Government, employers, and parents split child care costs in new pilot
H.R. 6312 — Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Act of 2025 · Filed by Hillary Scholten (D-MI) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Nov 25, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a three-year pilot program where the federal government, employers, and parents each pay one-third of eligible child care costs for children of working parents earning between the state's child care assistance threshold and 300% of that threshold. States apply for competitive grants (capped at $20 million each) to administer the program through participating employers; the federal government appropriates $250 million annually for the pilot, with evaluation required at the end.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a three-way cost-split (government, employer, parent) for child care expenses in a time-limited pilot. It is a targeted affordability intervention, not a broad entitlement or deregulation.
What the text implies
- The income eligibility cap (300% of state threshold) may exclude many working families in high-cost-of-living areas, limiting the program's reach despite the affordability framing.
- Employer participation is voluntary; the bill does not mandate employer involvement, so uptake depends on state recruitment efforts and employer willingness to subsidize child care—potentially creating geographic or sectoral disparities.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
child care providers (increased demand and guaranteed payment from lead agencies); employers (tax-advantaged child care benefit, potential employee retention gains); working families earning 100–300% of state child care assistance threshold