Rural Child Care Measure Advances in House-Passed Farm Bill
Provisions championed by Sen. Roger Marshall now head to the Senate, where a committee markup is expected by early June
WASHINGTON — A measure to expand child care in rural communities has cleared its first major hurdle, after the U.S. House passed the 2026 farm bill including an initiative to steer federal funding toward rural child care facilities. The House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on April 30 by a vote of 224-200, and the bill now moves to the Senate.
The provisions draw on the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act, a bipartisan effort to address a severe shortage of care facilities that hinders local workforces. With nearly 60% of families in rural communities living in "child care deserts," the lack of accessible care has become a critical quality-of-life challenge for small towns across Kansas and the country.
Under the bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture would establish the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative, prioritizing funding for rural child care projects through fiscal year 2029 across programs including the Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program and the Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program. The House version also recognizes Head Start providers as eligible entities under the initiative.
Sen. Marshall, a Kansas Republican and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, has been the measure's longtime Senate champion, first introducing the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act in 2023. In the House, Rep. Tracey Mann, a Kansas Republican, reintroduced a standalone version in September 2025 alongside Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Lauren Underwood and Jim Baird before its provisions were incorporated into the broader farm bill.
The bill's path forward remains uncertain. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, an Arkansas Republican, is targeting the end of May or early June for a committee markup, after which a House-Senate conference committee would negotiate differences between the two versions. Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, said on May 1 they are committed to working toward a bipartisan farm bill that can pass the Senate floor.
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