Bill would offer child care to student veterans

WASHINGTON — A new bill in Congress aims to help veterans obtain child care while they pursue an education.

The measure would offer federal grants for colleges to establish or expand child care centers that could assist students who have served in the military.

Sponsor Rep. Dina Titus said the bill nods to changing demographics in the armed forces and among veterans.

"The population of women veterans is rapidly growing and is going to grow in the future," she said, adding women veterans who go back to school tend to be older and tend to have families.

The Nevada Democrat introduced the measure on July 29 and promoted it Thursday at the Bennett Early Childhood Education Center at UNLV.

The bill would offer grants to schools to establish or expand child care centers, with the understanding that 75 percent of new services would be provided to students who are veterans.

Schools that do not offer child care could still apply for grants that could be redistributed as stipends for students to pay for off-campus care.

Titus, a former UNLV political science professor, said the idea came from student veterans at the school expressing frustration at finding child care. An estimated 1,500 active duty military, reservists, veterans and military family members are enrolled at the school.

Contact Review-Journal Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@reviewjournal.com or 202-783-1760. Find him on Twitter: @STetreaultDC