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 wouldbegin delete 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 through
services that include direct classroom or alternative payment services, and wouldend delete require the Superintendent to develop standards 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 educators who foster school readiness, healthy development, and improved child outcomes, who possess the appropriate and required educational qualifications and experience, including
credentials or permits, as required by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and who meet applicable licensing standardsend deletebegin insert program activities and services that meet the needs of children with exceptional needs and diverse abilitiesend insert. The bill would requirebegin delete 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 requireend delete certain information to be given to parents who receive services from resource and referral programs and alternative payment programs. The 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.
P4 1(e) To
support the development of the ability to measure
2outcomes assessing early learning and educational support
3programs.
4(f) To establish a framework for the expansion of
early learning
5and educational support services for children starting at birth.
Section 8202 of the Education Code is amended to
7read:
To ensure that all children, starting at birth, in California
9have equal access to high-quality early learning and educational
10support programs so that they thrive in their early learning settings
11and succeed in entering transitional kindergarten or kindergarten
12and throughout their school education and adult life, it is the intent
13of the Legislature that:
14(a) All families have access to safe, high-quality early learning
15and educational support services that support the development of
16the whole child, including healthy physical, cognitive, social, and
17emotional growth and development of children regardless of ethnic
18status, cultural background, or special
needs.
19(b) Subsidized early learning and educational support services
20be provided to persons meeting the eligibility criteria established
21under this chapter to the extent funding is made available by the
22Legislature and Congress.
23(c) Community-level coordination between early learning and
24educational support programs and other human services
25organizations be encouraged.
26(d) Parental choice, parenting education, and information all be
27components of a long-term successful early learning and
28educational support system.
29(e) Parents and families be fully informed of their rights and
30responsibilities to select safe and high-quality early learning and
31
educational support programs.
32(f) Planning for expansion of direct classroom services be based
33on ongoing local needs assessments and targeted to programs
34operating classrooms located in the attendance area of elementary
35schools ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the Academic
36Performance Index pursuant to Section 52056.
37(g) Families achieve and maintain their personal, social,
38economic, and emotional stability through an opportunity to attain
39financial stability through employment and work support activities,
40while maximizing the growth and development of their children,
P5 1and supporting parental participation in the educational
2development and success of their children.
3(h) Early learning and
educational support staff be culturally
4and linguistically diverse and support school readiness, healthy
5development, and improved child outcomes.
6(i) Sustained support of professional development and
7preparation of early learning educators and professionals include,
8but not be limited to, the following:
9(1) Academic support.
10(2) Higher education articulation.
11(3) Career advancement.
12(4) Evidence-based coaching and mentoring.
13(5) Child-teacher interactions.
14(6) Child
centered, family-educator, and family-professional
15interactions.
16(7) Training on research-based tools and resources aligned to
17California preschool learning foundations, frameworks, and
18guidelines, and California early childhood educator competencies.
19(8) Retention of high-quality educators.
20(9) Adequate compensation and incentives for professional
21growth.
22(10) Strong leadership and management practices.
23(j) The Superintendent coordinate with the California Children
24
and Families Commission, county children and families
25commissions, and other federal, state, and local agencies to support
26improved alignment and access, including, but not limited to:
27support services, quality enhancements, and additional training
28and resources in early learning and educational support programs
29and staff.
30(k) The department create, administer, and support a
31comprehensive early learning and educational support infrastructure
32that promotes and fosters school readiness, healthy development,
33and improved child outcomes.
34(l) The Superintendent, in providing funding to early learning
35and educational support agencies, promote a range of services that
36will allow parents the opportunity to choose the type of care most
37suited to their needs. The
program scope may include the
38following:
39(1) Programs located in centers, family day care homes, or in
40license-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:
(a) The 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:
22(1) A physical environment that is safe and appropriate to the
23ages and developmental needs of the children
and that meets
24applicable licensing standards.
25(2) Program activities and services that are age appropriate and
26meet the developmental needs of each child, and utilize the
27California preschool learning foundations, frameworks, and
28guidelines, and California early childhood educator competencies.
29(3) Program activities and services that meet the cultural and
30linguistic needs of children and families.
31(4) Family and community engagement.
