SB 192, as amended, Liu. Early learning and educational support services.
The Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, requires the Superintendent to administer child care and development programs that offer a full range of services for eligible children from infancy to 13 years of age and their parents, including a full range of supervision, health, and support services through full- and part-time programs.
This bill would reorganize and recast those provisions as the Early Learning and Educational Support Act, and would establish as its purpose providing a comprehensive early learning and school support system that promotes access to safe, high-quality early learning and educational support programs, as specified. The bill would require the Superintendent to administer the early learning and educational support program throughbegin insert
services that includeend insert direct classroom or alternative payment services, and would require the Superintendent to developbegin delete requirementsend deletebegin insert standardsend insert for the implementation of high-quality early learning and educational support programs based on certain indicia of quality, including, but not limited to,begin delete effectiveend delete educators who foster school readinessbegin delete andend deletebegin insert, healthy development, and improved child outcomes, whoend insert possess the appropriate and required educational qualifications and experience, includingbegin delete any requiredend delete
credentials or permits, as required by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and who meet applicable licensing standards. begin insertThe bill would require the State Department of Education to develop and certify a list of high-quality early learning and educational support resources and to post the list on the department’s Internet Web site, and would also require certain information to be given to parents who receive services from resource and referral programs and alternative payment programs. end insertThe bill would delete obsolete provisions, make other related and conforming changes, and make nonsubstantive changes.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The heading of Chapter 2 (commencing with
2Section 8200) of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education
3Code is amended to read:
4
Section 8200 of the Education Code is amended to
9read:
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
11Early Learning and Educational Support Act.
Section 8201 of the Education Code is amended to
13read:
The purpose of this chapter is as follows:
15(a) To provide a comprehensive early learning and school
16support system that promotes access to safe, high-quality early
17learning and educational support programs that will promote and
18support the development of the whole child, including, but not
19limited to, the following:
20(1) Developmentally appropriate curriculum with differentiated
21instruction.
22(2) Knowledgeable, caring, and well-trained educators, program
23staff, and providers.
24(3) Promotion of healthy practices and activities.
25(4) An educationally enriched environment that respects and
26supports cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity.
27(b) To encourage community-level coordination in support of
28early learning and educational support services.
29(c) To coordinate services for children, starting at birth, that
30support parental choice and maximize the long-term success of
31early learners.
32(d) To promote positive parenting, parental choice, and
33involvement through the understanding of healthy development
34and the importance of high-quality early learning opportunities
35for school readiness.
36(e) To
support the development of the ability to measure
37outcomes assessing early learning and educational support
38programs.
P4 1(f) To establish a framework for the expansion of
early learning
2and educational support services for children starting at birth.
Section 8202 of the Education Code is amended to
4read:
To ensure that all children, starting at birth, in California
6have equal access to high-quality early learning and educational
7support programs so that they thrive in their early learning settings
8and succeed in entering transitional kindergarten or kindergarten
9and throughout their school education and adult life, it is the intent
10of the Legislature that:
11(a) All families have access to safe, high-quality early learning
12and educational support services that support the development of
13the whole child, including healthy physical, cognitive, social, and
14emotional growth and development of children regardless of ethnic
15status, cultural background, or special
needs.
16(b) Subsidized early learning and educational support services
17be provided to persons meeting the eligibility criteria established
18under this chapter to the extent funding is made available by the
19Legislature and Congress.
20(c) Community-level coordination between early learning and
21educational support programs and other human services
22organizations be encouraged.
23(d) Parental choice, parenting education, and information all be
24components of a long-term successful early learning and
25educational support system.
26(e) Parents and families be fully informed of their rights and
27responsibilities to select safe and high-quality early learning and
28
educational support programs.
29(f) Planning for expansion of direct classroom services be based
30on ongoing local needs assessments and targeted to programs
31operating classrooms located in the attendance area of elementary
32schools ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the Academic
33Performance Index pursuant to Section 52056.
34(g) Families achieve and maintain their personal, social,
35economic, and emotional stability through an opportunity to attain
36financial stability through employment and work support activities,
37while maximizing the growth and development of their children,
38and supporting parental participation in the educational
39development and success of their children.
P5 1(h) Early learning and
educational support staff be culturally
2and linguistically diverse and support school readiness, healthy
3development, and improved child outcomes.
4(i) Sustained support of professional development and
5preparation of early learning educators and professionals include,
6but not be limited to, the following:
7(1) Academic support.
8(2) Higher education articulation.
9(3) Career advancement.
10(4) Evidence-based coaching and mentoring.
11(5) Child-teacher interactions.
12(6) Child
centered, family-educator, and family-professional
13interactions.
14(7) Training on research-based tools and resources aligned to
15California preschool learning foundations, frameworks, and
16guidelines, and California early childhood educator competencies.
17(8) Retention of high-quality educators.
18(9) Adequate compensation and incentives for professional
19growth.
20(10) Strong leadership and management practices.
21(j) The Superintendent coordinate with the California Children
22
and Families Commission, county children and families
23commissions, and other federal, state, and local agencies to support
24improved alignment and access, including, but not limited to:
25support services, quality enhancements, and additional training
26and resources in early learning and educational support programs
27and staff.
28(k) The department create, administer, and support a
29comprehensive early learning and educational support infrastructure
30that promotes and fosters school readiness, healthy development,
31and improved child outcomes.
32(l) The Superintendent, in providing funding to early learning
33and educational support agencies, promote a range of services that
34will allow parents the opportunity to choose the type of care most
35suited to their needs. The
program scope may include the
36following:
37(1) Programs located in centers, family day care homes, or in
38license-exempt care.
P6 1(2) Services provided part-day, full-day, and during nonstandard
2hours including weekend care, night and shift care, before and
3after school care, and care during holidays and vacation.
4(3) Early learning and educational support services provided
5for infants and toddlers, preschool, and schoolage children.
6(m) The Superintendent be responsible for the establishment of
7a public hearing process or other public input process that ensures
8the participation of those agencies directly affected by a particular
9section or sections of
this chapter.
10(n) The department consolidate contracts for agencies providing
11direct classroom programs into a single contract in order to ease
12administration, to reduce reporting and auditing requirements, and
13to ensure that special populations continue to receive services and
14support.
15(o) The department administer the alternative payment and
16CalWORKs Stage 2 and 3 programs in order to maximize and
17support parental choice in educator, professional, or caregiver
18selection.
19(p) The department review existing resources and opportunities
20for consumer education in order to expose parents to a variety of
21strategies and learning opportunities to support caregiver choices.
22These resources should include information on
all of the following:
23(1) The options that are available.
24(2) The benefits of each option.
25(3) The educational and socioemotional development of
26expectations of children at various ages.
27(q) The department review a variety of existing requirements
28in order to consider alternatives that reduce administrative burden
29and cost and streamline program administration.
30(r) As additional funding becomes available, the department
31review options to implement a statewide quality rating and
32improvement system to obtain data on the success of California’s
33early learning and educational support programs, including program
34
quality improvements and early educator and child outcomes.
Section 8202.1 is added to the Education Code, to
36read:
The Legislature recognizes the importance of a
38culturally and linguistically diverse early educator workforce in
39our early learning and educational support programs to support
40school readiness and improved child outcomes. Sustained support
P7 1of the professional development and preparation of educators and
2professionals in the field of early learning and educational support
3services includes, but is not limited to, the following:
4(a) Academic support.
5(b) Higher education articulation.
6(c) A career ladder with periodic updates.
7(d) Evidence-based coaching and mentoring.
8(e) Child-teacher interaction.
9(f) Training on research-based tools and resources aligned to
10California preschool learning foundations, frameworks, and
11guidelines, and California early childhood educator competencies.
12(g) Retention of high-quality educators.
13(h) Adequate compensation and incentives for professional
14growth.
15(i) Efficient program administration.
Section 8203 of the Education Code is amended to
17read:
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insertThe Superintendent shall develop standards for the
19implementation of high-quality early learning and educational
20support programs. Indicators of quality shall include, but not be
21limited to:
5 22(a)
end delete
23begin insert(1)end insert A physical environment that is safe and appropriate to the
24ages and developmental needs of the children
and that meets
25applicable licensing standards.
8 26(b)
end delete
27begin insert(2)end insert Program activities and services that are age appropriate and
28meet the developmental needs of each child, and utilize the
29California preschool learning foundations, frameworks, and
30guidelines, and California early childhood educator competencies.
12 31(c)
end delete
32begin insert(3)end insert Program activities and services that meet the cultural and
33linguistic needs of children and families.
34(d)
end delete35begin insert(4)end insert Family and community engagement.
15 36(e)
end delete37begin insert(5)end insert Parent education.
16 38(f)
end delete39begin insert(6)end insert Efficient and effective local program administration.
23 40(g)
end deleteP8 1begin insert(7)end insert Educators who:
24 2(1)
end delete
3begin insert(A)end insert Foster school readiness, healthy development, and
improved
4child outcomes.
26 5(2)
end delete
6begin insert(B)end insert Are culturally and linguistically diverse and reflect the
7makeup of children and families in the program.
28 8(3)
end delete
9begin insert(C)end insert Possess the appropriate and required educational
10qualifications and experience, including credentials or permits, as
11specified by the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing and who
12meet applicable licensing standards.
32 13(4)
end delete14begin insert(D)end insert Meet children’s instructional and developmental needs.
33 15(5)
end delete16begin insert(E)end insert Provide positive teacher-child interactions.
34 17(h)
end delete
18begin insert(8)end insert Program activities and services meet the needs of children
19with exceptional needs and diverse abilities, and their families.
37 20(i)
end delete
21begin insert(9)end insert Support services for children, families, and early learning
22educators.
39 23(j)
end delete24begin insert(10)end insert Resource and referral services.
40 25(k)
end delete26begin insert(11)end insert Alternative payment services.
27(l)
end delete
28begin insert(12)end insertbegin insert end insert Provision for nutritional needs and physical activity of
29children.
3 30(m)
end delete
31begin insert(13)end insert Social services that include, but are not limited to, child
32abuse prevention, identification of child and family needs, and
33referral to appropriate agencies.
6 34(n)
end delete
35begin insert(14)end insert Developmental and health services, as defined in Section
368208, that include referral of children to appropriate agencies for
37services.
38(b) The department shall develop and certify a list of
39high-quality early learning and educational support resources to
40demonstrate high-quality options available to parents. The list of
P9 1certified resources shall be posted and maintained on the
2department’s Internet Web site and shall be made available to
3both resource and referral programs and alternative payment
4programs.
Section 8203.5 of the Education Code is amended to
6read:
(a) The Superintendent shall ensure that each contract
8entered into under this chapter to provide early learning and
9educational support services, or to facilitate the provision of those
10services, promotes children’s school readiness and subsequent
11school success through the delivery of appropriate high-quality
12educational services to the children served pursuant to the contract.
13(b) The Superintendent shall ensure that all contracts for direct
14classroom services programs include a requirement that each
15provider maintain a developmental profile to appropriately identify
16the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive growth of each child
17served in order to promote
the child’s success in the public schools.
18To the extent possible, the department shall provide a
19developmental profile to all public and private providers using
20existing profile instruments that are most cost efficient. The
21provider of any program operated pursuant to a contract under
22Section 8262 shall be responsible for maintaining developmental
23profiles upon entry through exit from a direct classroom services
24program.
25(c) This section is not subject to Part 34 (commencing with
26Section 62000) of Division 4 of Title 2.
Section 8204 of the Education Code is amended to
28read:
In recognition of the demonstrated relationship between
30food and good nutrition and the capacity of children to develop
31and learn, it is the policy of this state that no child shall be hungry
32while in attendance in a child care and development facility as
33defined in Section 8208 and that these facilities have an obligation
34to provide for the nutritional needs of children in attendance.
Section 8205 of the Education Code is amended to
36read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that in providing early
38learning and educational support programs the Superintendent do
39the following:
P10 1(a) Develop an early learning and educational support system
2that allows maximum parental choice by providing both direct
3classroom and alternative payment services.
4(b) Give priority to children of families that qualify under
5applicable federal statutes or regulations as recipients of public
6assistance and other low-income and disadvantaged families.
7Federal reimbursement shall be claimed for any child receiving
8services under this chapter for whom federal funds are
available.
Section 8208 of the Education Code is amended to
10read:
As used in this chapter:
12(a) “Alternative payments” includes payments that are made by
13one child care agency to another agency or child care provider for
14the provision of early learning and educational support services,
15and payments that are made by an agency to a parent for the
16parent’s purchase of early learning and educational support
17services.
18(b) “Alternative payment program” means a local government
19agency or nonprofit organization that has contracted with the
20department pursuant to Section 8220.1 to provide alternative
21payments and to provide support services to parents and providers.
22(c) “Applicant or contracting agency” means a school district,
23community college district, college or university, county
24superintendent of schools, county, city, public agency, private
25nontax-exempt agency, private tax-exempt agency, or other entity
26that is authorized to establish, maintain, or operate services
27pursuant to this chapter. Private agencies and parent cooperatives,
28duly licensed by law, shall receive the same consideration as any
29other authorized entity with no loss of parental decisionmaking
30prerogatives as consistent with the provisions of this chapter.
31(d) “Assigned reimbursement rate” is that rate established by
32the contract with the agency and is derived by dividing the total
33dollar amount of the contract by the minimum child day of average
34daily enrollment level of service required.
35(e) (1) “Attendance” means the number of children present at
36a child care and development facility where services are provided.
37(2) For purposes of reimbursement to direct classroombegin insert services end insert
38
programs, attendance includes excused absences of children
39because of illness, quarantine, illness or quarantine of their parent,
40family emergency, or to spend time with a parent or other relative
P11 1as required by a court of law or that is clearly in the best interest
2of the child.
3(3) For purposes of reimbursement to providers through an
4alternative payment services program, attendance includes begin deleteeither end delete
5begin insertany end insertof the following:
6(A) The hours of service provided that are broadly consistent
7with certified hours of need.
8(B) For families with variable schedules, the actual days and
9hours of attendance up to the maximum certified hours.
17 10(B)
end delete
11begin insert(C)end insert In the case of license-exempt providers that provide
12part-time services, the actual days and hours of attendance.
13(4) For purposes of reimbursement to providers through an
14alternative payment services program, contractors shall not be
15required to track absences.
16(f) “Capital outlay” means the amount paid for the renovation
17and repair of child care and development facilities to comply with
18state and local health and safety standards, and the amount paid
19for the state purchase of relocatable child care and development
20facilities for lease to qualifying contracting agencies.
21(g) “Caregiver” means a person who provides direct care,
22supervision, and guidance to children in a child care and
23development facility.
24(h) “Child care and development facility” means a residence or
25building or part of a residence or building in which early learning
26and educational support services are provided.
27(i) “Children at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation” means
28children
who are so identified in a written referral from a legal,
29medical, or social service agency, or emergency shelter.
30(j) “Children with exceptional needs” means either of the
31following:
32(1) Infants and toddlers under three years of age who have been
33determined to be eligible for early intervention services pursuant
34to the California Early Intervention Services Act (Title 14
35(commencing with Section 95000) of the Government Code) and
36its implementing regulations. These children include an infant or
37toddler with a developmental delay or established risk condition,
38or who is at high risk of having a substantial developmental
39disability, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 95014 of the
40Government Code. These children shall have active individualized
P12 1family service plans, shall be
receiving early intervention services,
2and shall be children who require the special attention of adults in
3a child care setting.
4(2) Children 3 to 21 years of age, inclusive, who have been
5determined to be eligible for special education and related services
6by an individualized education program team according to the
7special education requirements contained in Part 30 (commencing
8with Section 56000) of Division 4 of Title 2, and who meet
9eligibility criteria described in Section 56026 and, Article 2.5
10(commencing with Section 56333) of Chapter 4 of Part 30 of
11Division 4 of Title 2, and Sections 3030 and 3031 of Title 5 of the
12California Code of Regulations. These children shall have an active
13individualized education program, shall be receiving early
14intervention services or appropriate special education and related
15services, and
shall be children who require the special attention of
16adults in a child care setting. These children include children with
17intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments (including deafness),
18speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including
19blindness), serious emotional disturbance (also referred to as
20emotional disturbance), orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic
21brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning
22disabilities, who need special education and related services
23consistent with Section 1401(3)(A) of Title 20 of the United States
24Code.
25(k) “Closedown costs” means reimbursements for all approved
26activities associated with the closing of operations at the end of
27each growing season for migrant services only.
28(l) “Cost” includes, but is
not limited to, expenditures that are
29related to the operation of early learning and educational support
30programs. “Cost” may include a reasonable amount for state and
31local contributions to employee benefits, including approved
32retirement programs, agency administration, and any other
33reasonable program operational costs. “Cost” may also include
34amounts for licensable facilities in the community served by the
35program, including lease payments or depreciation, downpayments,
36and payments of principal and interest on loans incurred to acquire,
37rehabilitate, or construct licensable facilities, but these costs shall
38not exceed fair market rents existing in the community in which
39the facility is located. “Reasonable and necessary costs” are costs
P13 1that, in nature and amount, do not exceed what an ordinary prudent
2person would incur in the conduct of a competitive business.
3(m) “Developmental and health services” include, but are not
4limited to, all of the following:
5(1) Referral, whenever possible, to appropriate health care
6providers able to provide continuity of medical care.
7(2) Developmental and health screening and health treatment,
8including a full range of immunization recorded on the appropriate
9state immunization form to the extent provided by the Medi-Cal
10Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of
11Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) and the Child
12Health and Disability Prevention Program (Article 6 (commencing
13with Section 124025) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 106 of
14the Health and Safety Code), but only to the extent that ongoing
15care cannot
be obtained utilizing community resources.
16(3) Health education and training for children, parents, staff,
17and providers.
18(4) Followup treatment through referral to appropriate health
19care agencies or individual health care professionals.
20(n) “Direct classroom programs” means early learning and
21educational support programs that serve children from birth to 13
22years of age, including, but not limited to, services for infants and
23toddlers, preschool age children, schoolage children, and children
24of migrant agricultural worker families.
25(o) “Direct classroom services” means direct classroom
26programs, family child care home education networks, and
27programs that
serve severely disabled children, that are
28administered by the Superintendent pursuant to Article 5
29(commencing with Section 8228).
30(p) “Early learning and educational support programs” means
31those programs that offer a full range of services designed to meet
32a wide variety of needs of children, from birth to 13 years of age,
33and their families. Services provided by an applicant or contracting
34agency, may be for any part of the day that a parent is working, in
35training, seeking employment, incapacitated, or in need of respite.
36These services may include, but are not limited to, direct classroom
37and alternative payment services.
38(q) “Elementary school,” as contained in former Section 425 of
39Title 20 of the United States Code (the National Defense Education
40Act of 1958, Public Law
85-864, as amended), includes early
P14 1childhood education programs and all early learning and
2educational support programs, for the purpose of the cancellation
3provisions of loans to students in institutions of higher learning.
4(r) “Family child care home education network” means an entity
5organized under law that contracts with the department pursuant
6to Section 8245 to make payments to licensed family child care
7home providers and to provide educational and support services
8to those providers and to children and families eligible for
9state-subsidized early learning and educational support services.
10A family child care home education network may also be referred
11to as a family child care home system.
12(s) “Higher educational institutions” means the Regents of the
13University
of California, the Trustees of the California State
14University, the Board of Governors of the California Community
15Colleges, and the governing bodies of any accredited private
16nonprofit institution of postsecondary education.
17(t) “Intergenerational staff” means persons of various
18generations.
19(u) “Limited-English-speaking-proficient and
20non-English-speaking-proficient children” means children who
21are unable to benefit fully from an English-only early learning and
22educational support program as a result of either of the following:
23(1) Having used a language other than English when they first
24began to speak.
25(2) Having a language other than English
predominantly or
26exclusively spoken at home.
27(v) “Parent” means a biological parent, stepparent, adoptive
28parent, foster parent, caretaker relative, or any other adult living
29with a child who has responsibility for the care and welfare of the
30child.
31(w) “Program director” means a person who, pursuant to
32Sections 8244 and 8360.1, is qualified to serve as a program
33director.
34(x) “Proprietary agency” means an organization or facility
35providing early learning and educational support services, which
36is operated for profit.
37(y) “Resource and referral programs” means programs that
38provide information to parents, including referrals and coordination
39of
community resources for parents and public or private providers
40of care. Services frequently include, but are not limited to: technical
P15 1assistance for providers, toy-lending libraries, equipment-lending
2libraries, toy- and equipment-lending libraries, staff development
3programs, health and nutrition education, and referrals to social
4services.
5(z) “Severely disabled children” are children with exceptional
6needs from birth to 21 years of age, inclusive, who require intensive
7instruction and training in programs serving pupils with the
8following profound disabilities: autism, blindness, deafness, severe
9orthopedic impairments, serious emotional disturbances, or severe
10intellectual disabilities. “Severely disabled children” also include
11those individuals who would have been eligible for enrollment in
12a developmental center for handicapped pupils
under Chapter 6
13(commencing with Section 56800) of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title
142 as it read on January 1, 1980.
15(aa) “Short-term respite child care” means child care service to
16assist families whose children have been identified through written
17referral from a legal, medical, or social service agency, or
18emergency shelter as being neglected, abused, exploited, or
19homeless, or at risk of being neglected, abused, exploited, or
20homeless. Child care is provided for less than 24 hours per day in
21child care centers, treatment centers for abusive parents, family
22child care homes, or in the child’s own home.
