Overview
- In early September 2026 the administration circulated a draft HHS rule to create a new “parent‑based child care” category that would let one married parent receive CCDF payments while the other works at least 35 hours a week.
- Under the draft the benefit would apply only to married couples who meet state income limits and the work‑hours test and would not extend to unmarried couples or nonworking single parents.
- Officials say the change would use existing CCDF dollars, which average about $9,000 per child annually, meaning the new recipients would draw from the program’s roughly $12 billion pot unless Congress provides more funding.
- Some HHS lawyers have flagged potential legal problems with marriage‑based eligibility and warned that sending subsidies to individuals rather than licensed providers could increase fraud and verification risks.
- The plan is championed by Vice President J.D. Vance and echoes Heritage Foundation Project 2025 ideas; it still requires White House sign‑off, a public notice‑and‑comment period, and could face litigation and state‑level implementation challenges if finalized.