base.

What it does

  • Requires the Secretary of Defense to publish a best practices guide within one year of the law passing.
  • Requires the Secretary to consult with military departments, installations, program administrators, and established providers to build the guide.
  • Mandates that the guide includes information on certification, training, inspections, background checks, licensing, liability coverage, safety standards, and emergency preparedness.
  • Requires the guide to list available financial help, such as startup support, subsidies, grants, and reimbursement opportunities.
  • Requires the guide to be posted on a Department of Defense website in a searchable and accessible format for military families.
  • Encourages military departments to publish service-specific appendices with additional policies and resources.
  • Requires the Secretary of Defense to brief congressional defense committees on implementation, awareness efforts, barriers, and recommendations within 18 months.

Who it affects

  • The Secretary of Defense and the Department of Defense.
  • Individuals seeking to establish and operate a Family Child Care home on a military installation.
  • Military families and spouses looking for child care options.
  • Current Family Child Care providers and program administrators within the Department of Defense.

Limits and unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact content of the guide beyond the listed minimum requirements.
  • The bill does not state whether the guide will replace existing state or local licensing laws.
  • The bill does not define the specific financial amounts for subsidies or grants mentioned in the guide.

Plain language

Terms to know

Family Child Care home
A type of child care setting where a provider cares for children in their own home, often on a military installation.
Military installation
A base or facility owned and operated by the U.S. military.
Best practices guide
A document that outlines recommended methods and standards for doing something effectively, based on successful examples.

Official record

Sources

Source checked
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Under authority of the order of the Senate of September 30, 2026, ordered read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.Senate
  2. Introduced in SenateLibrary of Congress