23(ab) “Site supervisor” means a person who, regardless of his or
24her title, has operational program responsibility for
an early
25learning and educational support program at a single site. A site
26supervisor shall hold a permit or credential issued by the
27Commission on Teacher Credentialing that authorizes supervision
28of an early learning and educational support program operating in
29a single site. The Superintendent may waive the requirements of
30this subdivision if the Superintendent determines that the existence
31of compelling need is appropriately documented.
32(ac) “Standard reimbursement rate” means that rate established
33by the Superintendent pursuant to Section 8265.
34(ad) “Startup costs” means those expenses an agency incurs in
35the process of opening a new or additional facility before the full
36enrollment of children.
37(ae) “California state preschool program services” means
38part-day and full-day educational programs and services designed
39to facilitate the transition to kindergarten for low-income or
40otherwise disadvantaged three- and four-year-old children.
P16 1(af) “Support services” means those services that, when
2combined with early learning and educational support services,
3help promote the healthy physical, mental, social, and emotional
4growth of children. Support services include, but are not limited
5to: protective services, parent training, provider and staff training,
6transportation, parent and child counseling, resource and referral
7services, and child placement counseling.
8(ag) “Teacher” means a person with the appropriate permit
9issued by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing who provides
10program supervision and instruction that includes supervision of
11a number of aides, volunteers, and groups of children.
12(ah) “Underserved area” means a county or subcounty area,
13including, but not limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP
14Code areas, where the ratio of publicly subsidized early learning
15and educational support program services to the need for these
16services is low, as determined by the
Superintendent.
17(ai) “Workday” means the time that the parent requires
18temporary care for a child for any of the following reasons:
19(1) To undertake training in preparation for a job.
20(2) To undertake or retain a job.
21(3) To undertake other activities that are essential to maintaining
22or improving the social and economic function of the family, are
23beneficial to the community, or are required because of health
24problems in the family.
25(aj) “Three-year-old children” means children who will have
26their third birthday on or before the date specified of the fiscal
27year in which they are
enrolled in a California state preschool
28program, as follows:
29(1) November 1 of the 2012-13 fiscal year.
30(2) October 1 of the 2013-14 fiscal year.
31(3) September 1 of the 2014-15 fiscal year and each fiscal year
32thereafter.
33(ak) “Four-year-old children” means children who will have
34their fourth birthday on or before the date specified of the fiscal
35year in which they are enrolled in a California state preschool
36program, as follows:
37(1) November 1 of the 2012-13 fiscal year.
38(2) October 1 of the 2013-14 fiscal year.
39(3) September 1 of the 2014-15 fiscal year and each fiscal year
40thereafter.
P17 1(al) “Local educational agency” means a school district, a county
2office of education, a community college district, or a school
3district on behalf of one or more schools within the school district.
Section 8208.1 of the Education Code is amended to
5read:
Care exempt from licensure is a valid parental choice
7of care for all programs provided for under this part, and no
8provision of this part shall be construed to exclude or discourage
9the exercise of that choice.
Section 8208.5 of the Education Code is amended to
11read:
Notwithstanding any other law, early learning and
13educational support programs, as defined in Section 8208, shall
14include, but not be limited to, respite child care.
Section 8209 of the Education Code is amended to
16read:
(a) If a state of emergency is declared by the Governor,
18the Superintendent may waive any requirements of this code or
19regulations adopted pursuant to this code relating to early learning
20and educational support programs operated pursuant to this chapter
21only to the extent that enforcement of the regulations or
22requirements would directly impede disaster relief and recovery
23efforts or would disrupt the current level of service in
early learning
24and educational support programs.
25(b) If a state of emergency is declared by the Governor, the
26Superintendent may waive, any requirements of this code or
27regulations adopted pursuant to this code relating to child nutrition
28programs in early learning and educational support programs
29operated pursuant to this chapter only to the extent that enforcement
30of the regulations or requirements would directly impede disaster
31relief and recovery efforts or would disrupt the current level of
32service in early learning and educational support programs.
33(c) A waiver granted pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) shall not
34exceed 45 calendar days.
35(d) For purposes of this section, “state of emergency”
includes
36fire, flood, earthquake, or a period of civil unrest.
37(e) If a request for a waiver pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b)
38is for an early learning and educational support program or child
39nutrition program that receives federal funds and the waiver may
40be inconsistent with the state plan or any federal law or regulations
P18 1governing the program, the Superintendent shall seek and obtain
2approval of the waiver from the appropriate federal agency before
3granting the waiver.
Section 8210 of the Education Code is amended to
5read:
Funds appropriated for the purpose of this chapter may
7be used for resource and referral programs that may be operated
8by public or private nonprofit entities.
Section 8211 of the Education Code is amended to
10read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that one hundred eighty
12thousand dollars ($180,000) be appropriated each fiscal year for
13allocation to resource and referral agencies operated by local
14educational agencies for the purpose of the resources and referral
15program set forth in this article.
Section 8212 of the Education Code is amended to
17read:
For purposes of this article, resource and referral
19programs, established to serve a defined geographic area, shall
20provide the following services:
21(a) Identification of the full range of existing services through
22information provided by all relevant public and private agencies
23in the areas of service, and the development of a resource file of
24those services that shall be maintained and updated at least
25quarterly. These services shall include, but not be limited to, early
26learning and educational support programs, family day care homes,
27public and private day care programs, full-time and part-time
28programs, and infant, toddler, preschool, and extended care
29
programs.
30The resource file shall include, but not be limited to, the
31following information:
32(1) Type of program.
33(2) Hours of service.
34(3) Ages of children served.
35(4) Fees and eligibility for services.
36(5) Significant program information.
37(b) (1) Establishment of a referral process that responds to
38parental need for information and that is provided with full
39recognition of the confidentiality rights of parents. Resource and
40referral programs shall make referrals to licensed
child day care
P19 1facilities. Referrals shall be made to unlicensed care facilities only
2if there is no requirement that the facility be licensed. The referral
3process shall afford parents maximum access to all referral
4information. This access shall include, but is not limited to,
5telephone referrals to be made available for at least 30 hours per
6week as part of a full week of operation. Every effort shall be made
7to reach all parents within the defined geographic area, including,
8but not limited to, any of the following:
9(A) Toll-free telephone lines.
10(B) Office space convenient to parents and providers.
11(C) Referrals in languages which are spoken in the community.
12Each resource
and referral program shall publicize its services
13through all available media sources, agencies, and other appropriate
14methods.
15(2) (A) Provision of information to any person who requests a
16
referral of his or her right to view the licensing information of a
17licensed child day care facility required to be maintained at the
18facility pursuant to Section 1596.859 of the Health and Safety
19Code and to access any public files pertaining to the facility that
20are maintained by the State Department of Social Services
21Community Care Licensing Division.
22(B) A written or oral advisement in substantially the following
23form will comply with the requirements of subparagraph (A):
24“State law requires licensed child day care facilities to make
25accessible to the public a copy of any licensing report pertaining
26to the facility that documents a facility visit or a substantiated
27complaint investigation. In addition, a more complete file regarding
28a child care licensee may be available at an office
of the State
29Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing
30Division. You have the right to access any public information in
31these files.”
32(c) Maintenance of ongoing documentation of requests for
33service tabulated through the internal referral process. The
34following documentation of requests for service shall be maintained
35by all resource and referral programs:
36(1) Number of calls and contacts to the care information and
37referral program or component.
38(2) Ages of children served.
39(3) Time category of care request for each child.
P20 1(4) Special time category, such as nights, weekends, and
swing
2shift.
3(5) Reason that the care is needed.
4This information shall be maintained in a manner that is easily
5accessible for dissemination purposes.
6(d) Provision of technical assistance to existing and potential
7providers of all types of care services. This assistance shall include,
8but not be limited to:
9(1) Information on all aspects of initiating new care services
10including, but not limited to, licensing, zoning, program and budget
11development, and assistance in finding this information from other
12sources.
13(2) Information and resources that help existing
providers to
14maximize their ability to serve the children and parents of their
15community.
16(3) Dissemination of information on current public issues
17affecting the local and state delivery of services.
18(4) Facilitation of communication between existing child care
19and child-related services providers in the community served.
20Services prescribed by this section shall be provided in order to
21maximize parental choice in the selection of care to facilitate the
22maintenance and development of care services and resources.
23(e) (1) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
24two business days of receiving notice, remove a licensed child day
25care
facility with a revocation or a temporary suspension order, or
26that is on probation from the program’s referral list.
27(2) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
28two business days of receiving notice, notify all entities, operating
29a program under Article 3 (commencing with Section 8220) and
30Article 15.5 (commencing with Section 8350) in the program’s
31jurisdiction, of a licensed child day care facility with a revocation
32or a temporary suspension order, or that is on probation.
Section 8212.3 of the Education Code is amended to
34read:
(a) In addition to the services described in Section
368212, a resource and referral program, established to serve a
37defined geographic area, may provide short-term respite child care.
38“Short-term respite care,” for purposes of this article, means
39temporary child care services to do any of the following:
P21 1(1) Provide services to families identified and referred by child
2protective agencies.
3(2) Relieve the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, or
4exploitation, or the risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
5(3) Assist parents who,
because of serious illness or injury,
6homelessness, or family crisis, including temporary absence from
7the home because of illness or injury, would be unable without
8assistance to provide the normal care and nurture expected of
9parents.
10(4) Provide temporary relief to parents from the care of children
11with exceptional needs.
12(b) Pursuant to the delivery of short-term respite child care
13services, priority shall be given for the provision of services to
14families identified and referred by child protective agencies, to
15relieve the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, or exploitation,
16or the risks thereof, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
17subdivision (a). Priority shall be given to assist parents and to
18provide temporary relief to parents, as described in paragraphs (3)
19and
(4) of subdivision (a) to the extent that resources are available.
Section 8213 of the Education Code is amended to
21read:
All resource and referral services shall be provided in a
23manner that is responsive to the diverse cultural, linguistic, and
24economic needs of a defined geographic area of service.
Section 8214 of the Education Code is amended to
26read:
(a) Resource and referral services shall be provided to
28all persons requesting services and to all types of eligible providers,
29regardless of income level or other eligibility criteria. In addition
30to the services prescribed by this section, resource and referral
31may provide a wide variety of parent and provider support and
32educational services.
33(b) (1) To assist parents in making informed choices about the
34available types of care, all families determined eligible for and
35receiving services through the alternative payment program
36pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 8220) and all
37parents determined eligible for and receiving services through the
38CalWORKs Stage 2 and Stage 3 programs pursuant to Article 15.5
39(commencing with Section 8350) shall be provided parent
40information resources.
P22 1(2) These informational resources shall be provided at the time
2the family is determined eligible for services and at recertification
3of eligibility, pursuant to Section 8220.5, so that parents may make
4
informed choices about services available.
5(3) These informational resources shall include options that
6both offer a safe, caring, and age-appropriate early learning and
7educational support environment for children, as well as support
8the parents’ work activity and shall also describe indicators of
9high-quality early learning and educational support options
10pursuant to subparagraphs (A) to (G), inclusive, of paragraph (4).
11(4) Resource and referral agencies may utilize resources from
12a certified list posted on the department’s Internet Web site,
13pursuant to subdivision (c), or may develop local resources that
14shall include, but are not limited to:
15(A) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
16needs of the parent and child.
17(B) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
18centers and family child care homes.
19(C) Trustline requirements for family child care homes and
20license-exempt providers.
21(D) A range of possible early learning and educational support
22options from which a parent may choose.
23(E) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
24requirements.
25(F) Quality indicators including provider or educator training,
26accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
27environments that support the healthy development of children,
28parent involvement and parent-provider communication.
29(G) Information on quality rating and improvement systems,
30where
available.
31(c) The department shall develop and certify a list of high-quality
32early learning and educational support resources to demonstrate
33high-quality options available to parents. The list of certified
34resources shall be posted and maintained on the department’s
35Internet Web site.
36(b) Information shall be provided to parents in the county of
37service at the time the family is determined eligible for services,
38and at recertification, by one of the following:
39(1) An alternative payment program.
end insertbegin insert40(2) A resource and referral program.
end insertbegin insert
P23 1(3) A partnership between the alternative payment program and
2the resource and referral program.
3(c) The information provided by the program or partnership
4shall be to assist parents in making informed choices about
5available types of care that would both offer a safe, caring, and
6age-appropriate early learning and educational support
7environment for children, as well as support the parents’ work
8activities, including, but not limited to,
information about
9high-quality early learning and educational support options and
10resources specified in this subdivision. The program or partnership
11may utilize resources from a certified list posted on the
12department’s Internet Web site pursuant to subdivision (b) of
13Section 8203, or may develop local resources that shall include,
14but are not limited to, the following:
15(1) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
16needs of the parent and child.
17(2) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
18centers and family homes.
19(3) Trustline requirements for homes and providers exempt from
20licensure.
21(4) A range of possible early learning and educational support
22options from which a parent may choose.
23(5) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
24requirements.
25(6) Quality indicators, including provider or educator training,
26accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
27environments that support the healthy development of
children,
28parent involvement, and communication between the parent and
29provider.
30(7) Information on quality rating and improvement systems,
31where available.
32(d) The program or partnership shall also provide parenting
33information to parents.
Section 8215 of the Education Code is amended to
35read:
(a) There is hereby established a project known as the
37California Child Care Initiative Project. It is the intent of the
38Legislature to promote and foster the project in cooperation with
39private corporations and local governments. The objective of the
P24 1project is to increase the availability of quality programs in the
2state.
3(b) For purposes of this section, the California Child Care
4Initiative Project means a project to expand the role and functions
5of selected resource and referral agencies in activities including
6needs assessment, recruitment and screening of providers, technical
7assistance, and staff development and training, in order to aid
8communities
in increasing their capability in the number of spaces
9available and the quality of services offered.
10(c) The Superintendent shall allocate all state funds appropriated
11for the California Child Care Initiative Project for the purpose of
12making grants to those resource and referral agencies that have
13been selected as pilot sites for the project.
14(d) The project shall ensure that each dollar of state funds
15allocated pursuant to subdivision (c) is matched by two dollars
16($2) from other sources, including private corporations, the federal
17government, or local governments.
18(e) The grants to the sites made available by the project shall
19be comprised of a combination of state funds and other funds
20pursuant to subdivision
(d).
21(f) The Superintendent shall develop a database for the project.
Section 8216 of the Education Code is amended to
23read:
When making referrals, every agency operating a direct
25classroom services program or an alternative payment program
26and a resource and referral program shall provide at least four
27referrals, at least one of which shall be a provider over which the
28agency has no fiscal or operational control, as well as information
29to a family on the family’s ability to choose a license exempt
30provider.
Section 8220 of the Education Code is amended to
32read:
Upon the approval of the department, funds appropriated
34for the purposes of this chapter may be used for alternative payment
35programs to allow for maximum parental choice. Various methods
36of reimbursement for parental costs for care may be utilized. All
37payment arrangements shall conform to the eligibility criteria and
38the parent fee schedule established pursuant to Sections 8263 and
398265.
P25 1To provide for maximum parental choice, alternative payment
2programs may include the following:
3(a) A subsidy that follows the family from one provider to
4another within a given alternative payment program.
5(b) Choices, whenever possible, among hours of service
6including before and after school, evenings, weekends, and split
7shifts.
8(c) Early learning and educational support services according
9to parental choice, including use of family day care homes, general
10center based programs, and other state-funded programs to the
11extent that those programs exist in the general service area and are
12in conformity with the purposes and applicable laws for which
13those programs were established, but excluding California state
14preschool program services.
Section 8220.1 of the Education Code is amended to
16read:
(a) The department shall contract with local contracting
18agencies for alternative payment programs so that services will be
19provided throughout the state. The department shall expand existing
20alternative payment programs and fund new alternative payment
21programs to the extent that funds are provided by the Legislature.
22(b) Funding for the new programs pursuant to this section shall
23be allocated to programs which meet all of the following
24requirements:
25(1) Applicants shall conform to the requirements of this article.
26(2) Applicants shall demonstrate that an alternative payment
27program is an appropriate method of delivering services within
28the county or service area at the level requested in the application
29by doing either of the following:
30(A) Demonstrating the availability of sufficient licensed or
31license-exempt providers.
32(B) Providing a plan for the development of sufficient licensed
33providers working in cooperation with the local resource and
34referral agency.
35(3) Applicants shall demonstrate the administrative viability of
36the alternative payment agency and its capacity to meet
37performance requirements.
38(4) Existing alternative payment programs receiving
funds for
39expansion into a new service area shall be funded at a documented
P26 1rate appropriate to that community and may contract separately as
2appropriate.
3(c) On and after July 1, 2014, the Superintendent shall streamline
4the delivery of alternative payment programs through the
5simplification of contracts that serve special populations, including,
6but not limited to, migrant populations. Contractors shall continue
7to serve the same populations specified in their 2013-14 contracts,
8unless they receive prior approval from the department.
Section 8220.3 is added to the Education Code, to
10read:
Alternative payment contractors servingbegin insert onlyend insert migrant
12populationsbegin insert pursuant to a 2013-14 contractend insert shallbegin delete give priority for begin insert only enrollend insert children of migrant agricultural worker
13enrollment toend delete
14begin delete families, in the following priority order:end delete
15begin delete(a)end deletebegin delete end deletebegin deleteThe family movesend deletebegin insert
families, as defined in subdivision (a) of
16Section 8231, that moveend insert from place to placebegin insert for the purpose of
17agricultural workend insert.
18(b) The family has qualified for services under paragraph (1)
19of subdivision (b) of Section 8231 within the past five years and
20is currently dependent for its income on agricultural employment,
21but is currently settled near agricultural areas.
22(c) The family resides in a rural agricultural area and is
23dependent upon seasonal agricultural
work.
Section 8220.5 of the Education Code is amended to
25read:
(a) To offer maximum support for parents and
27providers, alternative payment programs shall have access to
28resource and referral services. Funding shall be adequate to
29purchase care at the same rate that a private client is charged for
30the same service as well as to provide locally designed support
31services for parents and providers.begin delete Alternative payment programs,
32in collaboration with resource and referral agencies in the county,
33shall provide the following support services:end delete
34(1) At the time the family is determined eligible for services
35and at recertification, provide information for parents to assist
36them in making informed choices about
available types of care
37that offer a safe, caring, and age-appropriate early learning and
38educational support environment for children, as well as support
39the parents’ work activities, including, but not limited to, all of the
40following:
P27 1(A) Information about high-quality early learning and
2educational support services pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
38214.
4(B) Information on quality rating and improvement systems,
5where available.
6(2) Professional and technical assistance and information for
7providers.
8(3) Parenting information.
9(b) The department shall make informational resources
available
10to both resource and referral programs and alternative payment
11programs pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8214.
12(b) Alternative payment programs shall provide professional
13and technical assistance and information to providers.
begin insertSection 8220.6 is added to the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert, to
15read:end insert
(a) Information shall be provided to parents in the
17county of service at the time the family is determined eligible for
18services, and at recertification, by one of the following:
19(1) An alternative payment program.
20(2) A resource and referral program.
21(3) A partnership between the alternative payment program and
22the resource and referral program.
23(b) The information provided by the program or partnership
24shall be to assist parents in making informed choices about
25available types of care that would both offer a safe, caring, and
26age-appropriate early
learning and educational support
27environment for children, as well as support the parents’ work
28activities, including, but not limited to, information about
29high-quality early learning and educational support options and
30resources specified in this subdivision. The program or partnership
31may utilize resources from a certified list posted on the
32department’s Internet Web site pursuant to subdivision (b) of
33Section 8203, or may develop local resources that shall include,
34but are not limited to, the following:
35(1) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
36needs of the parent and child.
37(2) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
38centers and family homes.
39(3) Trustline requirements for homes and providers exempt from
40licensure.
P28 1(4) A range of possible early learning and educational support
2options from which a parent may choose.
3(5) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
4requirements.
5(6) Quality indicators, including provider or educator training,
6accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
7environments that support the healthy development of children,
8parent involvement, and communication between the parent and
9provider.
10(7) Information on quality rating and improvement systems,
11where available.
12(c) The program or partnership shall also provide parenting
13information to parents.
Section 8222 of the
Education Code is amended to
16read:
(a) Payments made by alternative payment programs
18shall not exceed the applicable market rate ceiling. Alternative
19payment programs may expend more than the standard
20reimbursement rate for a particular child. However, the aggregate
21payments for services purchased by the agency during the contract
22year shall not exceed the assigned reimbursable amount as
23established by the contract for the year. No agency may make
24payments in excess of the rate charged to full-cost families. This
25section does not preclude alternative payment programs from using
26the average daily enrollment adjustment factor for children with
27exceptional needs as provided in Section 8265.5.
28(b) Alternative payment programs shall reimburse licensed
29
providers in accordance with a biennial market rate survey pursuant
30to Section 8447, at a rate not to exceed the ceilings established
31pursuant to Section 8357.
32(c) An alternative payment program shall reimburse a licensed
33provider for care of a subsidized child based on the rate charged
34by the provider to nonsubsidized families, if any, for the same
35services, or the rates established by the provider for prospective
36nonsubsidized families. A licensed provider shall submit to the
37alternative payment program a copy of the provider’s rate sheet
38listing the rates charged, and the provider’s discount or scholarship
39policies, if any, along with a statement signed by the provider
P29 1confirming that the rates charged for a subsidized child are equal
2to or less than the rates charged for a nonsubsidized child.
3(d) An alternative payment program shall maintain a copy of
4the rate sheet and the confirmation statement.
5(e) A licensed provider shall submit to the local resource and
6referral agency a copy of the provider’s rate sheet listing rates
7charged, and the provider’s discount or scholarship policies, if
8any, and shall self-certify that the information is correct.
