U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Announce Child Care Access Means Parents in School Partnership Grant Competition

This week, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the Fiscal Year 2026 competition for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program, a grant that aims to support campus-based child care services for low-income student parents. This announcement marks the first grant competition under the new ED-HHS partnership. As HHS is the primary Federal agency for administering early childhood care and education grants, including the Child Care and Development Block Grant, this partnership further positions HHS as the central hub for Federal child care-focused grants and services.

This step also follows ED's staff detail earlier this year as part of broader efforts to streamline Federal education programs and ensure resources reach students more efficiently and effectively. The awards will be issued through GrantSolutions, HHS's grants management platform.

"Student parents often balance postsecondary education and caregiving responsibilities," said Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Dr. David Barker. "Through our partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, we are supporting campus-based child care services that assist students in pursuing and completing their postsecondary education. HHS has the expertise needed to effectively manage this program."

"The FY26 CCAMPIS competition reflects our continued commitment to supporting student-parents looking for affordable and accessible child care," said Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families Alex J. Adams. "By deepening our partnership with the Department of Education and leveraging HHS's expertise in administering child care programs, we are ensuring families have access to child care options that meet their needs to accelerate their education and economic success."

Background:

In November 2025, ED announced a series of new Interagency Agreements (IAAs)

across multiple Federal agencies to ensure efficient delivery of funded programs and move closer to fulfilling the President's promise to return education to the states.

The ED-HHS Child Care Access Means Parents in School Partnership follows a common format of an IAA, a tool routinely utilized by government agencies to procure services, share resources, and ensure efficient service delivery. Under this partnership, HHS will help manage grant funds, provide technical assistance, and integrate ED's postsecondary programs with the suite of programs that HHS already administers in accordance with 31 U.S.C. § 1535.

ED and HHS will continue to provide grantees with additional guidance as these efforts are implemented.

For more information on this year's CCAMPIS grant competition, see here.

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