HB18 • 2026

Employee Child Care Assistance Program; established, reports.

An Act to establish the Employee Child Care Assistance Program.

Budget Children Labor

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: McClure
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Employee Child Care Assistance Program; established, reports.

Employee Child Care Assistance Program established.

What This Bill Does

Employee Child Care Assistance Program established.
Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Program to provide matching funds in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees.
The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation.
To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed delivery provider on behalf of the employee or to a third-party administrator, as defined by the bill, and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB18AHC2

2026-02-02 • Committee

Elementary & Secondary Education Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: 2/02/2026 HB 18 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

2/02/2026 HB 18 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
Line 38, introduced, after Program strike the remainder of line 38 and through the Program on line 39 SUBCOMMITTEE 2.
Line 39, introduced, after shall strike the remainder of line 39 and through cap on line 40 insert be set forth in the general appropriation act

HB18AHC1

2026-02-02 • Committee

Appropriations Amendment

Plain English: OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/02/2026 HB 18 APPROPRIATIONS 1.

OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/02/2026 HB 18 APPROPRIATIONS 1.
Line 38, introduced, after Program strike the remainder of line 38 and through the Program on line 39 APPROPRIATIONS 2.
Line 39, introduced, after shall strike the remainder of line 39 and through cap on line 40 insert be set forth in the general appropriation act

HB18AH1

2026-02-03 • Committee

Appropriations Amendment

Plain English: 2/03/2026 HB 18 APPROPRIATIONS 1.

2/03/2026 HB 18 APPROPRIATIONS 1.
Line 38, introduced, after Program strike the remainder of line 38 and through the Program on line 39 APPROPRIATIONS 2.
Line 39, introduced, after shall strike the remainder of line 39 and through cap on line 40 insert be set forth in the general appropriation act

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 545 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 545 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0545)
2026-03-25 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026
2026-03-25 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-16 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB18)
2026-03-14 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-14 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-14 House
Enrolled
2026-03-14 House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB18ER)
2026-03-09 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-09 Senate
Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-06 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-03-06 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-03-05 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-03-05 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-03-05 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-05 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-03-04 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-09 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-09 Finance and Appropriations
Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations
2026-02-06 House
Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
2026-02-06 House
Read third time and passed House (91-Y 7-N 0-A)
2026-02-05 House
Read second time
2026-02-05 House
committee amendments agreed to
2026-02-05 House
Engrossed by House as amended
2026-02-05 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB18)
2026-02-04 House
Read first time
2026-02-02 Appropriations
Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-02 House
House committee offered
2026-01-30 Elementary & Secondary Education
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-30 Elementary & Secondary Education
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 0-N)
2026-01-23 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB18)
2026-01-15 Elementary & Secondary Education
Assigned HAPP sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
2025-12-22 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102136D
2025-12-22 Appropriations
Referred to Committee on Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Employee Child Care Assistance Program established.
Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Program to provide matching funds in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed delivery provider on behalf of the employee or to a third-party administrator, as defined by the bill, and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. The bill specifies that, to the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the bill clarifies that the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to proposals involving contributions from small businesses. The bill requires the Foundation to provide an interim report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2028, and a summative report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2030, on the effectiveness and impact of the Program.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to establish the Employee Child Care Assistance Program.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. As used in § 2:
"Eligible mixed delivery provider" means a child day center or family day home that has been selected or identified to deliver mixed delivery services through a local agreement with the relevant regional entity established pursuant to subsection D of §
22.1-289.05
of the Code of Virginia.
"Employer" means an employer with at least one employee who works in the Commonwealth in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year.
"Small business" means an employer with fewer than 50 employees.
"The Foundation" means the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation.
"Third party administrator" means an entity approved by the Foundation to administer, receive, or distribute funds as part of the Employee Child Care Assistance Program established pursuant to § 2. "Third party administrator" includes a Ready Region lead agency.
§ 2. With such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose pursuant to the general appropriation act, the Employee Child Care Assistance Program (the Program) is established for the purpose of providing matching funds in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Foundation. The Foundation shall establish such guidelines and procedures as it deems necessary for the administration of the Program, subject to the following conditions and requirements:
1. To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed delivery provider on behalf of the employee or to a third-party administrator and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation;
2. To the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match directly to a third-party administrator that has entered into an agreement with a participating employer pursuant to subdivision 1. The amount of such state match shall be set forth in the general appropriation act;
3. Program funds shall be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, provided, however, that the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize the award of funds to proposals involving contributions from small businesses;
4. The Foundation may combine the Program with or incorporate the Program into any other program or initiative related to the Mixed Delivery Program;
5. The eligibility requirements for the Program and the required family contribution for the Program shall
be set forth in the general appropriation act
. Flexibility shall be provided for securing additional payor contributions for slots, including contributions from philanthropic organizations, military organizations or programs, local government, or economic development agencies or programs; and
6. Any sums of money appropriated for the purposes set forth in this section that are unexpended as of June 30, 2027, and June 30, 2028, respectively, shall not revert to the general fund but shall be reappropriated and allotted for expenditure for the same purposes set forth in this section through June 30, 2030.
2. That the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation shall provide an interim report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2028, and a summative report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2030, on the effectiveness and impact of the Employee Child Care Assistance Program established pursuant to the first enactment of this act.