9(f) Each licensed provider may alter rate levels for subsidized
10children once per year and shall provide the alternative payment
11program and resource and referral agency with the updated
12information pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (e), to reflect any
13changes.
14(g) A licensed provider shall post in a
prominent location
15adjacent to the provider’s license at the child care facility the
16provider’s rates and discounts or scholarship policies, if any.
17(h) An alternative payment program shall verify provider rates
18no less frequently than once a year by randomly selecting 10
19percent of licensed providers serving subsidized families. The
20purpose of this verification process is to confirm that rates reported
21to the alternative payment programs reasonably correspond to
22those reported to the resource and referral agency and the rates
23actually charged to nonsubsidized families for equivalent levels
24of services. It is the intent of the Legislature that the privacy of
25nonsubsidized families shall be protected in implementing this
26subdivision.
27(i) The department shall develop
regulations for addressing
28discrepancies in the provider rate levels identified through the rate
29verification process in subdivision (h).
Section 8223 of the
Education Code is amended to
32read:
The reimbursement for alternative payment programs
34shall include the cost of care paid to providers plus the
35administrative and support services costs of the alternative payment
36program. The total cost for administration and support services
37shall not exceed an amount equal to 17.5 percent of the total
38contract amount. The administrative costs shall not exceed the
39costs allowable for administration under federal requirements.
Section 8225 of the
Education Code is amended to
3read:
When making referrals, every agency operating a direct
5classroom services program or a resource and referral program
6and an alternative payment program shall provide at least four
7referrals, at least one of which shall be a provider over which the
8agency has no fiscal or operational control, as well as information
9to a family on the family’s ability to choose a license exempt
10provider.
Section 8226 of the
Education Code is amended to
13read:
(a) When making referrals, every program operating
15pursuant to this article shall provide information to any person
16who requests a referral of his or her right to view the licensing
17information of a licensed child day care facility required to be
18maintained at the facility pursuant to Section 1596.859 of the
19Health and Safety Code and to access any public files pertaining
20to the facility that are maintained by the State Department of Social
21Services Community Care Licensing Division.
22(b) A written or oral advisement in substantially the following
23form will comply with the requirements of subdivision (a):
24“State
law requires licensed child day care facilities to make
25accessible to the public a copy of any licensing report pertaining
26to the facility that documents a facility visit or a substantiated
27complaint investigation. In addition, a more complete file regarding
28a child care licensee may be available at an office of the State
29Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing
30Division. You have the right to access any public information in
31these files.”
32(c) Every program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
33two days of receiving notice, remove from the program’s referral
34list the name of any licensed child day care facility with a
35revocation or a temporary suspension order or that is on probation.
36(d) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
37two
business days of being notified of a revocation or a temporary
38suspension order for a licensed child day care facility, do both of
39the following:
40(1) Terminate payment to the facility.
P31 1(2) Notify each parent and the facility in writing that payment
2has been terminated and the reason for the termination.
3(e) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, upon being
4notified that a licensed child day care facility has been placed on
5probation, provide written notice to each parent utilizing the facility
6that the facility has been placed on probation and that the parent
7has the option of selecting a different provider or remaining with
8the facility without risk of subsidy payments to the provider being
9terminated. The
Legislature urges each agency operating pursuant
10to this section to provide the written notice required by this
11subdivision in the primary language of the parent, to the extent
12feasible.
Section 8227 of the
Education Code is amended to
15read:
(a) To the extent that funding is made available for this
17purpose through the annual Budget Act, the alternative payment
18agency in each county shall design, maintain, and administer a
19system to consolidate local child care waiting lists so as to establish
20a countywide centralized eligibility list. In those counties with
21more than one alternative payment agency, the agency that also
22administers the resource and referral program shall have the
23responsibility of developing, maintaining, and administering the
24countywide centralized eligibility list. In those counties with more
25than one alternative payment agency and more than one resource
26and referral program, the
department shall establish a process to
27select the agency to develop, maintain, and administer the
28countywide centralized eligibility list.
29(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in those counties in which
30a countywide centralized eligibility list exists, as of the date that
31the act adding this section is enacted, the entity administering that
32list may receive funding, instead of the entity specified under
33subdivision (a).
34(c) Each centralized eligibility list shall include all of the
35following:
36(1) Family characteristics, including ZIP Code of residence,
37ZIP Code of employment, monthly income, and size.
38(2) Child characteristics, including
birth date and whether the
39child has special needs.
P32 1(3) Service characteristics, including reason for need, whether
2full-time or part-time service is requested, and whether after hours
3or weekend care is requested.
4(d) Information collected for the centralized eligibility list shall
5be reported to the Superintendent on an annual basis on the date
6and in the manner determined by the department.
7(e) (1) To be eligible to enter into an agreement with the
8department to provide subsidized care, a contractor shall participate
9in and use the centralized eligibility list.
10(2) A contractor with a campus child care and development
11program
operating pursuant to Section 66060, a program operating
12on a seasonal basis providing services to a migrant population
13pursuant to Section 8230, or a program serving severely disabled
14children pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 8250 and who has
15a local site waiting list shall submit eligibility list information to
16the centralized eligibility list administrator for any parent seeking
17subsidized services for whom these programs are not able to
18provide
early learning and educational support services. A
19contractor or program described in this paragraph may utilize any
20waiting lists developed at its local site to fill vacancies for its
21specific population. Families enrolled from a local site waiting list
22shall be enrolled pursuant to Section 8263.
Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228) is added
25to Chapter
2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education
26Code, to read:
27
(a) The Superintendent shall administer early learning
31and educational support programs through direct classroom
32services, including, but not limited to, direct classroom programs
33pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230) and Article
347 (commencing with Section 8235), family child care home
35education networks pursuant to Article 8.5 (commencing with
36Section 8245), and services for children with special needs pursuant
37to Article 9 (commencing with Section 8250).
38(b) Contractors providing direct classroom services pursuant to
39this article shall comply with the administrative requirements set
40forth in Article 10 (commencing with Section
8255).
The Superintendent, with funds appropriated for this
2purpose, shall administer programs through direct classroom
3services. These programs shall include, but not be limited to, all
4of the following:
5(a) Age and developmentally appropriate activities for children.
6(b) Supervision.
7(c) Parenting education and parent engagement.
8(d) Developmental and health services.
9(e) Nutrition.
10(f) Family support services that include, but are not limited to,
11
assessment of child and family needs and referral to appropriate
12human services organizations.
13(g) Training, professional development, and career advancement
14opportunities, documentation of which shall be provided to the
15department.
(a) Subdivision (b) shall apply to the award of funding
17for direct classroom services programs if upon appropriation by
18the Legislature moneys are made available for that purpose in any
19fiscal year.
20(b) (1) When funding is made available, priority for funding
21shall be given to programs operating classrooms located in the
22attendance area of elementary schools ranked in deciles 1 to 3,
23inclusive, of the Academic Performance Index pursuant to Section
2452056.
25(2) In an application for funds pursuant to this subdivision, an
26agency shall furnish the Superintendent with an estimate of the
27number
and ages of children that it plans to serve in the following
28fiscal year with those expansion funds. The agency also shall
29furnish documentation that indicates the basis of those estimates.
30(3) In awarding contracts for expansion, the Superintendent
31shall take into account the geographic criteria established pursuant
32to Section 8279.2, and the headquarters preferences and eligibility
33criteria relating to fiscal or programmatic noncompliance
34established pursuant to Section 8261.
35(c) This section does not prevent eligible children who are
36currently receiving services from continuing to receive those
37services in future years pursuant to this chapter.
The heading of Article 6 (commencing with Section
38230) of
Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 4Education Code is amended to read:
5
Section 8230 of the
Education Code is amended to
10read:
Contractors serving migrant populations shall comply
12with the requirements set forth in this article. In addition, the
13Superintendent shall support and encourage the state-level
14coordination of all agencies that offer services to migrant
15
populations and state-level coordination of existing health funds
16for migrants.
Section 8231 of the
Education Code is amended to
19read:
(a) For the purpose of this chapter, a “migrant
21agricultural worker family” means a family with at least one parent
22that has earned at least 50 percent of his or her income from
23employment in fishing, agriculture, or agriculturally related work
24during the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of
25application for early learning and educational support services.
26(b) For purposes of this article, priority for enrollment shall be
27given to children of migrant agricultural worker families in the
28following priority order:
29(1) The family moves from place to place.
30(2) The family has qualified under paragraph (1) within the past
31five years and is currently dependent for its income on agricultural
32employment, but is currently settled near agricultural areas.
33(3) The family resides in a rural agricultural area and is
34dependent upon seasonal agricultural work.
35(4) Eligibility and priority for services for the federally funded
36Migrant Child Development Program shall be in accordance with
37the applicable federal regulations.
38(c) If a contractor serving migrant populations, upon prioritizing
39migrant families for enrollment and complying with this section,
40is unable to reach the anticipated level of enrollment as provided
P35 1in the
contract for services, the contractor may use any funds
2remaining to enroll children from otherwise eligible families
3pursuant to the priorities set forth in Section 8263.
Section 8232 of the
Education Code is amended to
6read:
The Superintendent shall develop appropriate quality
8indicators for contractors that serve migrant populations, including
9those prescribed in Section 8203, and the following:
10(a) Social services.
11(1) Bilingual liaison between migrant parents and the center or
12family child care home, or both.
13(2) Liaison between the agency and the relevant community
14agencies and organizations, including health and social services.
15(3) Identification and documentation of family needs and
16followup
referrals as appropriate.
17(b) Staffing.
18(1) Bilingual health personnel shall be available to each program
19site of an agency that serves migrant populations.
20(2) Professional and nonprofessional staff shall reflect the
21linguistic and cultural background of the children being served.
22(3) Whenever possible, migrants will be recruited, trained, and
23hired in early learning and educational support programs.
24Documentation of training and career ladder opportunities and of
25recruitment and hiring efforts shall be provided to the department.
26Staff training shall include principles and practices of early learning
27and educational support for the age groups of
children being served.
28(c) Developmental and health services in agencies that serve
29migrant populations shall include health and dental screening and
30followup treatment. Health records for all migrant children shall
31follow the child.
Section 8233 of the
Education Code is amended to
34read:
(a) Cost for migrant population services may exceed
36the standard reimbursement rate established by the Superintendent.
37In no case shall the reimbursement exceed the cost of the services.
38
State-funded programs may be eligible for Chapter I federal funds
39to supplement state funding. These funds shall not be contingent
40upon the provision of additional child days or enrollment.
P36 1(b) The Superintendent shall annually reimburse agencies that
2provide services for seasonal migrant populations pursuant to this
3article for approvable startup and closedown costs. Reimbursement
4for both startup and closedown costs shall not exceed 15 percent
5of
the agency’s total contract amount.
6(c) Agencies that provide services for seasonal migrant
7populations shall submit reimbursement claims for startup costs
8with their first monthly reports, and reimbursement claims for
9closedown costs with their final reports.
The heading of Article 7 (commencing with Section
128235) of
Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 13Education Code is amended to read:
14
Section 8235 of the
Education Code is amended to
19read:
(a) Contractors providing California state preschool
21program services for children described in subdivision (aj) of
22Section 8208, and four-year-old children, as described in
23subdivision (ak) of Section 8208, shall adhere to the requirements
24set forth in Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228) in
25educational development, health services, social services,
26nutritional services, parent education and parent participation,
27evaluation, and staff development. These programs shall include,
28but are not limited to, part-day age and developmentally appropriate
29programs designed to facilitate the transition to kindergarten for
30three- and four-year-old children.
31(b) Preschool
services for which federal reimbursement is not
32available shall be funded as prescribed by the Legislature in the
33Budget Act, and unless otherwise specified by the Legislature,
34shall not use federal funds made available through Title XX of the
35federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1397).
36(c) Three- and four-year-old children are eligible for part-day
37California state preschool program services if the family meets at
38least one of the criteria specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision
39(a) of Section 8263.
P37 1(d) Notwithstanding any other law, a contractor providing
2part-day California state preschool program services may provide
3services to children in families whose income is no more than 15
4percent above the income eligibility threshold, as described in
5Sections 8263 and
8263.1, after all eligible three- and four-year-old
6children have been enrolled. No more than 10 percent of children
7
enrolled, calculated throughout the participating program’s entire
8contract, may be filled by children in families above the income
9eligibility threshold.
10(e) A part-day California state preschool program shall operate
11for a minimum of (1) three hours per day, excluding time for
12home-to-school transportation, and (2) a minimum of 175 days
13per year, unless the contract specifies a lower number of days of
14operation.
15(f) Any agency described in subdivision (c) of Section 8208 as
16an “applicant or contracting agency” is eligible to contract to
17operate a California state preschool program.
18(g) Part-day preschool services shall be reimbursed on a per
19capita basis, as determined by the Superintendent, and
contingent
20on funding being provided for the part-day preschool services in
21the annual Budget Act.
22(h) Federal Head Start funds used to provide services to families
23receiving California state preschool services shall be deemed
24nonrestricted funds.
Section 8236 of the
Education Code is amended to
27read:
(a) (1) Contractors providing California state preschool
29program services pursuant to this article shall give first priority to
30three- or four-year-old neglected or abused children who are
31recipients of child protective services, or who are at risk of being
32neglected, abused, or exploited upon written referral from a legal,
33medical, or social service agency. If an agency is unable to enroll
34a child in this first priority category, the agency shall refer the
35child’s parent or guardian to local resource and referral services
36so that services for the child can be located.
37(2) Notwithstanding Section 8263, after children in the first
38priority category set forth in
paragraph (1) are enrolled, each
39agency funded pursuant to Section 8235 shall give priority to
40eligible four-year-old children before enrolling eligible
P38 1three-year-old children. Each agency shall certify to the
2Superintendent that enrollment priority is being given to eligible
3four-year-old children.
4(b) For contractors that provide part-day preschool services that
5are operating with funding that was initially allocated in a prior
6fiscal year, at least one-half of the children enrolled at a preschool
7site shall be four-year-old children. Any exception to this
8requirement shall be approved by the Superintendent. The
9Superintendent shall inform the Department of Finance of any
10exceptions that have been granted and the reasons for granting the
11exceptions.
12(c) The
following provisions apply to the award of new funding
13for the expansion of the California state preschool program services
14that is appropriated by the Legislature for that purpose in any fiscal
15year:
16(1) In an application for those expansion funds, an agency shall
17furnish the Superintendent with an estimate of the number of
18four-year-old and three-year-old children that it plans to serve in
19the following fiscal year with those expansion funds. The agency
20also shall furnish documentation that indicates the basis of those
21estimates.
22(2) In awarding contracts for expansion pursuant to this
23subdivision, the Superintendent, after taking into account the
24geographic criteria established pursuant to Section 8279.3, and the
25headquarters preferences and eligibility criteria relating to fiscal
26or
programmatic noncompliance established pursuant to Section
278261, shall give priority to applicant agencies that, in expending
28the expansion funds, will be serving the highest percentage of
29four-year-old children.
30(d) This section does not preclude a local educational agency
31from subcontracting with an appropriate public or private agency
32to operate a California state preschool program and to apply for
33funds made available for the purposes of this section. If a school
34district chooses not to operate or subcontract for a California state
35preschool program, the Superintendent shall work with the county
36office of education and other eligible agencies to explore possible
37opportunities in contracting or alternative subcontracting to provide
38a California state preschool program.
P39 1(e) This section does not prevent eligible children who are
2currently receiving services from continuing to receive those
3services in future years pursuant to this chapter.
Section 8236.1 of the
Education Code is amended to
6read:
The department shall annually monitor funding used
8in direct classroom programs for infants and toddlers, and hours
9of service provided in California state preschool program services,
10and shall annually report to the Department of Finance and to the
11Legislature a statewide summary identifying the estimated funding
12used for infants and toddlers, and the number of preschool age
13children receiving part-day preschool and wraparound services,
14as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 8239. The annual report
15shall include a comparison to the prior year on a county-by-county
16basis.
Section 8238.4 of the
Education Code is amended to
19read:
(a) A family literacy supplemental grant shall be made
21available and distributed to qualifying California state preschool
22classrooms, as determined by the Superintendent, at a rate of two
23thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per class. The
24Superintendent shall distribute the family literacy supplemental
25grant funds according to the following priorities:
26(1) First priority shall be assigned to contractors providing
27California state preschool program services that contract to receive
28this funding before July 1, 2012. These programs shall receive this
29funding until their contract is terminated or the California state
30preschool program no longer provides family literacy services.
31(2) Second priority shall be assigned to contractors providing
32
California state preschool program services operating classrooms
33located in the attendance area of elementary schools in deciles 1
34to 3, inclusive, based on the most recently published Academic
35Performance Index pursuant to Section 52056. The Superintendent
36shall use a lottery process in implementing this paragraph.
37(b) A family literacy supplemental grant distributed pursuant
38to this section shall be used for purposes specified in Section 8238.
39(c) Implementation of this section is contingent upon funding
40being provided for family literacy supplemental grants for
P40 1California state preschool program services in the annual Budget
2Act or other statute.
Section 8239 of the
Education Code is amended to
5read:
The Superintendent shall encourage state preschool
7program applicants or contracting agencies to offer full-day
8services through a combination of part-day preschool slots and
9wraparound services. In order to facilitate a full-day of services,
10all of the following shall apply:
11(a) Part-day preschool services provided pursuant to this section
12shall operate between 175 and 180 daysbegin delete and shall include the core .
13class curriculumend delete
14(b) Wraparound services provided pursuant to this section shall
15operate a minimum of 246 days per year unless the contract
16
specified a lower minimum days of operation.
Wraparound services
17may operate a full-day for the remainder of the year after the
18completion of the part-day preschool program services. Services
19shall be provided in accordance with Article 1 (commencing with
20Section 8200) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228).
21(c) Part-day preschool services combined with wraparound
22services shall be reimbursed at no more than the full-day standard
23reimbursement rate, with adjustment factors, pursuant to Section
248265 and as determined in the annual Budget Act.
25(d) Three- and four-year-old children are eligible for wraparound
26services to supplement the part-day preschool services if the family
27meets the eligibility criteria specified in paragraph (1) of
28subdivision (a) of Section 8263, and the parents meet at
least one
29of the criteria specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of
30Section 8263.
31(e) Fees shall be assessed and collected for families with children
32in part-day preschool programs, or families receiving wraparound
33begin deletechild careend delete services, or both, pursuant to subdivisions (g) and (h)
34of Section 8263.
35(f) For purposes of this section, begin deletethe following definitions apply:end delete
36begin delete(1)end deletebegin delete end deletebegin delete“Wraparoundend deletebegin insert
“wraparoundend insert services” means additional
37funding beyond the part-day California state preschool program
38services provided pursuant to subdivision (a), to meet a family’s
39need for services while the parent participates in an approved work
40or work-related activity. These services shall be provided consistent
P41 1with the early learning and educational support programs provided
2pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 8200) and Article
35 (commencing with Section 8228).
4(2) “Core class curriculum” means services that are
5developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for
6children served pursuant to this article, and that operate for a
7minimum of three hours per day, excluding scheduled nap periods,
8for a minimum of 175 days.
The heading of Article 8 (commencing with Section
118240) of
Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 12Education Code is amended to read:
13
Section 8240 of the
Education Code is amended to
18read:
(a) The Superintendent, with funds appropriated for this
20purpose, shall administer general child care and development
21programs.
22General child care and development programs shall include:
23(1) Age and developmentally appropriate activities for children.
24(2) Supervision.
25(3) Parenting education and parent involvement.
26(4) Social services that include, but are not limited to,
27identification of child and family needs and referral to
appropriate
28agencies.
29(5) Health services.
30(6) Nutrition.
31(7) Training and career ladder opportunities, documentation of
32which shall be provided to the department.
33(b) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2014, and,
34as of January 1, 2015, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
35that is enacted before January 1, 2015, deletes or extends the dates
36on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.
Section 8240 is added to the Education Code, to read:
(a) Direct classroom programs shall serve children from
2birth to 13 years of age, including, but not limited to, services for
3all of the following:
4(1) Infants and toddlers.
5(2) Preschool age children.
6(3) Schoolage children.
7(4) Migrant children.
8(b) The Superintendent shall streamline the delivery of direct
9classroom programs through the simplification of contracts that
10serve children described in subdivision (a). This
shall include, but
11is not limited to, services for both of the following special
12populations:
13(1) Preschool age children.
14(2) Migrant children.
15(c) (1) Contractors shall continue to serve the same populations
16specified in their 2013-14 contracts, unless they receive prior
17approval from the department.
18(2) Contractors that provide services to migrant populations
19shall comply with Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230).
20(3) Contractors that provide services to California state preschool
21program populations shall comply with Article 7 (commencing
22with Section 8235).
23(d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2014.
Section 8244 of the
Education Code is amended to
26read:
(a) (1) Any entity operating programs funded pursuant
28to this chapter that provide direct classroom services to children
29at two or more sites, including through more than one contract or
30subcontract funded pursuant to this chapter, shall employ a program
31director.
32(2) Programs providing direct services to children, for the
33purposes of this section, are
direct classroom services programs
34pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228), migrant
35services pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230),
36
California state preschool programs pursuant to Article 7
37(commencing with Section 8235), direct classroom services for
38children with special needs programs pursuant to Article 9
39(commencing with Section 8250), infant care and development
40services programs pursuant to Article 17 (commencing with Section
P43 18390), and any of these programs operated through family child
2care homes.
3(b) (1) For purposes of this section, the following definitions
4shall apply:
5(A) “Administrative responsibility” means awareness of the
6financial and business circumstances of the program, and, in
7appropriate cases, supervision of administrative and support
8personnel and the knowledge and authority to direct or modify
9administrative practices and procedures to
ensure compliance to
10administrative and financial standards imposed by law.