32(5) Parent education.
33(6) Efficient and effective local program administration.
34(7) Educators who:
35(A) Foster school readiness, healthy development, and
improved
36child outcomes.
37(B) Are culturally and linguistically diverse and reflect the
38makeup of children and families in the program.
39(C) Possess the appropriate and required educational
40qualifications and experience, including credentials or permits, as
P8 1specified by the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing and who
2meet applicable licensing standards.
3(D) Meet children’s instructional and developmental needs.
4(E) Provide positive teacher-child interactions.
5(8) Program activities and services meet the needs of children
6with exceptional needs and diverse abilities, and their families.
7(9) Support services for children, families, and early learning
8educators.
9(10) Resource and referral services.
10(11) Alternative payment services.
11(12) Provision for nutritional needs and physical activity of
12children.
13(13) Social services that include, but are not limited to, child
14abuse prevention, identification of child and family needs, and
15referral to appropriate agencies.
16(14) Developmental and health services, as defined in Section
178208, that include referral of children to appropriate agencies for
18services.
19(b) The department shall develop and certify a list of
20high-quality early learning and educational support resources to
21demonstrate high-quality options available to parents. The list of
22certified resources shall be posted and maintained on the
23department’s Internet Web site and shall be made available to both
24resource and referral programs and alternative payment programs.
begin insertSection 8203 of the end insertbegin insertEducation
Codeend insertbegin insert is amended to
26read:end insert
The Superintendentbegin delete of Public Instructionend delete shall develop
28standards for the implementation ofbegin delete qualityend deletebegin insert high-quality early
29learning and educational supportend insert programs. Indicators of quality
30shall include, but not be limited to:
31(a) A physical environment that is safe and appropriate to the
32agesbegin insert and developmental needsend insert of the children and that meets
33applicable licensing
standards.
34(b) Program activities and services that are age appropriate and
35meet the developmental needs of each child.
36(c) Program activities and services that meet the cultural and
37linguistic needs of children and families.
38(d) Family and communitybegin delete involvementend deletebegin insert engagementend insert.
39(e) Parent education.
40(f) Efficient and effective local program administration.
P9 1(g) Staff that possesses the appropriate and required
2qualifications or experience, or
both. The appropriate staff
3qualifications shall reflect the diverse linguistic and cultural
4makeup of the children and families in the child care and
5development program. The use of intergenerational staff shall be
6encouraged.
7(h) Program activities and services that meet the needs of
8children with exceptional needs andbegin insert diverse abilities, andend insert their
9families.
10(i) Support services for children, families, and providers of care.
11(j) Resource and referral services.
12(k) Alternative payment services.
13(l) Provision for nutritional needs of children.
14(m) Social services that include, but are not limited to,
15identification of child and family needs and referral to appropriate
16agencies.
17(n) begin deleteHealth services end deletebegin insertDevelopmental and health services, as
18defined in Section 8208, end insertthat include referral of children to
19appropriate agencies for services.
Section 8203.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
22read:
(a) The Superintendent shall ensure that each contract
24entered into under this chapter to provide early learning and
25educational support services, or to facilitate the provision of those
26services, promotes children’s school readiness and subsequent
27school success through the delivery of appropriate high-quality
28educational services to the children served pursuant to the contract.
29(b) The Superintendent shall ensure that all contracts for direct
30classroom services programs include a requirement that each
31provider maintain a developmental profile to appropriately identify
32the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive growth of each child
33served in order to promote the child’s success in the public schools.
34To the extent possible, the department shall provide a
35
developmental profile to all public and private providers using
36existing profile instruments that are most cost efficient. The
37provider of any program operated pursuant to a contract under
38Section 8262 shall be responsible for maintaining developmental
39profiles upon entry through exit from a direct classroom services
40program.
P10 1(c) This section is not subject to Part 34 (commencing with
2Section 62000) of Division 4 of Title 2.
Section 8204 of the Education
Code is amended to
5read:
In recognition of the demonstrated relationship between
7food and good nutrition and the capacity of children to develop
8and learn, it is the policy of this state that no child shall be hungry
9while in attendance in a child care and development facility as
10defined in Section 8208 and that these facilities have an obligation
11to provide for the nutritional needs of children in attendance.
