COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

SEC. 573. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.(a) In General.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on financial assistance for child care provided by the Department of Defense to members of the Armed Forces (including members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who are deployed in connection with a contingency operation).(b) Elements.—The report required by subsection (a) shall include an assessment of the following:(1) The types of financial assistance for child care made available by the Department of Defense to members of the Armed Forces (including members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who are deployed in connection with a contingency operation).(2) The extent to which such members have taken advantage of such assistance since such assistance was first made available.(3) The formulas used for calculating the amount of such assistance provided to such members.(4) The funding allocated to such assistance.(5) The remaining costs of child care to families of such members that are not covered by the Department of Defense.(6) Any barriers to access to such assistance faced by such members and the families of such members.(7) The different criteria used by different States with respect to the regulation of child care services and the potential impact differences in such criteria may have on the access of such members to such assistance.(8) The different standards and criteria used by different programs of the Department of Defense for providing such assistance with respect to child care providers and the potential impact differences in such standards and criteria may have on the access of such members to such assistance.(9) The number of qualified families that do not receive any financial assistance for child care made available by the Department of Defense.(10) Any other matters the Comptroller General determines relevant to the improvement of financial assistance to expand access for child care made available by the Department of Defense to members of the Armed Forces (including members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who are deployed in connection with a contingency operation).