11(B) “Program director” means a person who, regardless of his
12or her title, has programmatic and administrative responsibility
13for an early learning and educational support program that provides
14direct services to children at two or more sites.
15(C) “Programmatic responsibility” means overall supervision
16of curriculum and instructional staff, including instructional aides,
17and the knowledge and authority to direct or modify program
18practices and procedures to ensure compliance to applicable quality
19and health and safety standards imposed by law.
20(2) Administrative and programmatic responsibility also includes
21the responsibility to act as the
representative for the early learning
22and educational support program to the department. With respect
23to programs operated through family child care homes,
24administrative and programmatic responsibility includes ensuring
25that quality services are provided in the family child care homes.
26(c) The program director also may serve as the site supervisor
27at one of the sites, provided that he or she both fulfills the duties
28of a day care center director, as set forth in Section 101215.1 of
29Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, and meets the
30qualifications for a site supervisor as set forth in subdivision (ab)
31of Section 8208.
32(d) The Superintendent may waive the qualifications for program
33director described in Sections 8360.1 and 8360.3 upon a finding
34of one of the
following circumstances:
35(1) The applicant is making satisfactory progress toward
36securing a permit issued by the Commission on Teacher
37Credentialing authorizing supervision of a early learning and
38educational support program operating in two or more sites or
39fulfilling the qualifications for program directors in programs
40serving severely disabled children, as specified in Section 8360.3.
P44 1(2) The place of employment is so remote from institutions
2offering the necessary coursework as to make continuing education
3impracticable and the contractor has made a diligent search but
4has been unable to hire a more qualified applicant.
5(e) The Superintendent, upon good cause, may by rule identify
6and apply grounds in addition to
those specified in subdivision (d)
7for granting a waiver of the qualifications for program director.
The heading of Article 9 (commencing with Section
108250) of
Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 11Education Code is amended to read:
12
Section 8250 of the
Education Code is amended to
17read:
(a) The Superintendent shall ensure that eligible children
19with exceptional needs are given equal access to all early learning
20and educational support programs. Available federal and state
21funds for children with exceptional needs above the standard
22reimbursement amount shall be used to assist agencies in
23developing and supporting appropriate programs for these children.
24(b) To provide children with exceptional needs with additional
25access to early learning and educational support programs, the
26Superintendent shall establish alternate appropriate placements,
27such as self-contained programs and innovative programs using
28the least
restrictive environment. These programs shall be started
29as expansion funds become available and shall be expanded
30throughout the implementation of the plan. The Superintendent
31shall utilize existing program models and input from program
32specialists to develop new program criteria and guidelines for
33programs serving children with exceptional needs. These programs
34may serve children with exceptional needs up to 21 years of age.
35(c) Any child with exceptional needs served in early learning
36and educational support programs shall be afforded all rights and
37protections guaranteed in state and federal laws and regulations
38for individuals with exceptional needs.
39(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the
40Superintendent may develop unique reimbursement rates for, and
P45 1make
reimbursements to, early learning and educational support
2programs that received state funding for the 1980-81 fiscal year
3and serve severely disabled children, as defined in subdivision (z)
4of Section 8208, when all of the following conditions exist:
5(1) Eligibility for enrollment of a severely disabled child in the
6program is the sole basis of the child’s need for service.
7(2) Services are provided to severely disabled children from
8birth to 21 years of age.
9(3) No fees are charged to the parents of the severely disabled
10children receiving the services.
11(e) The Superintendent shall include providers in all personnel
12development for persons providing services
for children with
13exceptional needs.
Section 8250.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
16read:
A contractor providing services pursuant to a direct
18classroom services contract, a migrant services contract, or an
19alternative payment child care contract is subject to the
20requirements of thebegin insert federal end insert Americans with Disabilities Act (42
21U.S.C. Sec. 12101, et seq.).
Section 8251 of the
Education Code is amended to
24read:
All direct classroom services programs shall include
26plans or programs, or both, for the care of the children when they
27are sick. These plans shall be age appropriate and parents shall be
28included in the planning and evaluation. The Superintendent shall
29disseminate information regarding effective sick child care models
30to all early learning and educational support programs.
31Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to allow the practice
32of medicine without a license.
Section 8252 of the
Education Code is amended to
35read:
(a) The department and the local county welfare
37department shall enter into contracts that establish the procedures
38for serving and referring a child in need of care as part of the
39provision of protective services pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing
40with Section 16500) of Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
P46 1Institutions Code. The
department, in consultation with the State
2Department of Social Services, may contract with another
3appropriate community agency that provides services or referrals,
4or both, for the prevention or intervention of child abuse or neglect
5if no such contract for child care services exists between the
6department and the county welfare department.
7(b) The contracts shall specify the resource and referral program
8or operating agency or agencies providing
early learning and
9educational support pursuant to this chapter in the county that the
10local contracting agency shall contact to secure care for a child
11needing protective services. If an operating agency is unable to
12enroll the child, the local contracting agency described in
13subdivision (a) with the assistance of the providers of local
14resources and referral services shall locate services for the family.
15Payments for these located services in the absence of other funds
16shall be made by the local contracting agency.
17(c) The need for services funded pursuant to this section shall
18be reviewed by the local contracting agency no less than every
19three months.
Section 8255 of the
Education Code is amended to
22read:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the
24effectiveness of early learning and educational support programs
25can be increased through improved state administration, technical
26assistance to provider agencies, and monitoring.
27(b) It is the intent of the Legislature:
28(1) That the department develop clear, consistent, and
29appropriate regulations for
early learning and educational support
30programs to replace policy guidelines that are not subject to the
31public hearing process, often inconsistent, and without the force
32of law.
33(2) That the department make better use of staff with direct field
34experience in early learning and educational support programs.
35(3) That better criteria be developed for the awarding,
36evaluating, and renewal of early learning and educational support
37contracts.
38(4) That improvements be made in the method of reimbursing
39
providers.
P47 1(5) That increased effort be made to provide program operators
2with technical assistance in meeting their contractual obligations.
Section 8257 of the
Education Code is amended to
5read:
The department shall do all of the following in
7administering this chapter:
8(a) Apply sanctions against contracting agencies that have
9serious licensing violations, as defined and reported by the State
10Department of Social Services pursuant to Section 1544 of the
11Health and Safety Code.
12(b) Provide 90 days’ written notification to any contractor whose
13agreement is being terminated, except if there is imminent danger
14to the health and welfare of children if agency operation is not
15terminated more promptly. Notwithstanding Article 18
16(commencing with Section 8400), the department shall establish
17procedures
for placing a contractor whose agreement is being
18terminated into receivership. Action to initiate receivership shall
19be at the discretion of the department, and may be taken against a
20contractor whose agreement is being terminated either immediately
21or within 90 days. The receiver shall not be a department employee.
22The receiver shall have sufficient experience in the administration
23of early learning and educational support programs to ensure
24compliance with the terms of the receivership.
Section 8258 of the
Education Code is amended to
27read:
(a) No person employed by the department in a
29policymaking position in the area of early learning and educational
30support programs shall serve as a member of the board of directors,
31advisory council, or advisory committee for any agency receiving
32funds pursuant to this chapter.
33(b) No retired, dismissed, separated, or formerly employed
34person of the department employed under the State Civil Service
35or otherwise appointed to serve in the department may enter into
36a contract pursuant to Section 8262 in which he or she engaged in
37any of the negotiations, transactions, planning, arrangements, or
38any part of the decisionmaking process relevant to
the contract
39while employed in any capacity by the department. The prohibition
40contained in this subdivision shall apply to the person only during
P48 1the two-year period beginning on the date the person left state
2employment.
3(c) For a period of 12 months following the date of his or her
4retirement, dismissal, or separation from state service, no person
5employed under State Civil Service or otherwise appointed to serve
6in the department may enter into a contract pursuant to Section
78262 if he or she was employed by the department in a
8policymaking position in the area of
early learning and educational
9support programs within the 12-month period before his or her
10retirement, dismissal, or separation.
11(d) For a period of 12 months following the date of his or her
12retirement, dismissal, or separation from state service, no person
13employed under State Civil Service or otherwise appointed to serve
14in the department may be employed by a contractor pursuant to
15Section 8262 if he or she engaged in any of the negotiations,
16transactions, planning, arrangements, or any part of the
17decisionmaking process relevant to the contract while employed
18in any capacity by the department.
Section 8261 of the
Education Code is amended to
21read:
(a) The Superintendent shall adopt rules and regulations
23pursuant to this chapter. The rules and regulations shall include,
24but not be limited to, provisions which do all of the following:
25(1) Provide clear guidelines for the selection of agencies when
26early learning and educational support contracts are let.
27(2) Provide for a contract monitoring system to ensure that
28agencies expend funds received pursuant to this chapter in
29accordance with the provisions of their contracts.
30(3) Specify adequate standards of agency performance.
31(4) Establish reporting requirements for service reports,
32including provisions for varying the frequency with which these
33reports are to be submitted on the basis of agency performance.
34(5) Specify standards for withholding payments to agencies that
35fail to submit required fiscal reports.
36(6) Set forth standards for department site visits to contracting
37agencies, including, but not limited to, specification as to the
38purpose of the visits, the personnel that will perform these visits,
39and the frequency of these visits that shall be as frequently as staff
40and budget resources permit. By September 1 of each year, the
P49 1department shall report to the Senate Education, Senate Health
2and Human Services, Assembly
Education, and Assembly Human
3Services Committees on the number of visits conducted during
4the previous fiscal year pursuant to this paragraph.
5(b) The Superintendent shall consult with the State Department
6of Social Services with respect to rules and regulations adopted
7relative to the disbursal of federal funds under Title XX of the
8federal Social Security Act.
9(c) For purposes of expediting the implementation of state or
10federal legislation to expand child care services, the Superintendent
11may waive (1) the regulations regarding the point qualifications
12for, and the process and scoring of, interviews of contract
13applicants pursuant to Section 18002 of Title 5 of the California
14Code of Regulations, or (2) the time limitations for scheduling and
15notification of appeal hearings
and their results pursuant to Section
1618003 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. The
17Superintendent shall ensure that the appeal hearings provided for
18in Section 18003 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations
19are conducted in a timely manner.
20(d) (1) Early learning and educational support programs
21operated under contract from funds made available pursuant to the
22federal Child Care and Development Fund, shall be administered
23according to Division 19 (commencing with Section 17906) of
24Chapter 1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, unless
25provisions of these regulations conflict with federal regulations.
26If state and federal regulations conflict, the federal regulations
27shall apply unless a waiver of federal regulations is authorized.
28(2) For purposes of this section, “Child Care and Development
29Fund” has the same meaning as in Section 98.2 of Title 45 of the
30Code of Federal Regulations.
Section 8261.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
33read:
For purposes of meeting state and federal reporting
35requirements and for the effective administration of early learning
36and educational support programs, the Superintendent is authorized
37to require the collection and submission of social security numbers
38of heads of households, and other information as required, from
39public and private agencies contracting with the
department
40pursuant to this chapter, including local educational agencies.
Section 8262 of the
Education Code is amended to
3read:
Notwithstanding Sections 14616 and 14780 of the
5Government Code, the Superintendent may enter into and execute
6local contractual agreements with any public or private entity or
7agency for the delivery of early learning and educational support
8services or the furnishing of property, facilities, personnel, supplies,
9equipment, and administrative services related to the delivery of
10
early learning and educational support services. Before entering
11into or executing a local agreement, the department shall obtain
12annual approval from the Department of General Services and the
13Department of Finance as to the form and general content thereof.
14The agreements may only be made for the delivery of early learning
15and educational support
services, or the furnishing of property,
16facilities, personnel, supplies, equipment, or administrative services
17related thereto, which conform with the provisions of this chapter.
Section 8263 of the
Education Code is amended to
20read:
(a) The Superintendent shall adopt rules and regulations
22on eligibility, enrollment, and priority of services needed to
23implement this chapter. In order to be eligible for federal and state
24subsidized early learning and educational support services, families
25shall meet at least one requirement in each of the following areas:
26(1) A family is (A) a current aid recipient, (B) income eligible,
27(C) homeless, or (D) one whose children are recipients of protective
28services, or whose children have been identified as being abused,
29neglected, or exploited, or at risk of being abused, neglected, or
30exploited.
31(2) A family needs
the child care services (A) because the child
32is identified by a legal, medical, or social services agency, or
33emergency shelter as (i) a recipient of protective services or (ii)
34being neglected, abused, or exploited, or at risk of neglect, abuse,
35or exploitation, or (B) because the parents are (i) engaged in
36vocational training leading directly to a recognized trade,
37paraprofession, or profession, (ii) employed or seeking
38employment, (iii) seeking permanent housing for family stability,
39or (iv) incapacitated.
P51 1(b) Except as provided in Article 15.5 (commencing with Section
28350), priority for federal and state subsidized early learning and
3educational support services is as follows:
4(1) (A) First priority shall be given to neglected or abused
5children who
are recipients of child protective services, or children
6who are at risk of being neglected or abused, upon written referral
7from a legal, medical, or social services agency. If an agency is
8unable to enroll a child in the first priority category, the agency
9shall refer the family to local resource and referral services to
10locate services for the child.
11(B) A family who is receiving child care on the basis of being
12a child at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, as defined in
13subdivision (i) of Section 8208, is eligible to receive services
14pursuant to subparagraph (A) for up to three months, unless the
15family becomes eligible pursuant to subparagraph (C).
16(C) A family may receive child care services for up to 12 months
17on the basis of a certification by the county child welfare
agency
18that child care services continue to be necessary or, if the child is
19receiving child protective services during that period of time, and
20the family requires child care and remains otherwise eligible. This
21time limit does not apply if the family’s referral is recertified by
22the county child welfare agency.
23(2) Second priority shall be given equally to eligible families,
24regardless of the number of parents in the home, who are income
25eligible. Within this priority, families with the lowest gross monthly
26income in relation to family size, as determined by a schedule
27adopted by the Superintendent, shall be admitted first. If two or
28more families are in the same priority in relation to income, the
29family that has a child with exceptional needs shall be admitted
30first. If there is no family of the same priority with a child with
31exceptional
needs, the same priority family that has been on the
32waiting list for the longest time shall be admitted first. For purposes
33of determining order of admission, the grants of public assistance
34recipients shall be counted as income.
35(3) The Superintendent shall set criteria for and may grant
36specific waivers of the priorities established in this subdivision for
37agencies that wish to serve specific populations, including children
38with exceptional needs or children of prisoners. These new waivers
39shall not include proposals to avoid appropriate fee schedules or
40admit ineligible families, but may include proposals to accept
P52 1members of special populations in other than strict income order,
2as long as appropriate fees are paid.
3(c) Notwithstanding any other law, in order to promote
4continuity
of services, a family enrolled in a state or federally
5funded child care and development program whose services would
6otherwise be terminated because the family no longer meets the
7program income, eligibility, or need criteria may continue to
8receive child development services in another state or federally
9funded child care and development program if the contractor is
10able to transfer the family’s enrollment to another program for
11which the family is eligible before the date of termination of
12services or to exchange the family’s existing enrollment with the
13enrollment of a family in another program, provided that both
14families satisfy the eligibility requirements for the program in
15which they are being enrolled. The transfer of enrollment may be
16to another program within the same administrative agency or to
17another agency that administers state or federally funded child
18care and development
programs.
19(d) In order to promote continuity of services, the Superintendent
20may extend the 60-working-day period specified in subdivision
21(a) of Section 18086.5 of Title 5 of the California Code of
22Regulations for an additional 60 working days if he or she
23determines that opportunities for employment have diminished to
24the degree that one or both parents cannot reasonably be expected
25to find employment within 60 working days and granting the
26extension is in the public interest. The scope of extensions granted
27pursuant to this subdivision shall be limited to the necessary
28geographic areas and affected persons, which shall be described
29in the Superintendent’s order granting the extension. It is the intent
30of the Legislature that extensions granted pursuant to this
31subdivision improve services in areas with high unemployment
32rates and
areas with disproportionately high numbers of seasonal
33agricultural jobs.
34(e) A physical examination and evaluation, including
35age-appropriate immunization, shall be required before, or within
36six weeks of, enrollment. A standard, rule, or regulation shall not
37require medical examination or immunization for admission to
an
38early learning and educational support program of a child whose
39parent or guardian files a letter with the governing board of the
40program stating that the medical examination or immunization is
P53 1contrary to his or her religious beliefs, or provide for the exclusion
2of a child from the program because of a parent or guardian having
3filed the letter. However, if there is good cause to believe that a
4child is suffering from a recognized contagious or infectious
5disease, the child shall be temporarily excluded from the program
6until the governing board of the program is satisfied that the child
7is not suffering from that contagious or infectious disease.
8(f) Regulations formulated and promulgated pursuant to this
9section shall include the recommendations of the State Department
10of Health Care Services relative to
health care screening and the
11provision of health care services. The Superintendent shall seek
12the advice and assistance of these health authorities in situations
13where service under this chapter includes or requires care of
14children who are ill or children with exceptional needs.
15(g) (1) The Superintendent shall establish a fee schedule for
16families utilizing early learning and educational support services
17pursuant to this chapter, including families receiving services under
18paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). Families receiving services under
19subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) may be
20exempt from these fees for up to three months. Families receiving
21services under subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision
22(b) may be exempt from these fees for up to 12 months. The
23cumulative period of time of
exemption from these fees for families
24receiving services under paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) shall not
25exceed 12 months.
26(2) The income of a recipient of federal supplemental security
27income benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security
28Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) and state supplemental program
29benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act
30(42 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) and Chapter 3 (commencing with
31Section 12000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
32Institutions Code shall not be included as income for purposes of
33determining the amount of the family fee.
34(h) (1) The family fee schedule shall provide, among other
35things, that a contractor or provider may require parents to provide
36diapers. A contractor or
provider offering field trips either may
37include the cost of the field trips within the service rate charged
38to the parent or may charge parents an additional fee. Federal or
39state money shall not be used to reimburse parents for the costs of
40field trips if those costs are charged as an additional fee. A
P54 1contractor or provider that charges parents an additional fee for
2field trips shall inform parents, before enrolling the child, that a
3fee may be charged and that no
reimbursement will be available.
4(2) A contractor or provider may charge parents for field trips
5or require parents to provide diapers only under the following
6circumstances:
7(A) The provider has a written policy that is adopted by the
8agency’s governing board that includes parents in the
9decisionmaking process regarding both of the following:
10(i) Whether or not, and how much, to charge for field trip
11expenses.
12(ii) Whether or not to require parents to provide diapers.
13(B) The maximum total of charges per child in a contract year
14does not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25).
15(C) A child shall not be denied participation in a field trip due
16to the parent’s inability or refusal to pay the charge. Adverse action
17shall not be taken against a parent for that inability or refusal.
18(3) Each contractor or provider shall establish a payment system
19that prevents the identification of children based on whether or
20not their parents have paid a field trip charge.
21(4) Expenses incurred and income received for field trips
22pursuant to this section shall be reported to the department. The
23income received for field trips shall be reported specifically as
24restricted income.
25(i) The Superintendent shall establish guidelines for the
26collection of
employer-sponsored child care benefit payments from
27a parent whose child receives subsidized
early learning and
28educational support services. These guidelines shall provide for
29the collection of the full amount of the benefit payment, but not
30to exceed the actual cost of
early learning and educational support
31services provided, notwithstanding the applicable fee based on the
32fee schedule.
33(j) The Superintendent shall establish guidelines according to
34which the director or a duly authorized representative of the early
35learning and educational support program will certify children as
36eligible for state reimbursement pursuant to this section.
37(k) Public funds shall not be paid directly or indirectly to an
38agency that does not pay at least the minimum wage to each of its
39employees.
Section 8263.2 of the
Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, effective July 1,
52011, the department shall reduce the maximum reimbursable
6amounts of the contracts for the Preschool Education Program, the
7General Child Care Program, the Migrant Day Care Program, the
8Alternative Payment Program, the CalWORKs Stage 3 Program,
9and the Allowance for Handicapped Program by 11 percent or by
10whatever proportion is necessary to ensure that expenditures for
11these programs do not exceed the amounts appropriated for them,
12including any reductions made subsequent to the adoption of the
13annual Budget Act. The department may consider the contractor’s
14performance or whether the contractor serves children in an
15underserved area, as defined in subdivision (ah) of Section 8208,
16when
determining contract reductions, provided that the aggregate
17reduction to each program specified in this subdivision is 11
18percent or by whatever proportion is necessary to ensure that
19expenditures for these programs do not exceed the amounts
20appropriated for them, including any reductions made subsequent
21to the adoption of the annual Budget Act.
22(b) Notwithstanding any other law, effective July 1, 2011,
23families shall be disenrolled from subsidized services, consistent
24with the priorities for services specified in subdivision (b) of
25Section 8263. Families shall be disenrolled in the following order:
26(1) Families whose income exceeds 70 percent of the state
27median income (SMI) adjusted for family size, except for families
28whose children are receiving child protective services or
are at
29risk of being neglected or abused.
30(2) Families with the highest income below 70 percent of the
31SMI, in relation to family size.
32(3) Families that have the same income and have been enrolled
33in services the longest.
34(4) Families that have the same income and have a child with
35exceptional needs.
36(5) Families whose children are receiving child protective
37services or are at risk of being neglected or abused, regardless of
38family income.