Section 8205 of the Education Code is amended to
13read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that in providing early
15learning and educational support programs the Superintendent do
16the following:
17(a) Develop an early learning and educational support system
18that allows maximum parental choice by providing both direct
19classroom and alternative payment services.
20(b) Give priority to children of families that qualify under
21applicable federal statutes or regulations as recipients of public
22assistance and other low-income and disadvantaged families.
23Federal reimbursement shall be claimed for any child receiving
24services under this chapter for whom federal funds are
available.
Section 8208 of the Education
Code is amended to
27read:
As used in this chapter:
29(a) “Alternative payments” includes payments that are made by
30one child care agency to another agency or child care provider for
31the provision of early learning and educational support services,
32and payments that are made by an agency to a parent for the
33parent’s purchase of early learning and educational support
34services.
35(b) “Alternative payment program” means a local government
36agency or nonprofit organization that has contracted with the
37department pursuant to Section 8220.1 to provide alternative
38payments and to provide support services to parents and providers.
39(c) “Applicant or contracting agency” means a school district,
40
community college district, college or university, county
P11 1superintendent of schools, county, city, public agency, private
2nontax-exempt agency, private tax-exempt agency, or other entity
3that is authorized to establish, maintain, or operate services
4pursuant to this chapter. Private agencies and parent cooperatives,
5duly licensed by law, shall receive the same consideration as any
6other authorized entity with no loss of parental decisionmaking
7prerogatives as consistent with the provisions of this chapter.
8(d) “Assigned reimbursement rate” is that rate established by
9the contract with the agency and is derived by dividing the total
10dollar amount of the contract by the minimum child day of average
11daily enrollment level of service required.
12(e) (1) “Attendance” means the number of children present at
13a child care and development facility where services are
provided.
14(2) For purposes of reimbursement to direct classroom services
15programs, attendance includes excused absences of children
16because of illness, quarantine, illness or quarantine of their parent,
17family emergency, or to spend time with a parent or other relative
18as required by a court of law or that is clearly in the best interest
19of the child.
20(3) For purposes of reimbursement to providers through an
21alternative payment services program, attendance includes any of
22the following:
23(A) The hours of service provided that are broadly consistent
24with certified hours of need.
25(B) For families with variable schedules, the actual days and
26hours of attendance up to the maximum certified hours.
27(C) In the case of license-exempt providers that provide
28part-time services, the actual days and hours of attendance.
29(4) For purposes of reimbursement to providers through an
30alternative payment services program, contractors shall not be
31required to track absences.
32(f) “Capital outlay” means the amount paid for the renovation
33and repair of child care and development facilities to comply with
34state and local health and safety standards, and the amount paid
35for the state purchase of relocatable child care and development
36facilities for lease to qualifying contracting agencies.
37(g) “Caregiver” means a person who provides direct care,
38supervision, and guidance to children in a child care and
39development facility.
P12 1(h) “Child care and
development facility” means a residence or
2building or part of a residence or building in which early learning
3and educational support services are provided.
4(i) “Children at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation” means
5children who are so identified in a written referral from a legal,
6medical, or social service agency, or emergency shelter.
7(j) “Children with exceptional needs” means either of the
8following:
9(1) Infants and toddlers under three years of age who have been
10determined to be eligible for early intervention services pursuant
11to the California Early Intervention Services Act (Title 14
12(commencing with Section 95000) of the Government Code) and
13its implementing regulations. These children include an infant or
14toddler with a developmental delay or established risk condition,
15or who is at high risk of
having a substantial developmental
16disability, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 95014 of the
17Government Code. These children shall have active individualized
18family service plans, shall be receiving early intervention services,
19and shall be children who require the special attention of adults in
20a child care setting.
