Rep. Onder’s Bill to Strengthen Accountability in Child Care Monitoring Passes Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2026
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(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Congressman Bob Onder (R-MO) released the following statement after the House Education and Workforce Committee passed his bill, H.R. 7722, the Child Care Integrity Monitoring Act. The bill strengthens oversight of federal child care funding by codifying the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) practice of auditing states' CCDBG funds every three years.

Also, under this legislation, any state with repeated audit failures would be designated as "high-risk" and subjected to enhanced monitoring as determined by HHS.

"Recent investigations in Democrat-run states like Minnesota have exposed widespread fraud in child care assistance programs, with millions of taxpayer dollars funneled to services that were never provided," said Congressman Bob Onder."This blatant abuse highlights the urgent need for stronger oversight. The Child Care Integrity Monitoring Act will hold states with repeated audit failures accountable and ensure public funds are spent responsibly. Families deserve child care programs that are trustworthy and operate with the highest integrity. Taxpayers deserve full transparency about where their hard-earned dollars are going. I am proud this legislation has passed out of committee and is one step closer to returning accountability to government."

"Fraud is running rampant across our nation-and Americans are sick of it. Today, the Committee on Education and Workforce passed eight bills to fight fraud and restore Americans' faith in our federal child care programs. Every dollar stolen by fraudsters is a dollar that cannot help innocent children in need. I am grateful to Rep. Onder for sponsoring the Child Care Integrity Monitoring Act, which implements common-sense accountability measures to ensure states are putting our children-and not fraudsters-first."-Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI)

Background Information

Enacted in 1990 and subsequently amended, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act is the primary federal law providing child care assistance to low-income families. The law authorizes grant funding to state, territorial, and tribal lead agencies to help eligible families access child care services.

Following the passage of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002, the CCDBG program was identified as being at risk for significant improper payments. In response, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) established a three-year audit cycle for all grantees beginning in 2007.

Despite these oversight measures, misuse of CCDBG funds persists. In May 2025, the HHS Inspector General reported that 38 of 200 randomly selected child care assistance payments in Minnesota failed to meet requirements related to attendance and payment for services. A separate report from the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor also highlighted widespread noncompliance within the state's child care assistance program.

The Child Care Integrity Monitoring Act addresses these challenges by ensuring consistent oversight and transparency in "high-risk" states where fund misuse is likely, strengthening accountability and protecting families who rely on child care assistance.

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