Section 8263.3 of the
Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, and in addition to
5any reductions applied pursuant to Section 8263.2, effective July
61, 2012, the department shall reduce the maximum reimbursable
7amounts of the contracts for the General Child Care Program, the
8Migrant Day Care Program, the Alternative Payment Program, the
9CalWORKs Stage 3 Program, and the Allowance for Handicapped
10Program by 8.7 percent or by whatever proportion is necessary to
11ensure that expenditures for these programs do not exceed the
12amounts appropriated for them, as adjusted for any reductions in
13appropriations made subsequent to the adoption of the annual
14Budget Act. The department may consider the contractor’s
15performance or whether the contractor serves children in an
16
underserved area, as defined in subdivision (ah) of Section 8208,
17when determining contract reductions, provided that the aggregate
18reduction to each program specified in this subdivision is 8.7
19percent or whatever proportion is necessary to ensure that
20expenditures for these programs do not exceed the amounts
21appropriated for them, as adjusted for any reductions in
22appropriations made subsequent to the adoption of the annual
23Budget Act.
24(b) Notwithstanding any other law, effective July 1, 2012,
25families shall be disenrolled from subsidized services, consistent
26with the priorities for services specified in subdivision (b) of
27Section 8263. Families shall be disenrolled in the following order:
28(1) Families with the highest income in relation to family size.
29(2) Families that have the same income and have been enrolled
30in services the longest.
31(3) Families that have the same income and have a child with
32exceptional needs.
33(4) Families whose children are receiving child protective
34services or are at risk of being neglected or abused, regardless of
35family income.
Section 8263.4 of the
Education Code is amended to
38read:
(a) The preferred placement for children who are 11
40or 12 years of age and who are otherwise eligible for subsidized
P57 1early learning and educational support services shall be in a before
2or after school program.
3(b) Children who are 11 or 12 years of age shall be eligible for
4subsidized services only for the portion of care needed that is not
5available in a before or after school program provided pursuant to
6Article 22.5 (commencing with Section 8482) or Article 22.6
7(commencing with Section 8484.7). Contractors shall provide each
8family of an eligible 11 or 12 year old with the option of combining
9care provided in a before or after school program with subsidized
10care in another
setting, for those hours within a day when the before
11or after school program does not operate, in order to meet the needs
12of the family.
13(c) Children who are 11 or 12 years of age, who are eligible for
14and who are receiving subsidized services, and for whom a before
15or after school program is not available, shall continue to receive
16subsidized services.
17(d) A before or after school program shall be considered not
18available when a parent certifies in writing, on a form provided
19by the department that is translated into the parent’s primary
20language pursuant to Sections 7295.4 and 7296.2 of the
21Government Code, the reason or reasons why the program would
22not meet the needs of the family. The reasons why a before or after
23school program shall be considered not available shall
include,
24but not be limited to, any of the following:
25(1) The program does not provide services when needed during
26the year, such as during the summer, school breaks, or intersession.
27(2) The program does not provide services when needed during
28the day, such as in the early morning, evening, or weekend hours.
29(3) The program is too geographically distant from the child’s
30school of attendance.
31(4) The program is too geographically distant from the parents’
32residence.
33(5) Use of the program would create substantial transportation
34obstacles for the family.
35(6) Any other reason that makes the use of before or after school
36care inappropriate for the child or burdensome on the family.
37(e) If an 11 or 12 year old child who is enrolled in a subsidized
38early learning and educational support program becomes ineligible
39for subsidized care under subdivision (b) and is disenrolled from
40the before or after school program, or if the before or after school
P58 1program no longer meets the needs of the family, the child shall
2be given priority to return to the subsidized early learning and
3educational support services upon the parent’s notification of the
4contractor of the need for child care.
5(f) This section does not apply to an 11 or 12 year old child with
6a disability, including a child with exceptional needs who has an
7individualized
education program as required by the federal
8Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400
9et seq.), Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
10U.S.C. Sec. 794), or Part 30 (commencing with Section 56000) of
11Division 4 of Title 2.
12(g) The savings generated each contract year by the
13implementation of the changes made to this section by Chapter 78
14of the Statutes of 2005 shall remain with each alternative payment
15program, early learning and educational support center, or other
16contractor for the provision of services, except for care provided
17by programs pursuant to Article 15.5 (commencing with Section
188350). Each contractor shall report annually to the department the
19amount of savings resulting from this implementation, and the
20department shall report annually to the Legislature the amount of
21
savings statewide resulting from that implementation.
Section 8264 of the
Education Code is amended to
24read:
By July 1, 1981, and annually thereafter, the State
26Department of Health Services shall provide a mechanism for the
27delivery of health screening and followup services for children
28enrolled in early learning and educational support programs for
29whom there are no appropriate health services accessible by
30referral.
Section 8264.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
33read:
The Superintendent may waive or modify requirements
35in order to enable direct classroom services programs to serve
36combinations of eligible children in areas of low population. The
37programs for which the Superintendent may grant waivers shall
38include, but need not be limited to, California state preschool
39full-day program services, services provided by the California
40School Age Families Education Program (Article 7.1 (commencing
P59 1with Section 54740) of Chapter 9 of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title
22), infant and toddler services, migrant services, and general direct
3classroom services programs.
Section 8264.6 of the
Education Code is amended to
6read:
The Superintendent may provide outreach services and
8technical assistance to new applicants or contracting agencies and
9to those providing services during nontraditional times, in
10underserved geographic areas, and for children with specific service
11needs, including infants and toddlers under three years of age.
Section 8264.7 of the
Education Code is amended to
14read:
(a) The Superintendent shall establish rules and
16regulations for the staffing of all direct classroom services
17programs under contract with the department.
18(b) Priority shall be given by the department to the employment
19of persons in direct classroom services programs with ethnic
20backgrounds that are similar to those of the child for whom services
21are provided.
22(c) For purposes of staffing direct classroom services programs,
23the role of a teacher in child supervision means direct supervision
24of the children as well as supervision of aides and groups of
25children.
26(d) Family child care homes shall operate pursuant to adult/child
27ratios prescribed in Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 86001)
28of Division 6 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
29(e) Approval by the Superintendent of any ongoing or new
30programs seeking to operate under the ratios and standards
31established by the Superintendent under this chapter shall be based
32upon the following considerations:
33(1) The type of facility in which care is being or is to be
34provided.
35(2) The ability of the Superintendent to implement a funding
36source change.
37(3) The proportion of nonsubsidized
children enrolled or to be
38enrolled by the agency.
39(4) The most cost-effective ratios possible for the type of
40services provided or to be provided by the agency.
P60 1(f) The Superintendent shall apply for waivers of federal
2requirements as are necessary to carry out this section.
Section 8264.8 of the Education Code is repealed.
Section 8264.8 is added to the
Education Code, to
7read:
(a) Early learning and educational support programs
9shall maintain at least the following minimum ratios in all direct
10classroom services except for family child care home education
11networks operating pursuant to Article 8.5 (commencing with
12Section 8245):
13(1) Infants, birth to 18 months old--1:3 adult-to-child ratio,
141:18 teacher-to-child ratio.
15(2) Toddlers, 18 months up to their third birthday--1:4
16adult-to-child ratio, 1:16 teacher-to-child ratio.
17(3) Preschool, at least 30 months to kindergarten eligibility--1:8
18adult-to-child ratio,
1:24 teacher-to-child ratio.
19(4) Schoolage, enrolled in kindergarten to their 13th
20birthday--1:14 adult-to-child ratio, 1:28 teacher-to-child ratio.
21(b) Compliance with the ratios established by subdivision (a)
22shall be determined based on actual attendance.
Section 8265 of the
Education Code is amended to
25read:
(a) The Superintendent shall implement a plan that
27establishes reasonable standards and assigned reimbursement rates,
28which vary with the length of the program year and the hours of
29service.
30(1) Parent fees shall be used to pay reasonable and necessary
31costs for providing additional services.
32(2) When establishing standards and assigned reimbursement
33rates, the Superintendent shall confer with applicant agencies.
34(3) The reimbursement system, including standards and rates,
35shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget
Committee.
36(4) The Superintendent may establish any regulations he or she
37deems advisable concerning conditions of service and hours of
38enrollment for children in the programs.
39(b) The standard reimbursement rate shall be three thousand
40five hundred twenty-three dollars ($3,523) per unit of average
P61 1daily enrollment for a 250-day year, increased by the cost-of-living
2adjustment granted by the Legislature beginning July 1, 1980.
3(c) The plan shall require agencies having an assigned
4reimbursement rate above the current year standard reimbursement
5rate to reduce costs on an incremental basis to achieve the standard
6reimbursement rate.
7(d) The plan shall provide
for adjusting reimbursement on a
8case-by-case basis, in order to maintain service levels for agencies
9currently at a rate less than the standard reimbursement rate.
10Assigned reimbursement rates shall be increased only on the basis
11of one or more of the following:
12(1) Loss of program resources from other sources.
13(2) Need of an agency to pay the same rates as those prevailing
14in the local community.
15(3) Increased costs directly attributable to new or different
16regulations.
17(4) Documented increased costs necessary to maintain the prior
18year’s level of service and ensure the continuation of threatened
19
programs. Agencies funded at the lowest rates shall be given first
20priority for increases.
21(e) The plan shall provide for expansion of early learning and
22educational support programs at no more than the standard
23reimbursement rate for that fiscal year.
24(f) The Superintendent may reduce the percentage of reduction
25for a public agency that satisfies any of the following:
26(1) Serves more than 400 children.
27(2) Has in effect a collective bargaining agreement.
28(3) Has other extenuating circumstances that apply, as
29determined by the Superintendent.
Section 8266 of the
Education Code is amended to
32read:
(a) Notwithstanding Section 8265, the assigned
34reimbursement rate of a direct classroom services program (1)
35contracting with the
department, (2) operating under licensing
36standards for child care and development facilities specified by
37Section 1500 et seq. of the Health and Safety Code and by Title
3822 of thebegin delete CaliforniaCodeend deletebegin insert California Codeend insert of Regulations, and (3)
39with less than a majority of subsidized children enrolled in the
P62 1facility, shall be equivalent to the fee paid for the same service by
2families of nonsubsidized children.
3(b) It is not the intent of the Legislature to preclude an agency
4with a contract with the department from adjusting the fees charged
5 to nonsubsidized children during the contract year. In no event
6shall the assigned reimbursement rate exceed the standard
7reimbursement
rate established pursuant to Section 8265.
8(c) An agency subject to this section shall provide
9documentation to the department that subsidized children, as
10necessary and appropriate, shall receive supportive services through
11county welfare departments, resource and referral programs, or
12other existing community resources, or all of them.
Section 8266.1 of the
Education Code is amended to
15read:
Commencing with the 1995-96 fiscal year and each
17fiscal year thereafter, for the purposes of this chapter,
18reimbursement rates shall be adjusted by the following
19reimbursement factors for direct classroom services programs with
20a standard reimbursement rate, but shall not apply to thebegin delete Resource begin insert resource and referral programsend insert set forth
21and Referral Programsend delete
22in Article 2 (commencing with Section 8210), the begin deleteAlternative begin insert
alternative payment programsend insert set forth in
23Payment Programsend delete
24Article 3 (commencing with Section 8220), the part-day California
25state preschool programs set forth in Article 7 (commencing with
26Section 8235), the schoolage community child care services
27programs set forth in Article 22 (commencing with Section 8460),
28or to the schoolage parent and infant development programs:
29(a) For direct classroom services program providers serving
30children for less than four hours per day, the reimbursement factor
31is 55 percent of the standard reimbursement rate.
32(b) For direct classroom services program providers serving
33children for not less than four hours per day, and less than six and
34one-half hours per day, the reimbursement factor is 75 percent of
35the standard
reimbursement rate. For providers operating under
36the At Risk Child Care Program set forth in Article 15.5
37(commencing with Section 8350) and serving children for not less
38than four hours per day, and less than seven hours per day, the
39reimbursement factor is 75 percent of the standard reimbursement
40rate.
P63 1(c) For direct classroom services program providers serving
2children for not less than six and one-half hours per day, and less
3than 10 and one-half hours per day, the reimbursement factor is
4100 percent of the standard reimbursement rate. For providers
5operating under the At Risk Child Care Program set forth in Article
615.5 (commencing with Section 8350) and serving children for
7not less than seven hours per day, and less than 10 hours per day,
8the reimbursement factor is 100 percent of the standard
9reimbursement rate.
10(d) For direct classroom services program providers serving
11children for 101⁄2 hours or more per day, the reimbursement factor
12is 118 percent of the standard reimbursement rate.
Section 8272 of the
Education Code is amended to
15read:
(a) The rules, regulations, and guidelines adopted by
17the Superintendent pursuant to Sections 8261 and 8269 shall permit
18reimbursement for interest paid by contractors on private sector
19debt financing for the purchase, lease-purchase, repair, or
20renovation of child care and development facilities owned or leased
21by contractors providing early learning and educational support
22services.
23(b) The Superintendent shall adopt regulations requiring
24contractors to demonstrate that the amount of interest paid in a
25year on private sector debt financing for the purposes identified
26in subdivision (a) does not exceed the value obtained by the state
27in the use
of the facilities during the year for the early learning
28and educational support services program. The regulations shall
29include, but not be limited to, the following methods of making
30this demonstration:
31(1) Amortization of a loan or lease-purchase contract on a
32straight-line basis for the purchase price of a portable building,
33including any transportation charges, installation charges, loan
34fees, taxes, points or other fees associated with the purchase, over
35a period of 15 years or more.
36(2) Amortization of a loan or lease-purchase contract on a
37straight-line basis for the purchase price of a permanent building
38and real estate, including any loan fees, taxes, points or other fees
39associated with the purchase, over a period of 15 years or more.
P64 1(3) Evidence acceptable to the Superintendent that loan
2payments for the purchase of a portable building or permanent
3building and real estate, including principal and interest, do not
4exceed the fair market rental cost that the contractor would have
5paid if the property was not purchased.
6(c) Loans or lease-purchase agreements amortized over the
7number of years designated in subdivision (b), but due in a fewer
8number of years, shall not be disallowed because of the shorter
9due date.
Section 8275 of the
Education Code is amended to
12read:
(a) The Superintendent may reimburse approvable
14startup costs of agencies or facilities in an amount not to exceed
1515 percent of the expansion or increase of each agency’s total
16contract amount. Under no circumstances shall reimbursement for
17startup costs result in an increase in the agency’s total contract
18amount. These funds shall be available for all of the following:
19(1) The employment and orientation of necessary staff.
20(2) The setting up of the program and facility.
21(3) The finalization of rental agreements and the making of
22necessary
deposits.
23(4) The purchase of a reasonable inventory of materials and
24supplies.
25(5) The purchase of an initial premium for insurance.
26(b) Agencies shall submit claims for startup costs with their first
27quarterly reports.
28(c) The Legislature recognizes that allowances for startup costs
29are necessary for the establishment and stability of new early
30learning and educational support programs.
Section 8276.7 of the
Education Code is amended to
33read:
Unless specifically exempted by the Legislature, the
35administrative cost for all state-funded early learning and
36educational support programs and all federal programs
37administered by the state shall not exceed 15 percent of the funds
38provided for those programs. Eighty-five percent of these funds
39shall be used to provide direct services in accordance with rules
P65 1and regulations, or contractual funding terms and conditions
2prescribed by the Superintendent.
Section 8277 of the
Education Code is amended to
5read:
(a) The Superintendent shall establish regulations for
7the allocation of capital outlay funds provided pursuant to Section
88277.1 to Section 8277.4, inclusive, to benefit children most
9needing early learning and educational support programs. The first
10priority for all capital outlay shall be given to facilities located in
11geographic areas with no other available enrollment slots in
12existing subsidized and nonsubsidized child care and development
13facilities. This capital outlay funding shall be used solely for
14purposes of renovation and repair of existing buildings.
15(b) The Superintendent shall establish qualifications for
16determining the
eligibility of contracting agencies and day care
17homes to apply for capital outlay funds.
Section 8277.8 of the
Education Code is amended to
20read:
(a) In the event that a school district elects to
22discontinue its contract for child development services, the facilities
23owned by the school district and constructed through the provisions
24of the local tax override for early learning and educational support
25program purposes shall be made available to the local contractor
26whose bid is accepted for continuation of the
services.
27(b) The rent for the facilities shall not exceed the prevailing
28rental rate for such facilities.
Section 8278.3 of the
Education Code is amended to
31read:
(a) (1) The Child Care Facilities Revolving Fund is
33hereby established in the State Treasury to provide funding for the
34renovation, repair, or improvement of an existing building to make
35the building suitable for licensure for early learning and educational
36support services and for the purchase of new relocatable child care
37facilities for lease to school districts and contracting agencies that
38provide
early learning and educational support services pursuant
39to this chapter. The Superintendent may transfer state funds
40appropriated for child care facilities into this fund for allocation
P66 1to school districts and contracting agencies, as specified, for the
2purchase, transportation, and installation of facilities for
3replacement and expansion of capacity. School districts and
4contracting agencies using facilities made available by the use of
5these funds shall be charged a leasing fee, either at a fair market
6value for those facilities or at an amount sufficient to amortize the
7cost of purchase and relocation, whichever amount is lower, over
8a 10-year period. Upon full repayment of the purchase and
9relocation costs, title shall transfer from the State of California to
10the school district or contracting agency. The Superintendent shall
11deposit all revenue derived from the lease payments
into the Child
12Care Facilities Revolving Fund.
13(2) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code,
14all moneys in the fund, including moneys deposited from lease
15payments, are continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal
16years, to the Superintendent for expenditure pursuant to this article.
17(b) On or before August 1 of each fiscal year, the Superintendent
18shall submit to the Department of Finance and the Legislative
19Analyst’s Office a report detailing the number of funding requests
20received and their purpose, the types of agencies that received
21funding from the Child Care Facilities Revolving Fund, the
22increased capacity that these facilities generated, a description of
23the manner in which the facilities are being used, and a projection
24of the lease payments collected and
the funds available for future
25use.
26(c) A school district or county office of education that provides
27child care pursuant to the California School Age Families
28Education Program (Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 54740)
29of Chapter 9 of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2) is eligible to apply
30for and receive funding pursuant to this section.
Section 8279.1 of the
Education Code is amended to
33read:
(a) The Legislature recognizes that early learning and
35educational support programs have made valuable contributions
36towards ensuring that public assistance recipients will be able to
37accept and maintain employment or employment-related training.
38Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that the Superintendent
39ensure that counties comply with the requirements of Section 8279.
P67 1(b) The Superintendent shall ensure each county’s compliance
2with Section 8279 by not issuing funds to a local
contractor within
3a county until the Superintendent has received written certification
4from that county that the level of expenditure for services provided
5by the county has been maintained at the 1970-71 fiscal year level
6pursuant to Section 8279. Funding provided by a county to a local
7contractor shall not adversely affect the reimbursement received
8by the agency from the Superintendent pursuant to Section 8265,
98265.5, or 8266.
Section 8279.3 of the
Education Code is amended to
12read:
(a) The department shall disburse augmentations to
14the base allocation for the expansion of early learning and
15educational support programs to promote equal access to these
16services across the state.
17(b) The Superintendent shall use the formula developed pursuant
18to subdivision (c) and the priorities identified by local planning
19councils, unless those priorities do not meet the requirements of
20state or federal law, as a guide in disbursing augmentations
21pursuant to subdivision (a).
22(c) The Superintendent shall develop a formula for prioritizing
23the disbursement of augmentations
pursuant to this section. The
24formula shall give priority to allocating funds to underserved areas.
25The Superintendent shall develop the formula by using the
26definition of “underserved area” in subdivision (ah) of Section
278208 and direct impact indicators of need for early learning and
28educational support services in the county or subcounty areas. For
29purposes of this section, “subcounty areas” include, but are not
30limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP Code areas that
31are deemed by the Superintendent to be most appropriate to the
32type of program receiving an augmentation. Direct impact
33indicators of need may include, but are not limited to, the teenage
34pregnancy rate, the unemployment rate, area household income,
35or the number or percentage of families receiving public assistance,
36eligible for Medi-Cal, or eligible for free or reduced-price school
37meals, and any unique
characteristics of the population served by
38the type of program receiving an augmentation.
39(d) To promote equal access to services, the Superintendent
40
shall include in guidelines developed for use by local planning
P68 1councils pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 8499.5 guidance
2on identifying underserved areas and populations within counties.
3This guidance shall include reference to the direct impact indicators
4of need described in subdivision (c).
Section 8279.4 of the
Education Code is amended to
7read:
The Legislature finds and declares the following:
9(a) There is a serious shortage of quality child day care facilities
10throughout the state.
11(b) It is in the interest of the state’s children and families, and
12the state’s economic growth, to encourage the expansion of existing
13child day care facilities by assisting communities and interested
14government and private entities to finance child day care facilities.
15(c) In addition to regional resource centers described in
16Provision 7(d) of Item 6110-196-0001 of the Budget Act of 1999,
17which focus on developing
care capacity in underserved areas of
18the state, there is a need to access capital for facilities on a
19systematic basis, especially to use limited public sector funds to
20leverage a greater private sector role in financing child day care
21facilities. The Legislature finds and declares that a financial
22intermediary could fill this role and support the regional resource
23centers and other local entities that work with potential providers
24by functioning as a centralized repository of training, best practices,
25and expertise on facilities financing.
Section 8279.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
28read:
(a) The Superintendent shall contract with a nonprofit
30organization to serve as a financial intermediary. The nonprofit
31organization shall have staff who have expertise in financing and
32capital expansion, are knowledgeable about the early learning and
33educational support field, and have the ability to develop and
34implement a plan to increase the availability of financing to
35renovate, expand, and construct child day care facilities, both in
36centers and family
child care homes.
