THE FOLLOWING RELEASE IS FROM CONGRESSWOMAN MARY MILLER’S OFFICE
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congresswoman Mary Miller’s (IL-15) H.R. 7726, the Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026.
This legislative package advanced out of the House Education and Workforce Committee includes key provisions aimed to strengthen federal oversight of the Child Care and Development Block Grant program.
“Criminals have exploited government assistance programs for years, stealing millions of taxpayer dollars and diverting resources away from vulnerable children and working families,” said Congresswoman Mary Miller. “The House’s passage of my Stop Child Care Scams Act ensures that fraud will no longer be met with inaction.
“I am grateful to Chairman Walberg for his leadership and my colleagues for moving this bill through the Education and Workforce Committee and helping House Republicans deliver on our promise to root out waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the federal government,” Congresswoman Miller said.
“Americans work too hard to watch their tax dollars disappear into fraud, waste, and government incompetence,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) said. “For years, Democrats looked the other way while programs meant to help families became targets for abuse. House Republicans are restoring accountability and making sure these programs serve the people they were created for, not fraudsters looking for an easy payday.”
The federal government loses an estimated $600 million annually to improper payments in childcare programs.
The Stop Child Care Scams Act:
- Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to withhold federal funds from states that repeatedly fail to address fraud, abuse, and serious program violations.
- Establishes mandatory enforcement by replacing the word “may” with “shall” in federal law, ensuring that penalties for violations are applied consistently and not left to administrative discretion.
- Safeguards assistance for eligible families by helping ensure childcare resources are directed to low-income children and working families rather than diverted through fraudulent activity.