21(2) Children 3 to 21 years of age, inclusive, who have been
22determined to be eligible for special education and related services
23by an individualized education program team according to the
24special education requirements contained in Part 30 (commencing
25with Section 56000) of Division 4 of Title 2, and who meet
26eligibility criteria described in Section 56026 and, Article 2.5
27(commencing with Section 56333) of Chapter 4 of Part 30 of
28Division 4 of Title 2, and Sections 3030 and 3031 of Title 5 of the
29California Code of Regulations. These children shall have an active
30individualized education program, shall be receiving early
31
intervention services or appropriate special education and related
32services, and shall be children who require the special attention of
33adults in a child care setting. These children include children with
34intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments (including deafness),
35speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including
36blindness), serious emotional disturbance (also referred to as
37emotional disturbance), orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic
38brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning
39disabilities, who need special education and related services
P13 1consistent with Section 1401(3)(A) of Title 20 of the United States
2Code.
3(k) “Closedown costs” means reimbursements for all approved
4activities associated with the closing of operations at the end of
5each growing season for migrant services only.
6(l) “Cost” includes, but is not limited to, expenditures
that are
7related to the operation of early learning and educational support
8programs. “Cost” may include a reasonable amount for state and
9local contributions to employee benefits, including approved
10retirement programs, agency administration, and any other
11reasonable program operational costs. “Cost” may also include
12amounts for licensable facilities in the community served by the
13program, including lease payments or depreciation, downpayments,
14and payments of principal and interest on loans incurred to acquire,
15rehabilitate, or construct licensable facilities, but these costs shall
16not exceed fair market rents existing in the community in which
17the facility is located. “Reasonable and necessary costs” are costs
18that, in nature and amount, do not exceed what an ordinary prudent
19person would incur in the conduct of a competitive business.
20(m) “Developmental and health services” include, but are not
21limited to, all of the following:
22(1) Referral, whenever possible, to appropriate health care
23providers able to provide continuity of medical care.
24(2) Developmental and health screening and health treatment,
25including a full range of immunization recorded on the appropriate
26state immunization form to the extent provided by the Medi-Cal
27Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of
28Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) and the Child
29Health and Disability Prevention Program (Article 6 (commencing
30with Section 124025) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 106 of
31the Health and Safety Code), but only to the extent that ongoing
32care cannot be obtained utilizing community resources.
33(3) Health education and training for children, parents, staff,
34and providers.
35(4) Followup
treatment through referral to appropriate health
36care agencies or individual health care professionals.
37(n) “Direct classroom programs” means early learning and
38educational support programs that serve children from birth to 13
39years of age, including, but not limited to, services for infants and
P14 1toddlers, preschool age children, schoolage children, and children
2of migrant agricultural worker families.
3(o) “Direct classroom services” means direct classroom
4programs, family child care home education networks, and
5programs that serve severely disabled children, that are
6administered by the Superintendent pursuant to Article 5
7(commencing with Section 8228).
8(p) “Early learning and educational support programs” means
9those programs that offer a full range of services designed to meet
10a wide variety of needs of children,
from birth to 13 years of age,
11and their families. Services provided by an applicant or contracting
12agency, may be for any part of the day that a parent is working, in
13training, seeking employment, incapacitated, or in need of respite.
14These services may include, but are not limited to, direct classroom
15and alternative payment services.
16(q) “Elementary school,” as contained in former Section 425 of
17Title 20 of the United States Code (the National Defense Education
18Act of 1958, Public Law 85-864, as amended), includes early
19childhood education programs and all early learning and
20educational support programs, for the purpose of the cancellation
21provisions of loans to students in institutions of higher learning.
22(r) “Family child care home education network” means an entity
23organized under law that contracts with the department pursuant
24to Section 8245 to make payments to licensed
family child care
25home providers and to provide educational and support services
26to those providers and to children and families eligible for
27state-subsidized early learning and educational support services.
28A family child care home education network may also be referred
29to as a family child care home system.
30(s) “Higher educational institutions” means the Regents of the
31University of California, the Trustees of the California State
32University, the Board of Governors of the California Community
33Colleges, and the governing bodies of any accredited private
34nonprofit institution of postsecondary education.
35(t) “Intergenerational staff” means persons of various
36generations.
37(u) “Limited-English-speaking-proficient and
38non-English-speaking-proficient children” means children who
39are unable to benefit fully from an
English-only early learning and
40educational support program as a result of either of the following:
P15 1(1) Having used a language other than English when they first
2began to speak.
3(2) Having a language other than English predominantly or
4exclusively spoken at home.