37(b) The financial intermediary selected by the Superintendent
38shall undertake activities designed to increase funds available from
39the private and public sectors for the financing of child day care
P69 1facilities. These activities shall include, but are not limited to, all
2of the following:
3(1) Soliciting capital grants and program-related investments
4from foundations and corporations.
5(2) Building partnerships with foundations and corporations.
6(3) Developing lending commitments, linked deposits, and other
7financing programs with conventional financial institutions.
8(4) Coordinating private sources of capital with existing public
9sector sources of financing for child day care facilities, including,
10but not limited to, the Department of Housing and Community
11Development and the California Infrastructure and Economic
12Development Bank.
13(5) Coordinating financing efforts with the technical assistance
14provided by the regional resource centers described in Provision
157(d) of Item 6110-196-0001 of the Budget Act of 1999, and other
16local entities that work with potential providers.
17(c) This section shall only be implemented to the extent that
18funds are appropriated for this purpose in the annual Budget Act.
Section 8279.7 of the
Education Code is amended to
21read:
(a) The Legislature recognizes the importance of
23providing high-quality early learning and educational support
24services. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to assist
25counties in improving the retention and professional growth of
26qualified instructional employees who work directly with children
27who receive state-subsidized early learning and educational support
28services.
29(b) It is further the intent of the Legislature, in amending this
30section during the 2009-10 Regular Session, to address the unique
31challenges of the County of Los Angeles, in which an estimated
3260,000 low-income children receive subsidized care in
33nonstate-funded child care settings and an additional
50,000
34eligible children are waiting for subsidized services.
35(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the funds
36appropriated for the purposes of this section by paragraph (11) of
37Schedule (b) of Item 6110-196-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget
38Act of 2000 (Chapter 52 of the Statutes of 2000), and that are
39described in subdivision (i) of Provision 7 of that item, and any
40other funds appropriated for purposes of this section, shall be
P70 1allocated to local planning councils based on the percentage of
2state-subsidized, direct classroom services funds received in that
3county, and shall be used to address the retention of qualified
4instructional employees in state-subsidized centers.
5(2) Of the funds identified in paragraph (1), funds qualified
6pursuant
to subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, may also be used
7to address the retention and professional growth of qualified
8persons working in licensed early learning and educational support
9programs and that serve a majority of children who receive
10subsidized direct classroom services pursuant to this chapter,
11including, but not limited to, family day care homes as defined in
12Section 1596.78 of the Health and Safety Code. To qualify for use
13pursuant to this paragraph, the funds shall meet all of the following
14requirements:
15(A) The funds are allocated for use in the County of Los
16Angeles.
17(B) The funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act.
18(C) The funds are unexpended after addressing the retention of
19qualified employees
in state-subsidized centers and family child
20care home education networks.
21(d) The department shall develop guidelines for use by local
22planning councils in developing county plans for the expenditure
23of funds allocated pursuant to this section. These guidelines shall
24be consistent with the department’s assessment of the current needs
25of the subsidized workforce, and shall be subject to the approval
26of the Department of Finance. Any county plan developed pursuant
27to these guidelines shall be approved by the department before the
28allocation of funds to the local planning council.
29(e) Funds provided to a county for the purposes of this section
30shall be used in accordance with the plan approved pursuant to
31subdivision (d). A county with an approved plan may retain up to
321
percent of the county’s total allocation made pursuant to this
33section for reimbursement of administrative expenses associated
34with the planning process.
35(f) The Superintendent shall provide an annual report, no later
36than April 10 of each year, to the Legislature, the Department of
37Finance, and the Governor that includes, but is not limited to, a
38summary of the distribution of the funds by county and a
39description of the use of the funds.
Section 8282 of the
Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the state
5makes a substantial, annual investment in preschool, infant and
6toddler, and schoolage early learning and educational support
7programs for eligible families. It is in the best interests of children
8and their families, and the taxpayers of California, to have
9information about the development and learning abilities of
10children developed in these settings, health and other information
11transferred to, or otherwise available to, the pupil’s elementary
12school.
13(b) When a child in a state-funded preschool or infant and
14toddler program will be transferring to a local public school, the
15preschool
or infant and toddler program shall provide the parent
16or guardian with information from the previous year deemed
17beneficial to the pupil and the public school teacher, including,
18but not limited to, development issues, social interaction abilities,
19health background, and diagnostic assessments, if any. The
20preschool or infant and toddler program may, with the permission
21of the parent or guardian, transfer this information to the pupil’s
22elementary school.
23(c) Any child who has participated in a state subsidized
24California state preschool program that maintains results-based
25standards, including the desired results accountability system, may
26have the performance information transferred to any subsequent
27or concurrent public school setting. Any transferred information
28shall be in summary form and only accomplished with the
29permission
of the parent or guardian.
Section 8320 of the
Education Code is amended to
32read:
The governing board of any school district or a county
34superintendent of schools with the approval of the county board
35of education is authorized to establish and maintain early learning
36and educational support programs upon the approval of, and subject
37to the regulations of the Superintendent.
Section 8321 of the
Education Code is amended to
40read:
(a) The county superintendent of schools in each county,
2with the approval of the county board of education and the
3Superintendent, shall have the authority to establish and maintain
4direct classroom services programs in the same manner and to the
5same extent as governing boards of school or community college
6districts, except that nothing in this section shall be construed as
7vesting in the county superintendents of schools any authority to
8alone effect the levy and collection of any county, school, or other
9local taxes for the support of any direct classroom services
10programs.
11(b) The establishment and maintenance of any direct
classroom
12services program by the county superintendent of schools shall be
13undertaken, subject to the prior approval of both the county board
14of education and the Superintendent, upon the application of one
15or more school districts under his or her jurisdiction.
Section 8324 of the
Education Code is amended to
18read:
The employees of school districts or community college
20districts, or county superintendents of schools in direct classroom
21services programs under this division shall have the same rights
22and privileges as are granted to employees of the same agencies
23in children’s centers.
Section 8327 of the
Education Code is amended to
26read:
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the
28governing board of a school district or community college district,
29county superintendent of schools, or other unit of local general
30purpose government may enter into agreements with any city, city
31and county, or other public agency, or with a private foundation,
32nonprofit corporation, or proprietary agency for the furnishing to,
33or use by, the governing board, county superintendent of schools,
34or other unit of local general purpose government in carrying out
35the provisions of this chapter, of property, facilities, personnel,
36supplies, equipment and other necessary items and such city,
37county, city and county, other public agency, or private foundation
38or nonprofit
corporation, is authorized to enter into the agreements.
Section 8328 of the
Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) The governing board of any school district or the
5county superintendent of schools shall establish in the county
6treasury a fund to be known as the “child development fund” into
7which shall be paid all funds received by the district or the county
8for, or from the operation of, early learning and educational support
9services under this chapter. The costs incurred in the maintenance
10and operation of services shall be paid from the fund, with
11accounting to reflect specific funding sources.
12(b) Funds of a district derived from the receipt of district taxes
13or derived from moneys apportioned to the district for the support
14of schools of the
district, in addition to state moneys appropriated
15for the support of services, fees, and federal funds, may be
16expended for, or in connection with these services.
Section 8329 of the
Education Code is amended to
19read:
The governing board of any school district maintaining
21an early learning and educational support program may include in
22its budget the amount necessary to initiate, operate, and maintain
23a program pursuant to this chapter and the board of supervisors
24shall levy a school district tax necessary to raise that amount. The
25tax shall be in addition to any other school district tax authorized
26by law to be levied.
The heading of Article 15.2 (commencing with
29Section 8335)
of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 30Education Code is amended to read:
31
Section 8335.1 of the
Education Code is amended to
37read:
Before implementing the local subsidy plan, the City
39and County of San Francisco, in consultation with the department,
P74 1shall develop an individualized county subsidy plan for the city
2and county that includes the following four elements:
3(a) An assessment to identify the city and county’s goal for its
4subsidized care system. The assessment shall examine whether
5the current structure of subsidized care funding adequately supports
6working families in the city and county and whether the city and
7county’s goals coincide with the state’s requirements for funding,
8eligibility, priority, and reimbursement. The assessment shall also
9identify barriers in the state’s
subsidy system that inhibit the city
10and county from meeting its goals. In conducting the assessment,
11the city and county shall consider all of the following:
12(1) The general demographics of families who are in need of
13
care, including employment, income, language, ethnic, and family
14composition.
15(2) The current supply of available subsidized care.
16(3) The level of need for various types of subsidized
services
17including, but not limited to, infant care, after-hours care, and care
18for children with exceptional needs.
19(4) The city and county’s self-sufficiency income level.
20(5) Income eligibility levels for subsidized care.
21(6) Family fees.
22(7) The cost of providing care.
23(8) The regional market rates, as established by the department,
24for different types of care.
25(9) The standard reimbursement rate or state per diem for centers
26operating under contracts with the department.
27(10) Trends in the county’s unemployment rate and housing
28affordability index.
29(b) Development of a local policy to eliminate state-imposed
30regulatory barriers to the city and county’s achievement of its
31desired outcomes for subsidized care.
32(1) The local policy shall do all of the following:
33(A) Prioritize lowest income families first.
34(B) Follow the family fee schedule established pursuant to
35subdivision (f) of Section 8263 for those families that are income
36eligible, as defined by Section 8263.1.
37(C) Meet local goals that are consistent with the state’s goals.
38(D) Identify existing policies that would be affected by the city
39and county’s subsidy plan.
P75 1(E) (i) Authorize any agency that provides early learning and
2educational support services in the city and county through a
3contract with the department to apply to the department to amend
4existing contracts in order to benefit from the local policy once it
5is adopted.
6(ii) The department shall approve an application to amend an
7existing contract if the subsidy plan is approved pursuant to
8subdivision (b) of Section 8335.3, or modified pursuant to
9subdivision (c) of Section 8335.3.
10(iii) The contract of a department contractor who does not elect
11to
request an amendment to its contract remains operative and
12enforceable.
13(2) (A) The city and county shall, by the end of the first fiscal
14year of operation under the approved subsidy plan, demonstrate
15an increase in the aggregate child days of enrollment in the county
16as compared to the enrollment in the final quarter of the 2004-05
17fiscal year.
18(B) The amount of the increase shall be at least equal to the
19aggregate child days of enrollment in the final quarter of the
202004-05 fiscal year for all contracts amended as provided in
21subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1), under which the contractor
22receives an increase in its reimbursement rate, times 2 percent.
23(3) The local policy may supersede state law
concerning subsidy
24programs with regard only to the following factors:
25(A) Eligibility criteria including, but not limited to, age, family
26size, time limits, income level, inclusion of former and current
27CalWORKs participants, and special needs considerations, except
28that the local policy may not deny or reduce eligibility of a family
29that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8353. Under the local
30policy, a family that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8354
31shall be treated for purposes of eligibility and fees in the same
32manner as a family that qualifies for subsidized care on another
33basis pursuant to the local policy.
34(B) Fees including, but not limited to, family fees, sliding scale
35fees, and copayments for those families that are not income eligible,
36as defined by
Section 8263.1.
37(C) Reimbursement rates.
38(D) Methods of maximizing the efficient use of subsidy funds,
39including, but not limited to, multiyear contracting with the
40department for direct classroom services, and interagency
P76 1agreements that allow for flexible and temporary transfer of funds
2among agencies.
3(c) Recognition that all funding sources utilized by direct service
4contractors that provide early learning and educational support
5services in the city and county are eligible to be included in the
6subsidy plan of the city and county.
7(d) Establishment of measurable outcomes to evaluate the
8success of the plan to achieve the city and county’s goals and
to
9overcome any barriers identified in the state’s subsidy system. The
10State Department of Social Services shall have an opportunity to
11review and comment on the proposed measurable outcomes before
12they are submitted to the local planning council for approval
13pursuant to Section 8335.3.
Section 8335.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
16read:
The City and County of San Francisco may implement
18an individualized subsidy plan until July 1, 2014, at which date
19the city and county shall terminate the plan. Between July 1, 2014,
20and July 1, 2016, the city and county shall phase out the
21individualized county subsidy plan and, as of July 1, 2016, shall
22implement the state’s requirements for subsidies. A child enrolling
23for the first time for subsidized care in the city and county after
24July 1, 2014, shall not be enrolled in the pilot program established
25pursuant to this article and is subject to existing state laws and
26regulations regarding eligibility and priority.
The heading of Article 15.3 (commencing with
29Section 8340)
of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 30Education Code is amended to read:
31
Section 8341 of the
Education Code is amended to
36read:
Before implementing the local subsidy plan, the County
38of San Mateo, in consultation with the department, shall develop
39an individualized county subsidy plan that includes the following
40four elements:
P77 1(a) An assessment to identify the county’s goal for its subsidized
2care system. The assessment shall examine whether the current
3structure of subsidized care funding adequately supports working
4families in the county and whether the county’s
goals coincide
5with the state’s requirements for funding, eligibility, priority, and
6reimbursement. The assessment shall also identify barriers in the
7state’s subsidy system that inhibit the county from meeting its
8goals. In conducting the assessment, the county shall consider all
9of the following:
10(1) The general demographics of families who are in need of
11care, including employment, income, language, ethnic, and family
12composition.
13(2) The current supply of available subsidized care.
14(3) The level of need for various types of subsidized services
15including, but not limited to, infant care, after-hours care, and care
16for children with exceptional needs.
17(4) The county’s self-sufficiency income level.
18(5) Income eligibility levels for subsidized care.
19(6) Family fees.
20(7) The cost of providing care.
21(8) The regional market rates, as established by the department,
22for different types of care.
23(9) The standard reimbursement rate or state per diem for centers
24operating under contracts with the department.
25(10) Trends in the county’s unemployment rate and housing
26affordability index.
27(b) Development of a local policy to
eliminate state-imposed
28regulatory barriers to the county’s achievement of its desired
29outcomes for subsidized care.
30(1) The local policy shall do all of the following:
31(A) Prioritize lowest income families first.
32(B) Follow the family fee schedule established pursuant to
33subdivision (f) of Section 8263 for those families that are income
34eligible, as defined by Section 8263.1.
35(C) Meet local goals that are consistent with the state’s goals.
36(D) Identify existing policies that would be affected by the
37county’s subsidy plan.
38(E) (i) Authorize any agency that provides
early learning and
39educational support services in San Mateo County through a
40contract with the department to apply to the department to amend
P78 1existing contracts in order to benefit from the local policy once it
2is adopted.
3(ii) The department shall approve an application to amend an
4existing contract if the subsidy plan is approved pursuant to
5subdivision (b) of Section 8342, or modified pursuant to
6subdivision (c) of Section 8342.
7(iii) The contract of a department contractor who does not elect
8to request an amendment to its contract remains operative and
9enforceable.
10(2) (A) The County of San Mateo shall, by the end of the first
11fiscal year of operation under the approved subsidy
plan,
12demonstrate an increase in the aggregate child days of enrollment
13in the county as compared to the enrollment in the final quarter of
14the 2002-03 fiscal year.
15(B) The amount of the increase shall be at least equal to the
16aggregate child days of enrollment in the final quarter of the
172002-03 fiscal year for all contracts amended as provided in
18subparagraph (E) of paragraph 1, under which the contractor
19receives an increase in its reimbursement rate, times 2 percent.
20(3) The local policy may supersede state law concerning subsidy
21programs with regard only to the following factors:
22(A) Eligibility criteria including, but not limited to, age, family
23size, time limits, income level, inclusion of former and current
24CalWORKs
participants, and special needs considerations, except
25that the local policy may not deny or reduce eligibility of a family
26that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8353. Under the local
27policy, a family that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8354
28shall be treated for purposes of eligibility and fees in the same
29manner as a family that qualifies for subsidized care on another
30basis pursuant to the local policy.
31(B) Fees including, but not limited to, family fees, sliding scale
32fees, and copayments for those families that are not income eligible,
33as defined by Section 8263.1.
34(C) Reimbursement rates.
35(D) Methods of maximizing the efficient use of subsidy funds,
36including, but not limited to, multiyear contracting
with the
37department for direct classroom services, and interagency
38agreements that allow for flexible and temporary transfer of funds
39among agencies.
P79 1(c) Recognition that all funding sources utilized by direct service
2contractors that provide early learning and educational support
3services in San Mateo County are eligible to be included in the
4subsidy plan of the county.
5(d) Establishment of measurable outcomes to evaluate the
6success of the plan to achieve the county’s goals and to overcome
7any barriers identified in the state’s subsidy system. Thebegin insert Stateend insert
8 Department of Social Services shall have an opportunity to review
9and comment on the proposed measurable outcomes
before they
10are submitted to the local planning council for approval pursuant
11to Section 8342.
Section 8341.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
14read:
To ensure that the annual and final reports required
16pursuant to Section 8343 provide useful comparative information,
17the Legislative Analyst and the Senate Office of Research shall
18review the evaluation design, the baseline data, and the data
19collection proposed in the subsidy plan of the county before the
20plan is submitted to the local planning council for approval.
Section 8342 of the
Education Code is amended to
23read:
(a) The plan shall be submitted to the local planning
25council for approval. Upon approval of the plan by the local
26planning council, the county board of supervisors shall hold at
27least one public hearing on the plan. Following the hearing, if the
28county board of supervisors votes in favor of the plan, the plan
29shall be submitted to the Child Development Division of the
30department for review.
31(b) Within 30 days of receiving the plan, the Child Development
32Division shall review and either approve or disapprove the plan.
33(c) Within 30 days of receiving any modification to the plan,
34the
Child Development Division shall review and either approve
35or disapprove that modification to the plan.
36(d) The Child Development Division may disapprove only those
37portions of the plan or modifications to the plan that are not in
38conformance with this article or that are in conflict with federal
39law.
Section 8343 of the
Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) Upon approval of the plan by the Child Development
5Division, the County of San Mateo shall annually prepare and
6submit to the Legislature, thebegin insert Stateend insert Department of Social Services,
7and the department a report that summarizes the success of the
8pilot project and the county’s ability to maximize the use of funds
9and to improve and stabilize care in the county.
10(b) On or before December 31, 2008, the County of San Mateo
11shall submit a final report to the Legislature, thebegin insert Stateend insert
Department
12of Social Services, and the department summarizing the impact of
13the plan on the care needs of working families.
Section 8344 of the
Education Code is amended to
16read:
The County of San Mateo may implement its
18individualized county subsidy plan until January 1, 2014, at which
19date the County of San Mateo shall terminate the plan. Between
20January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2016, the County of San Mateo
21shall phase out the individualized county subsidy plan and, as of
22January 1, 2016, shall implement the state’s requirements for
23subsidies. A child enrolling for the first time for subsidized care
24in San Mateo County after January 1, 2014, shall not be enrolled
25in the pilot program established pursuant to this article and is
26subject to existing state laws and regulations regarding care
27eligibility and priority.
The heading of Article 15.5 (commencing with
30Section 8350)
of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 31Education Code is amended to read:
32
Section 8350 of the
Education Code is amended to
37read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
39article to ensure that recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing
40with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
P81 1Institutions Code, or any successor program, and former recipients
2who have left aid for employment, are connected as soon as
3possible to local resources, make stable arrangements for services,
4and continue to receive subsidized
services after they no longer
5receive aid as long as they require those services and meet the
6eligibility requirements set forth in Sections 8263 and 8263.1.
7(b) This article establishes three stages of child care services
8through which a recipient of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing
9with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
10Institutions Code, or any successor program, will pass. Further, as
11families’ needs are met by county welfare departments and later
12by other local early learning and educational support contractors,
13it is the intent of the Legislature that families experience no break
14in their
services due to a transition between the three stages of
15child care services.
Section 8352 of the
Education Code is amended to
18read:
(a) As soon as appropriate, a county welfare department
20shall refer families needing services to the local resource and
21referral program funded pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with
22Section 8210). Resource and referral program staff shall colocate
23with a county welfare department’s case managementbegin delete officesend deletebegin insert officeend insert
24 for aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part
253 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any
26successor program, or arrange other means of swift communication
27with parents and case managers of this
aid. The local resource and
28referral program shall assist families to establish stable
29arrangements as soon as possible. These arrangements may include
30licensed and license-exempt care.
31(b) The resource and referral agencies in the county shall provide
32information regarding high-quality early learning and educational
33support options pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 8214 to
34alternative payment programs in the county to offer support
35services pursuant to Section 8220.5, and if available, provide
36information on quality rating and improvement systems.
37(c) The department shall make informational resources available
38to both resource and referral and alternative payment programs
39pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8214.
P82 1(b) Information shall be provided to parents in the county of
2service at the time the family is determined eligible for services,
3and at recertification, by one of the following:
4(1) An alternative payment program.
end insertbegin insert5(2) A resource and referral program.
end insertbegin insert
6(3) A partnership between the alternative payment program and
7the resource and referral program.
8(c) The information provided by the program or partnership
9shall be to assist parents in making informed choices about
10available types of care that would both offer a safe, caring, and
11age-appropriate early learning and educational support
12environment for children, as well as support the parents’ work
13activities, including, but not limited to,
information about
14high-quality early learning and educational support options and
15resources specified in this subdivision. The program or partnership
16may utilize resources from a certified list posted on the
17department’s Internet Web site pursuant to subdivision (b) of
18Section 8203, or may develop local resources that shall include,
19but are not limited to, the following:
20(1) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
21needs of the parent and child.
22(2) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
23centers and family homes.
24(3) Trustline requirements for homes and providers exempt from
25licensure.
26(4) A range of possible early learning and educational support
27options from which a parent may choose.
28(5) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
29requirements.
30(6) Quality indicators, including provider or educator training,
31accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
32environments that support the healthy development of children,
33parent involvement, and communication between the parent and
34provider.
35(7) Information on quality rating and improvement systems,
36where available.
