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2-03-1998 48PM FROM MARY BOURDETTE 96905750 P.2 0.02 Summary of Dodd Child Care Bill Total investment of approximately $30 billion over 5 years. Improving the Affordability of Child Care - Provide an additional $7.5 billion in mandatory funding over 5 years through the Child Care and Development Block Grant to Increase the amount of child care subsidies available to working families. This investment will double the number of children served by the block grant to 2 million by 2003. Enhancing the Quality of Child Care and Early Childhood Development - Provide $3 billion in mandatory funding over 5 years through the block grant to encourage states to invest in activities known to produce significant improvements in the quality of child care and early childhood development, such as the following: Bringing provider-child ratios to standards recommended by nationally-recognized child care accrediting bodies. Improving the enforcement of licensing standards, including the use of unannounced inspections of child care providers Conducting background checks on child care providers Providing increased payment rates for child care services for infants and for children with special health care needs Providing increased payment rates for child care services offered by licensed or accredited providers. Improving the compensation of child care providers Assisting child care providers in become licensed or accredited. Expanding activities to educate parents on the availability and quality of child care, including the development and operation of resource and referral systems Creating support networks for family child care providers Establishing linkages between child care services and health care services Offering training and education to child care providers, including offering scholarship and tax credits to assist with the expenses of obtaining such training and education Providing family support and parent education Ensuring the availability and quality of child care for children with special health care needs. Increasing the Availability and Quality School-age Child Care Provide $3 billion in mandatory funds over 5 years through the block grant to increase the supply and quality of school-age care. Also, increase the age of children eligible to be served with block grant funds to 15 from 13 years old. Through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, provide $1 billion/5 years to encourage schools to create before and after-school programs. Allow schools to use the National School Lunch Program to provide nutritious meals or snacks to children in afterschool programs.