Fraud concerns raised, HHS seeks to tighten loopholes.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is repealing certain provisions in the 2024 Child Care and Development Rule. The department stated that these rules had “weakened oversight and increased the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse in federally-funded state child care.”
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., said, “Congress appropriated this funding to support working families and ensure children have safe places to grow and learn. Loopholes and fraud diverted that money to bad actors instead. Today, we are correcting that failure and returning these funds to the working families they were meant to serve.”
States may now require payment based on confirmed attendance rather than enrollment alone, and will no longer have upfront payment requirements. There will also be a restoration of voucher flexibility, which the agency says will restore parental choice.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Kennedy to be prudent as he oversees federal funding for childcare.
- For HHS officials as they facilitate state childcare providers’ compliance with policy changes.
Sources: Department of Health and Human Services