37(d) The program or partnership shall also provide parenting
38information to parents.
34 39(d)
end delete
P83 1begin insert(e)end insert A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
2two business days of being notified of a revocation or a temporary
3suspension order for a licensed child day care facility, do both of
4the following:
5(1) Terminate payment to the facility.
6(2) Notify each parent and the facility in writing that payment
7has been terminated and the reason for the termination.
P87 2 8(e)
end delete
9begin insert(f)end insert A program operating pursuant to this article shall, upon being
10notified that
a licensed child care facility has been placed on
11probation, provide written notice to each parent utilizing the facility
12that the facility has been placed on probation and that the parent
13has the option of selecting a different provider or remaining with
14the facility without risk of subsidy payments to
the provider being
15terminated. The Legislature urges each agency operating pursuant
16to this section to provide the written notice required by this
17subdivision in the primary language of the parent, to the extent
18feasible.
Section 8353 of the
Education Code is amended to
21read:
(a) The second stage of child care begins when the
23county determines that the recipient’s work or approved work
24activity is stable or when a recipient is transitioning off of aid and
25care is available through a local stage two program. Second stage
26child care may be provided to a family who elects to receive a
27lump-sum diversion payment or diversion services under Section
2811266.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code when a funded space
29is not immediately available for the family in third stage. The local
30stage two agency shall assist in moving families to stage three as
31quickly as feasible. Former CalWORKs recipients are eligible to
32receive services in stage one and stage two for up to a total of no
33more
than 24 months after they leave cash aid, or until they are
34otherwise ineligible within that 24-month period. Family size and
35income for purposes of determining eligibility and calculating the
36family fee shall be determined pursuant to Sections 8263 and
378263.1. A family leaving cash aid under the CalWORKS program
38shall receive up to two years of care, if otherwise eligible, as
39needed to continue the family’s employment. The provision of the
P84 1two-year time limit is not intended to limit eligibility for care under
2Section 8354.
3(b) The second stage shall be administered by agencies
4contracting with the department. These contractors may be either
5agencies that have an alternative payment contract pursuant to
6Section 8220.1 or county welfare departments that choose to
7administer this stage in order to continue to provide services for
8
recipients or former recipients of aid. If the county chooses to
9contract with the department to provide alternative payment
10services, this contract shall not displace, or result in the reduction
11of an existing contract of, a current alternative payment program.
Section 8354 of the
Education Code is amended to
14read:
(a) The third stage of child care begins when a funded
16space is available. CalWORKs recipients are eligible for the third
17stage of child care. Persons who received a lump-sum diversion
18payment or diversion services and former CalWORKs participants
19are eligible if they have an income that does not exceed 70 percent
20of the state median income pursuant to Section 8263.1. The third
21stage shall be administered by programs contracting with the
22department. Parents’ eligibility for services will be governed by
23Section 8263 and regulations adopted by the department.
24(b) In order to move welfare recipients and former recipients
25from their relationship with county welfare departments to
26relationships
with institutions providing services to working
27families, it is the intent of the Legislature that families that are
28former recipients of aid, or are transitioning off aid, receive their
29assistance in the same fashion as other low-income working
30families. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that families
31no longer rely on county welfare departments to obtain
subsidies
32beyond the time they are receiving other services from the welfare
33department.
34(c) A county welfare department shall not administer the third
35stage of child care for CalWORKs recipients except to the extent
36to which it delivered those services to families receiving, or within
37one year of having received, Aid to Families with Dependent
38Children before the enactment of this section.
39(d) This article does not preclude county welfare departments
40from operating an alternative payment program under contract
P85 1with the department to serve families referred by child protective
2services.
Section 8355 of the
Education Code is amended to
5read:
Child care during the third stage may be funded with
7moneys dedicated to current and former recipients of aid under
8Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division
99 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program,
10including the federal funds appropriated to alternative payment
11program contractors in the 1996-97 fiscal year using the Budget
12Act’s Section 28 process as described in subdivision (b). Nothing
13shall prevent services provided under stage three from being funded
14with moneys from other federal or state sources. Nothing in this
15article shall preclude current and former recipients of aid under
16Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division
179 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, or any successor program,
18from receiving services pursuant to other provisions of this chapter.
Section 8356 of the
Education Code is amended to
21read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that the department
23work with Head Start and California state preschool programs to
24generate extended-day and evening care for recipients of aid under
25Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division
269 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program,
27through recruiting and training parents to be licensed and
28license-exempt care providers and shall facilitate connections
29between Head Start and
California state preschool program
30contractors and certificate administrators, including counties and
31other alternative payment programs, so that funds available for
32Sections 8351, 8353, and 8354 cover the cost of this care.
Section 8357 of the
Education Code is amended to
35read:
(a) The cost of services provided under this article shall
37be governed by regional market rates. Recipients of services
38provided pursuant to this article shall be allowed to choose the
39services of licensed providers or providers who are, by law, not
40required to be licensed, and the cost of that care shall be reimbursed
P86 1by counties or agencies that contract with the department if the
2cost is within the regional market rate. For purposes of this section,
3“regional market rate” means care costing no more than 1.5 market
4standard deviations above the mean cost of care for that region.
5The regional market rate ceilings shall be established at the 85th
6percentile of the 2005 regional market rate survey for that region.
7(b) Reimbursement to license-exempt providers shall not exceed
860 percent of the family child care home rate established pursuant
9to subdivision (a), effective July 1, 2011.
10(c) Reimbursement to providers shall not exceed the fee charged
11to private clients for the same service.
12(d) Reimbursement shall not be made for services if care is
13provided by parents, legal guardians, or members of the assistance
14unit.
15(e) A provider located on an Indian reservation or rancheria and
16exempted from state licensing requirements shall meet applicable
17tribal standards.
18(f) For purposes of this section,
“reimbursement” means a direct
19payment to the provider of services, including license-exempt
20providers. If care is provided in the home of the recipient, payment
21may be made to the parent as the employer, and the parent shall
22be informed of his or her concomitant legal and financial reporting
23requirements. To allow time for the development of the
24administrative systems necessary to issue direct payments to
25providers, for a period not to exceed six months from the effective
26date of this article, a county or an alternative payment agency
27contracting with the department may reimburse the cost of services
28through a direct payment to a recipient of aid rather than to the
29provider.
30(g) Counties and alternative payment programs shall not be
31bound by the rate limits described in subdivision (a) if there are,
32in the region, no more
than two providers of the type needed by
33the recipient of services provided under this article.
34(h) Notwithstanding any other law, reimbursements to providers
35based upon a daily rate may only be authorized under either of the
36following circumstances:
37(1) A family has an unscheduled but documented need of six
38hours or more per occurrence, such as the parent’s need to work
39on a regularly scheduled day off, that exceeds the certified need
40for care.
P87 1(2) A family has a documented need of six hours or more per
2day that exceeds no more than 14 days per month. In no event shall
3reimbursements to a provider based on the daily rate over one
4month’s time exceed the provider’s equivalent full-time monthly
5rate or
applicable monthly ceiling.
6(3) This subdivision shall not limit providers from being
7reimbursed for services using a weekly or monthly rate, pursuant
8to subdivision (c) of Section 8222.
Section 8358 of the
Education Code is amended to
11read:
(a) The department and the State Department of Social
13Services shall design a form for license-exempt providers to use
14for certifying health and safety requirements to the extent required
15by federal law. Until the form is adopted, the information required
16pursuant to Section 11324 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
17shall continue to be maintained by the county welfare department
18or contractor, as appropriate.
19(b) The department and the State Department of Social Services
20shall do both of the following:
21(1) Design a standard process for complaints by parents about
22the
provision of care that is exempt from licensure.
23(2) Design, in consultation with local planning councils, a single
24application for all early learning and educational support programs
25and all families.
26(c) (1) County welfare departments and alternative payment
27programs shall encourage all providers who are licensed or who
28are exempt from licensure and who are providing care under
29Section 8351, 8353, or 8354, to secure training and education in
30basic child development.
31(2) Provider job training provided to CalWORKs recipients that
32is funded by either the department or the State Department of
33Social Services shall include information on becoming a licensed
34provider.
35(d) The department shall increase consumer education and
36consumer awareness activities so that parents will have the
37information needed to seek high-quality services. High-quality
38services shall include both licensed and license-exempt care.
Section 8358.5 of the
Education Code is amended
3to read:
Notwithstanding any other confidentiality requirement,
5the government or private agency administering subsidized care
6services shall share information necessary for the administration
7of the programs pursuant to this article and the CalWORKs
8program pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200)
9of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for
10the time period for which the person receives services.
Section 8359.1 of the
Education Code is amended
13to read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
15article to provide sufficient funding through an appropriation in
16the annual Budget Act to fund the estimated cost of providing care
17for all individuals who are anticipated to need care to participate
18in the welfare-to-work programs and to transition to work.
19(b) Funding for purposes of implementing this article shall be
20appropriated in the annual Budget Act.
The heading of Article 16 (commencing with Section
238360)
of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 24Education Code is amended to read:
25
Section 8360 of the
Education Code is amended to
31read:
(a) Early learning and educational support programs
33shall include a career ladder for instructional staff.
The governing
34board of each contracting agency shall be encouraged to provide
35instructional staff and aides with salary increases for the successful
36completion of early childhood education or child development
37unit-based coursework and degrees.
38(b) Any person who meets the following criteria is eligible to
39serve in an instructional capacity in an early learning and
40educational support program:
P89 1(1) Any person serving as a teacher in an early learning and
2educational support program providing direct classroom services
3shall possess a permit or credential issued by the Commission on
4Teacher Credentialing, including, but not limited to, one of the
5following:
6(A) An associate teacher permit,
or higher, authorizing service
7in the care, development, and instruction of children in early
8learning and educational support programs.
9(B) A multiple subject credential with an authorization to teach
10prekindergarten through grade 12, inclusive, in a self-contained
11classroom.
12(C) An elementary or a single subject credential in home
13economics. Teachers with an elementary or single subject credential
14must also have completed 12 semester units in early childhood
15education or child development, or both, or have two years’
16experience in early childhood education or an early learning and
17educational support program.
18(2) Persons who are 18 years of age and older may be employed
19as aides and may be eligible for salary
increases upon the
20completion of additional semester units in early childhood
21education or child development.
Section 8360.1 of the Education Code is repealed.
Section 8360.1 is
added to the Education Code, to
26read:
Except as waived under Section 8242 and except as
28stated in Section 18203 of Title 5 of the California Code of
29Regulations regarding program directors in schoolage community
30services programs, any entity operating early learning and
31educational support programs providing direct classroom services
32to children, pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228),
33at two or more sites, shall employ a program director who possesses
34a permit or credential issued by the Commission on Teacher
35Credentialing authorizing supervision of a child care and
36development program, including, but not limited to:
37(a) An administrative credential.
38(b) A children’s center supervision permit.
39(c) A program director permit.
P90 1(d) A waiver issued by the Superintendent pursuant to Section
28244.
Section 8360.2 of the
Education Code is amended
5to read:
Not later than 95 days after the governing board of a
7public agency sets the date a person employed by that board shall
8begin service in a position requiring a permit or credential, that
9person shall file, on or before that date, with the county
10superintendent of schools a valid permit issued on or before that
11date, authorizing him or her to serve in a position for which he or
12she was employed. Upon renewal of that permit, that person shall
13file that renewal with the county superintendent of schools no later
14than 95 days after the renewal.
The heading of Article 17 (commencing with Section
178390)
of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 18Education Code is amended to read:
19
Section 8390 of the
Education Code is amended to
24read:
The Superintendent may, with funds appropriated for
26that purpose, enter into agreements with school districts or
27community college districts or county superintendents of schools
28for the establishment and maintenance of early learning and
29educational support programs for infants, and the training of pupils
30in their roles as parents, as part of the high school program.
Section 8392 of the
Education Code is amended to
33read:
Infant early learning and educational support services
35include, but are not limited to, the following:
36(a) Supervision and group care, providing for the physical and
37emotional needs of the infant in a manner that conveys concern
38and engenders trust.
39(b) Educational stimulation from the earliest development stages
40onward.
P91 1(c) Development and health screening and treatment.
Section 8394 of the
Education Code is amended to
4read:
(a) In school districts maintaining more than one high
6school, the governing board, after soliciting the opinions of pupil
7parents and other interested persons, shall determine the location
8of the infant center.
9(b) Infant centers shall be located within high school buildings
10or within that proximity to high school buildings as would ensure
11convenient access by pupil parents and other pupils.
Section 8395 of the
Education Code is amended to
14read:
To the extent funds are available, federal reimbursement
16shall be claimed for any child receiving services in the infant early
17learning and educational support program.
Section 8397 of the
Education Code is amended to
20read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, infants whose parent
22or parents are high school pupils may attend infant centers while
23their parents attend high school.
24(b) Notwithstanding any other law, the Superintendent may
25enter into an agreement pursuant to Section 8390 permitting infants
26whose parent or parents are pupils in grades 7 and 8 to attend infant
27centers while their parents attend school.
Section 8400 of the
Education Code is amended to
30read:
It has come to the attention of the Legislature that:
32(a) Existing law does not provide for an administrative appeal
33procedure to review and resolve disputes between the department
34and the over 750 local contracting agencies that contract with the
35department to provide early learning and educational support
36services to low-income families in California.
37(b) All disputes are currently resolved in the already
38overburdened California courts resulting in a time-consuming and
39costly process for both the contract agency and the department.
P92 1Extensive funds have been expended by the department for
those
2purposes.
3(c) The presence of public and private agencies, small as well
4as large, in the subsidized care delivery system provides client
5families with a range of desirable services, and cost-effective
6service mechanisms.
7(d) The presence of an efficient administrative appeal procedure
8will ensure program stability and encourage retention in the
9delivery system of a range of service-providing agencies.
Section 8401 of the
Education Code is amended to
12read:
It is the intent of the Legislature to authorize an appeal
14process for the resolution of disputes between the department and
15local agencies that contract with the department pursuant to Section
168262 to provide early learning and educational support services
17or to furnish property, facilities, personnel, supplies, equipment
18and administrative services.
Section 8402 of the
Education Code is amended to
21read:
The department shall provide an independent appeal
23procedure to each contracting agency providing early learning and
24educational support services pursuant to Section 8262. Before
25filing an appeal petition, the contracting agency shall have
26submitted all previously required standard monthly or quarterly
27reporting forms to the department. The appeal procedure shall be
28conducted by the Office of Administrative Hearings and shall be
29provided upon petition of the contracting agency in any of the
30following circumstances:
31(a) Termination or suspension of a contracting agency’s contract.
32(b) Denial of more
than 4 percent or twenty-five thousand dollars
33($25,000), whichever is less, of a local contracting agency’s
34contracted payment for services schedule.
35(c) Demand for remittance of an overpayment of more than 4
36percent or twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), whichever is
37less, of a local contracting agency’s annual contract.
Section 8406.7 of the
Education Code is amended
40to read:
(a) Any agency that evidences chronic fiscal or
2program violations of a felony nature may have its contract
3suspended or terminated immediately if there is documented
4evidence of these violations, and upon review and recommendation
5of the general counsel of the
department. A fiscal or programmatic
6violation constituting a breach of contract includes one or more
7of the following:
8(1) Fraud, or conspiracy to defraud.
9(2) Misuse of state funds in violation of the State of California
10Accounting Manual.
11(3) Embezzlement.
12(4) Threats of bodily or other harm to state officials.
13(5) Bribery or attempted bribery of a state official.
14(6) Unsafe or unhealthy physical environment or facility.
15(7) Substantiated abuse or molestation of children.
16(8) Failure to report suspected child abuse or molestation.
17(9) Theft of supplies, equipmentbegin insert,end insert or food.
18(b) An agency contract terminated for cause retains appeal rights
19in accordance with Section 8402.
20(c) The department shall advise
contractors of the provisions
21of this section within 30 working days of its enactment.
Section 8447 of the
Education Code is amended to
24read:
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that greater
26efficiencies may be achieved in the execution of state subsidized
27early learning and educational support program contracts with
28public and private agencies by the timely approval of contract
29provisions by the Department of Finance, the Department of
30General Services, and the State Department of Education and by
31authorizing the State Department of Education to establish a
32multiyear application, contract expenditure, and service review as
33may be necessary to provide timely service while preserving audit
34and oversight functions to protect the public
welfare.
35(b) (1) The Department of Finance and the Department of
36General Services shall approve or disapprove annual contract
37funding terms and conditions, including both family fee schedules
38and regional market rate schedules that are required to be adhered
39to by contract, and contract face sheets submitted by the State
40Department of Education not more than 30 working days from the
P94 1date of submission, unless unresolved conflicts remain between
2the Department of Finance, the State Department of Education,
3and the Department of General Services. The State Department of
4Education shall resolve conflicts within an additional 30 working
5day time period. Contracts and funding terms and conditions shall
6be issued to contractors no later than June 1. Applications for new
7child care funding shall be issued not
more than 45 working days
8after the effective date of authorized new allocations of child care
9moneys.
10(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the State Department of
11Education shall implement the regional market rate schedules
12based upon the county aggregates, as determined by the Regional
13Market survey conducted in 2005.
14(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), for the 2006-07 fiscal year,
15the State Department of Education shall update the family fee
16schedules by family size, based on the 2005 state median income
17survey data for a family of four. The family fee schedule used
18during the 2005-06 fiscal year shall remain in effect. However,
19the department shall adjust the family fee schedule for families
20that are newly eligible to receive or will continue to receive services
21under
the new income eligibility limits. The family fees shall not
22exceed 10 percent of the family’s monthly income.
23(4) Notwithstanding any other law, the family fee schedule that
24was in effect for the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11
25fiscal years shall be adjusted to reflect the income eligibility limits
26specified in subdivision (b) of Section 8263.1 for the 2011-12
27fiscal year, and shall retain a flat fee per family. The revised family
28fee schedule shall begin at income levels at which families
29currently begin paying fees. The revised family fees shall not
30exceed 10 percent of the family’s monthly income. The State
31Department of Education shall first submit the adjusted fee
32schedule to the Department of Finance for approval in order to be
33implemented by July 1, 2011.
34(5) Notwithstanding any other law, the family fee schedule that
35was in effect for the 2011-12 fiscal year pursuant to paragraph (4)
36shall remain in effect for the 2012-13 fiscal year, and shall retain
37a flat fee per family.
38(6) It is the intent of the Legislature to fully fund the third stage
39of child care for former CalWORKs recipients.
P95 1(c) With respect to subdivision (b), it is the intent of the
2Legislature that the Department of Finance annually review
3contract funding terms and conditions for the primary purpose of
4ensuring consistency between child care contracts and the child
5care budget. This review shall include evaluating any proposed
6changes to contract language or other fiscal documents to which
7the contractor is required to adhere, including those changes to
8terms
or conditions that authorize higher reimbursement rates, that
9modify related adjustment factors, that modify administrative or
10other service allowances, or that diminish fee revenues otherwise
11available for services, to determine if the change is necessary or
12has the potential effect of reducing the number of full-time
13
equivalent children that may be served.
14(d) Alternative payment programs, as set forth in Article 3
15(commencing with Section 8220), shall be subject to the rates
16established in the Regional Market Rate Survey of California Child
17Care Providers for provider payments. The State Department of
18Education shall contract to conduct and complete a Regional
19Market Rate Survey no more frequently than once every two years,
20consistent with federal regulations, with a goal of completion by
21March 1.
22(e) By March 1 of each year, the Department of Finance shall
23provide to the State Department of Education the State Median
24Income amount for a four-person household in California based
25on the best available data. The State Department of Education shall
26adjust its fee schedule for
providers to reflect this updated state
27median income; however, no changes based on revisions to the
28state median income amount shall be implemented midyear.
29(f) Notwithstanding the June 1 date specified in subdivision (b),
30changes to the regional market rate schedules and fee schedules
31may be made at any other time to reflect the availability of accurate
32data necessary for their completion, provided these documents
33receive the approval of the Department of Finance. The Department
34of Finance shall review the changes within 30 working days of
35submission and the State Department of Education shall resolve
36conflicts within an additional 30 working day period. Contractors
37shall be given adequate notice before the effective date of the
38approved schedules. It is the intent of the Legislature that contracts
39for services not be delayed
by the timing of the availability of
40accurate data needed to update these schedules.
P96 1(g) Notwithstanding any other law, no family receiving
2CalWORKs cash aid may be charged a family fee.
Section 8448 of the
Education Code is amended to
5read:
As used in this article:
7(a) “Financial and compliance audit” means a systematic review
8or appraisal to determine each of the following:
9(1) Whether the financial statements of an audited organization
10fairly present the financial position and the results of financial
11operations in accordance with generally accepted accounting
12principles.
13(2) Whether the organization has complied with laws and
14regulations that may have a material effect upon the financial
15statements.
16(b) “Public
accountants” means certified public accountants, or
17state licensed public accountants.
18(c) “Independent auditors” means public accountants who have
19no direct or indirect relationship with the functions or activities
20being audited or with the business conducted by any of the officials
21or contractors being audited.
22(d) “Generally accepted auditing standards” means the auditing
23standards set forth in the financial and compliance element of the
24“Government Auditing Standards” issued by the Comptroller
25General of the United States and incorporating the audit standards
26of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
27(e) “Direct service contract” means any contract with any public
28or private entity for early learning and
educational support
29programs, resource and referral programs, and programs contracting
30to provide support services, as defined in Section 8208.
