WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today voted for bipartisan child care legislation that gives low-income working parents greater access to quality child care. The Senate approved the bill, S. 1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act, with a vote of 88-1. The bill now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“The Child Care and Development grant program helps low income parents pay for child care while they work or receive employment training,” Roberts said. “We improved the program by giving greater power to the states to ensure federal dollars are being spent wisely, while at the same time making sure children are in safe environments that free their parents to become productive members of the workforce.”

The bill requires states to spend a bulk of federal funds, no less than 70 percent, directly on child care for low-income families. It also protects the health and safety of children by requiring states to ensure child care providers receiving funds are qualified, trained, regularly inspected, and undergo criminal background checks.

States are also encouraged to make information on various providers available to parents to encourage parental choice. The bill also prohibits the federal government from interfering, mandating or placing any conditions on state decisions concerning early learning and development guidelines.

In 2012, this combined funding helped an average of nearly 20,000 Kansas children per month receive child care because of the vouchers awarded through CCDBG.

Senator Roberts supported the bill in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee of which he is a member.