For Immediate Release:
February 8th, 2019

Rep. Horn Supports Bill to Provide Veterans Access to Child Care

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Kendra Horn voted to support the Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act (H.R. 840) in the United States House of Representatives. This bill makes the VA’s Child Care Pilot Program permanent and expands it so that all veterans, who are primary caretakers, have a safe, reliable, and cost-free option for child care when they use VA healthcare.

“Today, Congress took an important step to support our military veterans and their families by permanently providing child care through the VA,” Congresswoman Horn said. “As more and more companies offer child care benefits to their employees, it is important the VA keep pace by providing this same service for veterans. I am proud of the 116th Congress for taking action on this bill, and as a member of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, I look forward to finding more ways we can support our veterans.”

In 2010, Congress created a pilot program to provide free child care at a small number of VA medical centers and clinics. Since it began, the program has been very popular with the veteran community, with more than 10,000 children using the program through the end of FY2014. Women veterans used the service at a rate four times their population among the veteran community at large, indicating the program is working for the growing population of women veterans and their families. According to a VA Satisfaction Survey of veterans who have used the pilot program, a majority responded that without the available child care they would have brought their children to their appointment or cancelled their appointment altogether.