This legislation establishes a pilot program designed to improve access to high-quality early child care opportunities for members of the Armed Forces and their families. The Secretary of Defense will direct the Secretaries of the military departments to carry out this program by establishing 12 partnerships with eligible child care providers or networks of providers. These partnerships are intended to increase the number of early child care slots available , facilitate the recruitment and retention of employees for these providers, and offer additional professional development opportunities for staff. The pilot program requires partnerships to be based at different military installations, ensuring representation across various service branches and considering geographic and demographic diversity. Authorized functions include identifying child care gaps, utilizing Department of Defense resources to support employee recruitment and retention (including military spouses), and seeking interagency partnerships for national service volunteers. Participating providers must commit not to reduce early child care slots for non-military families or engage in new facility construction, with compliance regularly assessed. The program is slated to commence by January 1, 2026, and will run until December 31, 2030, with a potential extension until December 31, 2032. It mandates regular briefings to Congress on implementation and progress, along with final reports from both the Department of Defense and the Government Accountability Office. Furthermore, the bill requires a separate report by September 30, 2027, detailing the unmet child care needs in areas with significant military populations, including an assessment of civilian child care availability and a plan for meeting these needs.