Congressman Issa Reintroduces Legislation, Law Enforcement Child Care Support Options

WASHINGTON – This week, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) joined House colleagues Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50), Rep. David Valadao (CA-22), and Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) to reintroduce the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act. This bipartisan bill aims to address the nationwide police staffing shortages by making it easier for parents to enter and maintain work in law enforcement that often requires night, weekend, and holiday work. 

“We have a responsibility to provide our police officers with the tools, training, and equipment they need to safeguard our streets and protect our communities,” said Rep. Issa. “This bill represents a creative and innovative approach to not only advance law and order everywhere it is needed, but allowing these brave men and women on the front lines to be both parents and police.” 

The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act would:

• Establish a pilot program to supply grants to law enforcement agencies to provide childcare benefits.
• Authorize funding for five fiscal years. Law enforcement agencies will be able to use this funding to construct or operate new center for police departments’ exclusive use, offer scholarships to subsidize the cost of care, or provide assistance for care for children with disabilities.  
• Allow law enforcement agencies, local governments, and child care providers to determine each of their responsibilities while requiring local entities to contribute a scaled matching requirement over a three-year grant period.
• Set aside 20% of the total grant funding for police departments employing fewer than 200 officers. 

In 2023, San Diego opened the nation’s first childcare center for local police. In April 2025, Boone County, Missouri, broke ground on a new public safety childcare center.

Supporting organizations include: 30x30 Initiative, International Union of Police Associations (IUPA), National Association of Police Organizations, Fraternal Order of Police, and Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC).

Full bill text of the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act can be found here.

Darrell Issa is the Representative of California’s 48th Congressional District, which encompasses the central and eastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Lakeside, Poway, Temecula, Murrieta, and the mountain and desert areas of the San Diego-Imperial County line. Issa served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2011-2015.

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