5(v) “Parent” means a biological parent, stepparent, adoptive
6parent, foster parent, caretaker relative, or any other adult living
7with a child who has responsibility for the care and welfare of the
8child.
9(w) “Program director” means a person who, pursuant to
10Sections 8244 and 8360.1, is qualified to serve as a program
11director.
12(x) “Proprietary agency” means an organization or facility
13providing early learning and educational
support services, which
14is operated for profit.
15(y) “Resource and referral programs” means programs that
16provide information to parents, including referrals and coordination
17of community resources for parents and public or private providers
18of care. Services frequently include, but are not limited to: technical
19assistance for providers, toy-lending libraries, equipment-lending
20libraries, toy- and equipment-lending libraries, staff development
21programs, health and nutrition education, and referrals to social
22services.
23(z) “Severely disabled children” are children with exceptional
24needs from birth to 21 years of age, inclusive, who require intensive
25instruction and training in programs serving pupils with the
26following profound disabilities: autism, blindness, deafness, severe
27orthopedic impairments, serious emotional disturbances, or severe
28intellectual disabilities. “Severely
disabled children” also include
29those individuals who would have been eligible for enrollment in
30a developmental center for handicapped pupils under Chapter 6
31(commencing with Section 56800) of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title
322 as it read on January 1, 1980.
33(aa) “Short-term respite child care” means child care service to
34assist families whose children have been identified through written
35referral from a legal, medical, or social service agency, or
36emergency shelter as being neglected, abused, exploited, or
37homeless, or at risk of being neglected, abused, exploited, or
38homeless. Child care is provided for less than 24 hours per day in
39child care centers, treatment centers for abusive parents, family
40child care homes, or in the child’s own home.
P16 1(ab) “Site supervisor” means a person who, regardless of his or
2her title, has operational program responsibility for an early
3learning and
educational support program at a single site. A site
4supervisor shall hold a permit or credential issued by the
5Commission on Teacher Credentialing that authorizes supervision
6of an early learning and educational support program operating in
7a single site. The Superintendent may waive the requirements of
8this subdivision if the Superintendent determines that the existence
9of compelling need is appropriately documented.
10(ac) “Standard reimbursement rate” means that rate established
11by the Superintendent pursuant to Section 8265.
12(ad) “Startup costs” means those expenses an agency incurs in
13the process of opening a new or additional facility before the full
14enrollment of children.
15(ae) “California state preschool program services” means
16part-day and full-day educational programs and services designed
17to facilitate the
transition to kindergarten for low-income or
18otherwise disadvantaged three- and four-year-old children.
19(af) “Support services” means those services that, when
20combined with early learning and educational support services,
21help promote the healthy physical, mental, social, and emotional
22growth of children. Support services include, but are not limited
23to: protective services, parent training, provider and staff training,
24transportation, parent and child counseling, resource and referral
25services, and child placement counseling.
26(ag) “Teacher” means a person with the appropriate permit
27issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing who provides
28program supervision and instruction that includes supervision of
29a number of aides, volunteers, and groups of children.
30(ah) “Underserved area” means a county or subcounty
area,
31including, but not limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP
32Code areas, where the ratio of publicly subsidized early learning
33and educational support program services to the need for these
34services is low, as determined by the Superintendent.
35(ai) “Workday” means the time that the parent requires
36temporary care for a child for any of the following reasons:
37(1) To undertake training in preparation for a job.
38(2) To undertake or retain a job.
39(3) To undertake other activities that are essential to maintaining
40or improving the social and economic function of the family, are
P17 1beneficial to the community, or are required because of health
2problems in the family.
3(aj) “Three-year-old children” means children who will have
4their third birthday on or before the date specified of the fiscal
5year in which they are enrolled in a California state preschool
6program, as follows:
7(1) November 1 of the 2012-13 fiscal year.
8(2) October 1 of the 2013-14 fiscal year.
9(3) September 1 of the 2014-15 fiscal year and each fiscal year
10thereafter.
11(ak) “Four-year-old children” means children who will have
12their fourth birthday on or before the date specified of the fiscal
13year in which they are enrolled in a California state preschool
14program, as follows:
15(1) November 1 of the 2012-13 fiscal year.
