By Alyson Klein

The Child Care and Development Block Grant program would get a makeover for the first time since the mid-1990’s, under a measure that sailed through the U.S. Senate amid much bipartisan backslapping and self-congratulation.

The Child Care bill, which passed 97 to 1, is one of the first bipartisan education measures to clear the chamber recently, giving some advocates hope that Congress may finally be able to tackle the lengthy logjam on education issues.

The CCDBG program was initially designed as a way to help low-income parents cover the cost of child care so that they could go to work or further their education. The Senate bill doesn’t seek to dramatically expand the scope of the program, but it would add a new focus on program quality and safety.

via U.S. Senate Approves Child Care Block Grant Bill – Politics K-12 – Education Week.