31(f) “Nonprofit organization” means an organization described
32in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 which
33is exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of that code, or any
34nonprofit, scientific, or educational organization qualified under
35Section 23701d of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
36(g) (1) Annually, there shall be a single independent financial
37and compliance audit of organizations that contract with the state
38under a direct service contract. Any such audit shall include an
39evaluation of the accounting and control systems of the direct
40service contractor and of the activities by the contractor
to comply
P97 1with the financial requirements of direct service contracts received
2by the contractor from the state agency. The financial and
3compliance requirements to be reviewed during the audit shall be
4those developed and published by the department in consultation
5with the Department of Finance. Audits carried out pursuant to
6this section shall be audits of the contractor rather than audits of
7individual contracts or programs. In the case of any contractor that
8receives less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per year
9from any state agency, the audit required by this section shall be
10conducted biennially, unless there is evidence of fraud or other
11violation of state law in connection with the direct service contract.
12The cost of the audit may be included in direct service contracts.
13(2) The organization receiving funds from the
state shall be
14responsible for obtaining the required financial and compliance
15audits of the organization and any subcontractors, except for direct
16service subcontracts and other subcontracts exempt from
17
department review, as agreed to by the Departments of Finance
18and General Services. The audits shall be made by independent
19auditors in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
20The audit shall be completed by the 15th day of the fifth month
21following the end of the contractor’s fiscal year. A copy of the
22required audit shall be filed with the department upon its
23completion. In the event an audit is not filed, the department shall
24notify the organization of the contract violation. The audit report
25filed shall be an integral part of the direct service contract file.
26(h) (1) Nothing in this article limits the authority of the
27department to make audits of direct service contracts. However,
28if independent audits arranged for by direct service contractors
29meet generally accepted auditing
standards, the department shall
30rely on those audits and any additional audit work shall build upon
31the work already done.
32(2) Nothing in this article precludes the state from conducting,
33or contracting for the conduct of, contract performance audits
34which are not financial and compliance audits.
35(3) Nothing in this article limits the state’s responsibility or
36authority to enforce state law or regulations, procedures, or
37reporting requirements arising pursuant thereto.
38(4) Nothing in this article limits the responsibility of the
39
department to provide an independent appeal procedure according
40to the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 5
P98 1(commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title
22) of the Government Code.
Section 8450 of the
Education Code is amended to
5read:
(a) All early learning and educational support contractors
7are encouraged to develop and maintain a reserve within the child
8development fund, derived from earned but unexpended funds.
9Contractors may retain all earned funds. For the purpose of this
10section, “earned funds” are those for which the required number
11of eligible service units have been provided.
12(b) (1) Earned funds shall not be expended for any activities
13proscribed by Section 8406.7. Earned but unexpended funds shall
14remain in the contractor’s reserve account within the child
15development fund and shall be expended only by direct classroom
16service programs that are funded under contract with
the
17department.
18(2) Commencing July 1, 2011, a contractor may retain a reserve
19fund balance, separate from the reserve fund retained pursuant to
20subdivision (c) or (d), equal to 5 percent of the sum of the
21maximum reimbursable amounts of all contracts to which the
22contractor is a party, or two thousand dollars ($2,000), whichever
23is greater. This paragraph applies to direct classroom service
24
programs that are funded under contract with the department.
25(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a contractor may
26retain a reserve fund balance for a resource and referral program,
27separate from the balance retained pursuant to subdivision (b) or
28(d), not to exceed 3 percent of the contract amount. Funds from
29this reserve account may be expended only by resource and referral
30programs that are funded under contract with the department.
31(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a contractor may
32retain a reserve fund balance for alternative payment model and
33certificate contracts, separate from the reserve fund retained
34pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c). Funds from this reserve
35account may be expended only by alternative payment model and
36
certificate programs that are funded under contract with the
37department. The reserve amount allowed by this section may not
38exceed either of the following, whichever is greater:
39(1) Two percent of the sum of the parts of each contract to which
40that contractor is a party that is allowed for administration pursuant
P99 1to Section 8276.7 and that is allowed for supportive services
2pursuant to the provisions of the contract.
3(2) One thousand dollars ($1,000).
4(e) Each contractor’s audit shall identify any funds earned by
5the contractor for each contract through the provision of contracted
6services in excess of funds expended.
7(f) Any interest earned on reserve funds
shall be included in the
8fund balance of the reserve. This reserve fund shall be maintained
9in an interest-bearing account.
10(g) Moneys in a contractor’s reserve fund may be used only for
11expenses that are reasonable and necessary costs as defined in
12subdivision (l) of Section 8208.
13(h) Any reserve fund balance in excess of the amount authorized
14pursuant to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) shall be returned to the
15department pursuant to procedures established by the department.
16(i) Upon termination of all early learning and educational
17support contracts between a contractor and the department, all
18moneys in a contractor’s reserve fund shall be returned to the
19department pursuant to procedures established by the
department.
20(j) Expenditures from, additions to, and balances in, the reserve
21fund shall be included in the agency’s annual financial statements
22and audit.
Section 8493 of the
Education Code is amended to
25read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that funds be
27appropriated for capital outlay for purposes of providing facilities
28for services provided pursuant to this chapter, including, but not
29limited to, all of the following purposes:
30(a) For the purchase of relocatable facilities by the state for lease
31to qualifying contracting agencies in areas with no available
32economically practical or feasible child care and development
33facilities.
34(b) For renovation and repair of child care and development
35facilities in order to comply with state and local health and safety
36standards and licensing requirements, without
unnecessarily
37increasing the value of the facility.
Section 8494 of the
Education Code is amended to
40read:
(a) All of the following programs, other than those
2providing extended care services, shall be eligible to receive a loan
3for the renovation and repair of facilities used for the program or
4to lease relocatable facilities to be used for the program:
5(1) Private nonprofit programs currently, or soon to be, under
6contract with the
department pursuant to Section 8262.
7(2) Early learning and educational support programs conducted
8pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 8225).
9(3) Early learning and educational support programs operated
10by, or in a facility owned by, a public entity.
11(4) Early learning and educational support programs conducted
12pursuant to Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of
13Chapter 9 of Part 29.
14(b) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall document
15that the renovated facility shall comply with all laws and
16regulations applicable to child care facilities provided for pursuant
17to Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section
1596.70) and Chapter
183.5 (commencing with Section 1596.90) of Division 2 of the Health
19and Safety Code.
20(c) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall assure the
21board that the renovated facility shall be used for purposes of the
22program for the entire loan period, which shall be determined by
23the board as follows:
24(1) For loans equal to or less than thirty thousand dollars
25($30,000), not less than three years.
26(2) For loans exceeding thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), the
27loan period shall increase one year for each additional ten thousand
28dollars ($10,000) or part thereof, to a maximum of fifty thousand
29dollars ($50,000).
30(d) Interest
on the loan principal shall be charged at a rate equal
31to the average of the interest rate applied to the last three bond
32sales pursuant to Chapter 21.6 (commencing with Section 17695)
33of Part 10.
34(e) In the event that a recipient ceases to use the renovated
35facility for purposes of the program
before the expiration of the
36loan period, the board shall collect the entire outstanding balance
37of the loan, plus interest, notwithstanding the loan period originally
38set pursuant to subdivision (c), unless the board deems it
39appropriate to waive repayment at that time.
P101 1(f) If the renovated facility has been continuously used for
2purposes of the program for the entire loan period, the board shall
3waive repayment of the amount of the loan principal, plus interest,
4at the end of the loan period.
Section 8495 of the
Education Code is amended to
7read:
(a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury the
9State Child Care Capital Outlay Fund. Notwithstanding Section
1013340 of the Government Code, all moneys in the State Child Care
11Capital Outlay Fund, including moneys deposited in that fund from
12any source whatsoever, shall be continuously appropriated without
13regard to fiscal year for expenditure pursuant to this article. The
14fund shall be administered by the State Allocation Board, which
15may authorize the expenditure of any moneys in the fund for capital
16outlay projects pursuant to Section 8277.7 or this article. Funds in
17the State Child Care Facilities Fund set aside for the purposes of
18providing extended day care facilities pursuant to
Section 8477
19shall be transferred to the State Child Care Capital Outlay Fund
20upon the effective date of the act amending this section in the
211997-98 Regular Session.
22(b) The Superintendent shall establish the qualifications to
23determine the eligibility of agencies, including those that provide
24preschool and extended day care services, to lease relocatable
25facilities under this section.
26(c) Although primary use of relocatable facilities shall be for
27early learning and educational support programs, including
28preschool and extended day care programs, those facilities may
29be used for other purposes if the following conditions are met:
30(1) The alternative use of the facility does not infringe upon
the
31accessibility of early learning and educational support programs
32including preschool or extended day care programs.
33(2) The Superintendent authorizes alternative use as being
34compatible with
early learning and educational support programs,
35including preschool or extended day care programs.
36(d) The State Allocation Board, with the advice of the
37Superintendent, may do all of the following:
38(1) Establish any procedures and policies in connection with
39the administration of this section that it deems necessary.
P102 1(2) Adopt any rules and regulations for the administration of
2this section requiring those procedures, forms, and information
3that it deems necessary.
4(3) Have constructed, furnished, equipped, or otherwise require
5whatever work is necessary to place relocatable facilities for
early
6learning and educational support services, including preschool and
7extended day care services where needed.
8(e) The board shall lease relocatable facilities to qualifying
9agencies providing early learning and educational support services,
10including preschool or extended day care services, and shall charge
11rent of one dollar ($1) per year. The board shall require lessees to
12undertake all necessary maintenance, repairs, renewal, and
13replacement to ensure that a project is at all times kept in good
14repair, working order, and condition. All costs incurred for this
15purpose shall be borne by the lessee. Neither the board nor the
16state shall assume any responsibility for utility services costs other
17than initial installation costs reimbursed under this article, and the
18agency shall provide adequate safeguards to protect
the state’s
19interest in this regard.
20(f) The board shall require lessees to insure at their own expense
21for the benefit of the state, any leased relocatable facility that is
22the property of the state, against any risks, including liability from
23the use thereof, in the amounts the board deems necessary to protect
24the interests of the state. Neither the board nor the state shall
25assume any responsibility for utility services costs other than initial
26installation costs reimbursed under this article, and the agency
27shall provide adequate safeguards to protect the state’s interest in
28this regard.
29(g) No relocatable facilities shall be made available to an agency
30unless the agency furnishes evidence, satisfactory to the board,
31that the agency has no other facility available for rental, lease,
or
32purchase in the geographic service area that is economically or
33otherwise feasible.
34(h) The board shall have prepared for its use, performance
35specifications for relocatable facilities and bids for their
36construction that can be solicited from more than one responsible
37bidder. The board shall from time to time solicit bids from, and
38award to, the lowest responsible competitive bidder, contracts for
39the construction or purchase of relocatable facilities that have been
40approved for lease to eligible agencies that provide early learning
P103 1and educational support services, including preschool or extended
2day care services.
3(i) If at any time the board determines that a lessees’ need for
4particular relocatable facilities that were made available to the
5lessee pursuant to
this article has ceased, the board may take
6possession of the relocatable facilities and may lease them to other
7eligible contracting agencies, or, if there is no longer a need for
8the relocatable facilities, the board may dispose of them to public
9or private parties in the manner it deems to be in the best interests
10of the state.
11(j) If a lessee uses a particular relocatable facility for only a
12portion of the year, the board may enter into a second lease with
13a public or private party for the use of that facility for the portion
14of the year during which the facility would otherwise be unused,
15in the manner it deems to be in the best interests of the state. The
16lessee shall be subject to subdivisions (d) and (f).
Section 8495.1 of the
Education Code is amended
19to read:
(a) The State Allocation Board shall establish
21regulations for the allocation of funds for capital outlay and for
22the reimbursement of initial utility installation costs for purposes
23of this chapter. The Superintendent shall establish qualifications
24for determining the eligibility of agencies providing early learning
25and educational support services, including preschool and extended
26day care service, to apply for these funds.
27(b) Notwithstanding any other law, except for Section 8477,
28priority in funding of capital outlay grants or relocatables from
29funds administered pursuant to Section 8277.7 and under this
30article, shall be determined
in the following order:
31(1) Programs experiencing emergencies as defined by the
32Superintendent and the State Allocation Board.
33(2) Facilities lost due to the Class Size Reduction Program
34(Chapter 6.10 (commencing with Section 52120) of Part 28).
35(3) Expansion of early learning and educational support services.
Section 8498 of the
Education Code is amended to
38read:
(a) The State Allocation Board may use up to 5 percent
40of any appropriation for purposes of this article to provide loans
P104 1to private nonsectarian early learning and educational support
2programs not under contract with the department for renovation
3and repair of existing program facilities, in accordance with this
4section.
5(b) The Superintendent shall establish qualifications to determine
6the eligibility of agencies for loans pursuant to this section.
7(c) The board, with any necessary assistance from the
8Superintendent, may do any of the following:
9(1) Establish procedures and policies in connection with the
10administration of this section it deems necessary.
11(2) Adopt rules and regulations for the administration of this
12section requiring procedure, forms, and information it deems
13necessary.
14(d) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall do all of
15the following:
16(1) Document that the renovated facility shall comply with all
17laws and regulations applicable to child care facilities provided
18for pursuant to Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 1596.70)
19and Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 1596.90) of Division
202 of the Health and Safety Code.
21(2) Demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board that it will have
22sufficient revenues to pay the principal and interest on the loan
23and to maintain the operation of the child care facility.
24(e) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall assure the
25board that the renovated facility shall be used for purposes of the
26program for the following periods:
27(1) For loans equal to or less than thirty thousand dollars
28($30,000), not less than three years from the beginning of the loan
29period.
30(2) For loans exceeding thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), the
31fixed period of time shall increase one year for each additional ten
32thousand dollars ($10,000) or part thereof, to a maximum of fifty
33thousand dollars ($50,000).
34(f) The board shall set the period of the loan for each recipient,
35up to a maximum of 10 years, based upon the amount of the loan,
36the recipient’s ability to repay the loan, and the length of time the
37recipient has committed to use the renovated facility for purposes
38of the program.
39(g) Interest on the loan principal shall be charged at a rate equal
40to the average of the interest rate applied to the last three bond
P105 1sales pursuant to Chapter 21.6 (commencing with Section 17695)
2of Part 10.
3(h) In the event that a recipient ceases to use the renovated
4facility for purposes of the program before the expiration of the
5period specified pursuant to subdivision (e), the board shall collect
6the entire outstanding balance
of the loan, plus interest,
7notwithstanding the loan period originally set pursuant to
8subdivision (f).
Section 8499 of the
Education Code is amended to
11read:
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions
13shall apply:
14(a) “Block grant” means the block grant contained in Title VI
15of the Child Care and Development Fund, as established by the
16federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
17Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193).
18(b) “Child care” means all licensed early learning and
19educational support services and license-exempt child care,
20including, but not limited to, private for-profit programs, nonprofit
21programs, and publicly funded programs, for all children from
22birth to 13 years of age, including children with exceptional needs
23and children from all
linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
24(c) “Child care provider” means a person who provides child
25care services or represents persons who provide child care services.
26(d) “Community representative” means a person who represents
27an agency or business that provides private funding for child care
28services, or who advocates for child care services through
29
participation in civic or community-based organizations but is not
30a child care provider and does not represent an agency that
31contracts with the State Department of Education to provide
early
32learning and educational support services.
33(e) “Consumer” means a parent or person who receives, or who
34has received within the past 36 months, child care services.
35(f) “Department” means the State Department of Education.
36(g) “Local planning council” means a local early learning and
37educational support planning council as described in Section
388499.3.
P106 1(h) “Public agency representative” means a person who
2represents a city, county, city and county, or local educational
3
agency.
The heading of Article 2 (commencing with Section
68499.3)
of Chapter 2.3 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 7Education Code is amended to read:
8
Section 8499.3 of the
Education Code is amended
13to read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that local planning
15councils shall provide a forum for the identification of local
16priorities for early learning and educational support and the
17development of policies to meet the needs identified within those
18priorities.
19(b) The county board of supervisors and the county
20superintendent of schools shall do both of the following:
21(1) Select the members of the local planning council. Before
22making selections pursuant to this subdivision, the county board
23of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools shall
24publicize their
intention to select the members and shall invite
25local organizations to submit nominations. In counties in which
26the county superintendent is appointed by the county board of
27education, the county board of education may make the
28appointment or may delegate that responsibility to the
29superintendent.
30(2) Establish the term of appointment for the members of the
31local planning council.
32(c) (1) The local planning council shall be comprised as follows:
33(A) Twenty percent of the membership shall be consumers.
34(B) Twenty percent of the membership shall be providers,
35reflective of the range of providers in the county.
36(C) Twenty percent of the membership shall be public agency
37representatives.
38(D) Twenty percent of the membership shall be community
39representatives, who shall not be providers or agencies that contract
40with the department to provide
services.
P107 1(E) The remaining 20 percent shall be appointed at the discretion
2of the appointing agencies.
3(2) The county board of supervisors and the county
4superintendent of schools shall each appoint one-half of the
5members. In the case of uneven membership, both appointing
6entities shall agree on the odd-numbered appointee.
7(d) Every effort shall be made to ensure that the ethnic, racial,
8and geographic composition of the local planning council is
9reflective of the ethnic, racial, and geographic distribution of the
10population of the county.
11(e) The county board of supervisors and county superintendent
12of schools may designate an existing
planning council or
13coordinated child and family services council as the local planning
14council, as long as it has or can achieve the representation set forth
15in this section.
16(f) Upon establishment of a local planning council, the local
17planning council shall elect a chair and select a staff.
18(g) Each local planning council shall develop and implement a
19training plan to provide increased efficiency, productivity, and
20facilitation of local planning council meetings. This may include
21developing a training manual, hiring facilitators, and identifying
22strategies to meet the objectives of the council.
23(h) No member of a local planning council shall participate in
24a vote if he or she has a proprietary interest in the
outcome of the
25matter being voted upon.
Section 8499.5 of the
Education Code is amended
28to read:
(a) The department shall allocate funding pursuant to
30Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8200) based on the amount
31of state and federal funding that is available.
32(b) By May 30 of each year, upon approval by the county board
33of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, a local
34planning council shall submit to the department the local priorities
35it has identified that reflect all child care needs in the county. To
36accomplish this, a local planning council shall do all of the
37following:
38(1) Conduct an assessment of child care needs in the county no
39less than once every five years. The department shall define and
40prescribe
data elements to be included in the needs assessment and
P108 1shall specify the format for the data reporting. The needs
2assessment shall also include all factors deemed appropriate by
3the local planning council in order to obtain an accurate picture of
4the comprehensive child care needs in the county. The factors
5include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
6(A) The needs of families eligible for subsidized care.
7(B) The needs of families not eligible for subsidized care.
8(C) The waiting lists for programs funded by the department
9and the State Department of Social Services.
10(D) The need for care for children determined by the child
11protective services agency to
be neglected, abused, or exploited,
12or at risk of being neglected, abused, or exploited.
13(E) The number of children in families receiving public
14assistance, including CalFresh benefits, housing support, and
15Medi-Cal, and assistance from the Healthy Families Program and
16the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
17(F) Family income among families with preschool or schoolage
18children.
19(G) The number of children in migrant agricultural families
20who move from place to place for work or who are currently
21dependent for their income on agricultural employment in
22accordance with subdivision (a) of, and paragraphs (1) and (2) of
23subdivision (b) of, Section 8231.
24(H) The number of children who have been determined by a
25regional center to require services pursuant to an individualized
26family service plan, or by a local educational agency to require
27services pursuant to an individualized education program or an
28individualized family service plan.
29(I) The number of children in the county by primary language
30spoken pursuant to the department’s language survey.
31(J) Special needs based on geographic considerations, including
32rural areas.
33(K) The number of children needing services by age cohort.
34(2) Document information gathered during the needs assessment
35that shall include, but need not be limited to, data on
supply,
36demand, cost, and market rates for each category of child care in
37the county.
38(3) Encourage public input in the development of the priorities.
39Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public
P109 1hearing during which members of the public can comment on the
2proposed priorities.
3(4) Prepare a comprehensive countywide child care plan
4designed to mobilize public and private resources to address
5identified needs.
6(5) Conduct a periodic review of child care programs funded
7by the department and the State Department of Social Services to
8determine if identified priorities are being met.
9(6) Collaborate with subsidized and nonsubsidized
providers,
10county welfare departments, human service agencies, regional
11centers, job training programs, employers, integrated child and
12family service councils, local and state children and families
13commissions, parent organizations, early start family resource
14centers, family empowerment centers on disability, local resource
15and referral programs, and other interested parties to foster
16partnerships designed to meet local child care needs.
17(7) Design a system to consolidate local child care waiting lists,
18if a centralized eligibility list is not already in existence.
19(8) Coordinate part-day programs, including California state
20preschool and Head Start, with other
early learning and educational
21support services to provide full-day care.
22(9) Submit the results of the needs assessment and the local
23priorities identified by the local planning council to the county
24board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools for
25approval before submitting them to the department.
26(10) Identify at least one, but not more than two, members to
27serve as part of the department team that reviews and scores
28proposals for the provision of services funded through contracts
29with the department. Local planning council representatives may
30not review and score proposals from the geographic area covered
31by their own local planning council. The department shall notify
32each local planning council whenever this opportunity is available.
33(c) The department shall, in conjunction with the State
34Department of Social Services and all appropriate statewide
35agencies and associations, develop guidelines for use by local
36planning councils to assist them in conducting needs assessments
37that are reliable and accurate. The guidelines shall include
38acceptable sources of demographic and child care data, and
39methodologies for assessing child care supply and demand.
P110 1(d) The department shall allocate funding within each county
2in accordance with the priorities identified by the local planning
3council of that county and submitted to the department pursuant
4to this section, unless the priorities do not meet the requirements
5of state or federal law.
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