16(2) October 1 of the 2013-14 fiscal year.
17(3) September 1 of the 2014-15 fiscal year and each fiscal year
18thereafter.
19(al) “Local educational agency” means a school district, a county
20office of education, a community college district, or a school
21district on behalf of one or more schools within the school district.
Section 8208.1 of the
Education Code is amended to
24read:
Care exempt from licensure is a valid parental choice
26of care for all programs provided for under this part, and no
27provision of this part shall be construed to exclude or discourage
28the exercise of that choice.
Section 8208.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
31read:
Notwithstanding any other law, early learning and
33educational support programs, as defined in Section 8208, shall
34include, but not be limited to, respite child care.
Section 8209 of the Education
Code is amended to
37read:
(a) If a state of emergency is declared by the Governor,
39the Superintendent may waive any requirements of this code or
40regulations adopted pursuant to this code relating to early learning
P18 1and educational support programs operated pursuant to this chapter
2only to the extent that enforcement of the regulations or
3requirements would directly impede disaster relief and recovery
4efforts or would disrupt the current level of service in early learning
5and educational support programs.
6(b) If a state of emergency is declared by the Governor, the
7Superintendent maybegin delete waive,end deletebegin insert
waiveend insert any requirements of this code
8or regulations adopted pursuant to this code relating to child
9nutrition programs in early learning and educational support
10programs operated pursuant to this chapter only to the extent that
11enforcement of the regulations or requirements would directly
12impede disaster relief and recovery efforts or would disrupt the
13current level of service in early learning and educational support
14programs.
15(c) A waiver granted pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) shall not
16exceed 45 calendar days.
17(d) For purposes of this section, “state of emergency” includes
18fire, flood, earthquake, or a period of civil unrest.
19(e) If a request for a waiver pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b)
20is for an early learning and educational support program or child
21nutrition program
that receives federal funds and the waiver may
22be inconsistent with the state plan or any federal law or regulations
23governing the program, the Superintendent shall seek and obtain
24approval of the waiver from the appropriate federal agency before
25granting the waiver.
Section 8210 of the Education
Code is amended to
28read:
Funds appropriated for the purpose of this chapter may
30be used for resource and referral programs that may be operated
31by public or private nonprofit entities.
Section 8211 of the Education
Code is amended to
34read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that one hundred eighty
36thousand dollars ($180,000) be appropriated each fiscal year for
37allocation to resource and referral agencies operated by local
38educational agencies for the purpose of the resources and referral
39program set forth in this article.
Section 8212 of the Education
Code is amended to
3read:
For purposes of this article, resource and referral
5programs, established to serve a defined geographic area, shall
6provide the following services:
7(a) Identification of the full range of existing services through
8information provided by all relevant public and private agencies
9in the areas of service, and the development of a resource file of
10those services that shall be maintained and updated at least
11quarterly. These services shall include, but not be limited to, early
12learning and educational support programs, family day care homes,
13public and private day care programs, full-time and part-time
14programs, and infant, toddler, preschool, and extended care
15programs.
16The resource file shall include, but not
be limited to, the
17following information:
18(1) Type of program.
19(2) Hours of service.
20(3) Ages of children served.
21(4) Fees and eligibility for services.
22(5) Significant program information.
23(b) (1) Establishment of a referral process that responds to
24parental need for information and that is provided with full
25recognition of the confidentiality rights of parents. Resource and
26referral programs shall make referrals to licensed child day care
27facilities. Referrals shall be made to unlicensed care facilities only
28if there is no requirement that the facility be licensed. The referral
29process shall afford
parents maximum access to all referral
30information. This access shall include, but is not limited to,
31telephone referrals to be made available for at least 30 hours per
32week as part of a full week of operation. Every effort shall be made
33to reach all parents within the defined geographic area, including,
34but not limited to, any of the following:
35(A) Toll-free telephone lines.
36(B) Office space convenient to parents and providers.
37(C) Referrals in languages which are spoken in the community.
38Each resource and referral program shall publicize its services
39through all available media sources, agencies, and other appropriate
40methods.
