IRS, employees reach child-care subsidy agreement

IRS employees have a small window of opportunity to take advantage of new child care subsidies negotiated by agency managers and the National Treasury Employees Union this week.

Under a new law, agencies may use appropriated funds to help lower-income employees cover the costs of child care in licensed child care centers.

NTEU and the IRS announced that they had reached an agreement on Monday to offer such subsidies. But because the pilot program is only scheduled to run until Sept. 30, IRS employees will have to act fast to take advantage of the offer.

If the pilot program is extended beyond Sept. 30, then the agreement will likely be extended as well, NTEU said.

Due to time constraints, only permanent IRS employees at GS-6 or below, full and part-time, will be eligible to apply for the subsidies.

NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley called the agreement an "impetus to broaden this much-needed program throughout the federal workplace."