P20 1(2) (A) Provision of information to any person who requests a
2
referral of his or her right to view the licensing information of a
3licensed child day care facility required to be maintained at the
4facility pursuant to Section 1596.859 of the Health and Safety
5Code and to access any public files pertaining to the facility that
6are maintained by the State Department of Social Services
7Community Care Licensing Division.
8(B) A written or oral advisement in substantially the following
9form will comply with the requirements of subparagraph (A):
10“State law requires licensed child day care facilities to make
11accessible to the public a copy of any licensing report pertaining
12to the facility that documents a facility visit or a substantiated
13complaint investigation. In addition, a more complete file regarding
14a child care licensee may be available at an office of the State
15Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing
16Division. You have the right to access any
public information in
17these files.”
18(c) Maintenance of ongoing documentation of requests for
19service tabulated through the internal referral process. The
20following documentation of requests for service shall be maintained
21by all resource and referral programs:
22(1) Number of calls and contacts to the care information and
23referral program or component.
24(2) Ages of children served.
25(3) Time category of care request for each child.
26(4) Special time category, such as nights, weekends, and swing
27shift.
28(5) Reason that the care is needed.
29This information shall be maintained in a manner
that is easily
30accessible for dissemination purposes.
31(d) Provision of technical assistance to existing and potential
32providers of all types of care services. This assistance shall include,
33but not be limited to:
34(1) Information on all aspects of initiating new care services
35including, but not limited to, licensing, zoning, program and budget
36development, and assistance in finding this information from other
37sources.
38(2) Information and resources that help existing providers to
39maximize their ability to serve the children and parents of their
40community.
P21 1(3) Dissemination of information on current public issues
2affecting the local and state delivery of services.
3(4) Facilitation of
communication between existing child care
4and child-related services providers in the community served.
5Services prescribed by this section shall be provided in order to
6maximize parental choice in the selection of care to facilitate the
7maintenance and development of care services and resources.
8(e) (1) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
9two business days of receiving notice, remove a licensed child day
10care facility with a revocation or a temporary suspension order, or
11that is on probation from the program’s referral list.
12(2) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
13two business days of receiving notice, notify all entities, operating
14a program under Article 3 (commencing with Section 8220) and
15Article 15.5 (commencing with Section 8350) in the program’s
16jurisdiction, of a
licensed child day care facility with a revocation
17or a temporary suspension order, or that is on probation.
Section 8212.3 of the
Education Code is amended to
20read:
(a) In addition to the services described in Section
228212, a resource and referral program, established to serve a
23defined geographic area, may provide short-term respite child care.
24“Short-term respite care,” for purposes of this article, means
25temporary child care services to do any of the following:
26(1) Provide services to families identified and referred by child
27protective agencies.
28(2) Relieve the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, or
29exploitation, or the risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
30(3) Assist parents who, because of serious illness or injury,
31homelessness, or family crisis,
including temporary absence from
32the home because of illness or injury, would be unable without
33assistance to provide the normal care and nurture expected of
34parents.
35(4) Provide temporary relief to parents from the care of children
36with exceptional needs.
37(b) Pursuant to the delivery of short-term respite child care
38services, priority shall be given for the provision of services to
39families identified and referred by child protective agencies, to
40relieve the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, or exploitation,
P22 1or the risks thereof, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
2subdivision (a). Priority shall be given to assist parents and to
3provide temporary relief to parents, as described in paragraphs (3)
4and (4) of subdivision (a) to the extent that resources are available.
Section 8213 of the Education
Code is amended to
7read:
All resource and referral services shall be provided in a
9manner that is responsive to the diverse cultural, linguistic, and
10economic needs of a defined geographic area of service.
Section 8214 of the Education
Code is amended to
13read:
(a) Resource and referral services shall be provided to
15all persons requesting services and to all types of eligible providers,
16regardless of income level or other eligibility criteria. In addition
17to the services prescribed by this section, resource and referral
18may provide a wide variety of parent and provider support and
19educational services.
20(b) Information shall be provided to parents in the county of
21service at the time the family is determined eligible for services,
22and at recertification, by one of the following:
23(1) An alternative payment program.
24(2) A resource and referral program.
25(3) A partnership between the alternative payment program and
26the resource and referral program.
27(c) The information provided by the program or partnership
28shall be to assist parents in making informed choices about
29available types of care that would both offer a safe, caring, and
30age-appropriate early learning and educational support environment
31for children, as well as support the parents’ work activities,
32including, but not limited to, information about high-quality early
33learning and educational support options and resources specified
34in this subdivision. The program or partnership maybegin delete utilize
35resources from a certified list posted on the department’s Internet
36Web site pursuant
to subdivision (b) of Section 8203, or mayend delete
37 develop local resources that shall include, but are not limited to,
38the following:
39(1) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
40needs of the parent and child.
P23 1(2) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
2centers and family homes.
3(3) Trustline requirements for homes and providers exempt from
4licensure.
5(4) A range of possible early learning and educational support
6options from which a parent may choose.
7(5) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
8requirements.
9(6) Quality indicators, including provider or educator training,
10
accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
11environments that support the healthy development of children,
12parent involvement, and communication between the parent and
13provider.
14(7) Information on quality rating and improvement systems,
15where available.
16(d) The program or partnership shall also provide parenting
17information to parents.
Section 8215 of the Education
Code is amended to
20read:
(a) There is hereby established a project known as the
22California Child Care Initiative Project. It is the intent of the
23Legislature to promote and foster the project in cooperation with
24private corporations and local governments. The objective of the
25project is to increase the availability of quality programs in the
26state.
27(b) For purposes of this section, the California Child Care
28Initiative Project means a project to expand the role and functions
29of selected resource and referral agencies in activities including
30needs assessment, recruitment and screening of providers, technical
31assistance, and staff development and training, in order to aid
32communities in increasing their capability in the number of spaces
33available and
the quality of services offered.
34(c) The Superintendent shall allocate all state funds appropriated
35for the California Child Care Initiative Project for the purpose of
36making grants to those resource and referral agencies that have
37been selected as pilot sites for the project.
38(d) The project shall ensure that each dollar of state funds
39allocated pursuant to subdivision (c) is matched by two dollars
P24 1($2) from other sources, including private corporations, the federal
2government, or local governments.
3(e) The grants to the sites made available by the project shall
4be comprised of a combination of state funds and other funds
5pursuant to subdivision (d).
6(f) The Superintendent shall develop a database for the project.
Section 8216 of the Education
Code is amended to
9read:
When making referrals, every agency operating a direct
11classroom services program or an alternative payment program
12and a resource and referral program shall provide at least four
13referrals, at least one of which shall be a provider over which the
14agency has no fiscal or operational control, as well as information
15to a family on the family’s ability to choose a license exempt
16provider.
Section 8220 of the Education
Code is amended to
19read:
Upon the approval of the department, funds appropriated
21for the purposes of this chapter may be used for alternative payment
22programs to allow for maximum parental choice. Various methods
23of reimbursement for parental costs for care may be utilized. All
24payment arrangements shall conform to the eligibility criteria and
25the parent fee schedule established pursuant to Sections 8263 and
268265.
27To provide for maximum parental choice, alternative payment
28programs may include the following:
29(a) A subsidy that follows the family from one provider to
30another within a given alternative payment program.
31(b) Choices, whenever possible, among hours of
service
32including before and after school, evenings, weekends, and split
33shifts.
34(c) Early learning and educational support services according
35to parental choice, including use of family day care homes, general
36center based programs, and other state-funded programs to the
37extent that those programs exist in the general service area and are
38in conformity with the purposes and applicable laws for which
39those programs were established, but excluding California state
40preschool program services.
Section 8220.1 of the
Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) The department shall contract with local contracting
5agencies for alternative payment programs so that services will be
6provided throughout the state. The department shall expand existing
7alternative payment programs and fund new alternative payment
8programs to the extent that funds are provided by the Legislature.
9(b) Funding for the new programs pursuant to this section shall
10be allocated to programs which meet all of the following
11requirements:
12(1) Applicants shall conform to the requirements of this article.
13(2) Applicants shall demonstrate that an alternative payment
14program is an
appropriate method of delivering services within
15the county or service area at the level requested in the application
16by doing either of the following:
17(A) Demonstrating the availability of sufficient licensed or
18license-exempt providers.
19(B) Providing a plan for the development of sufficient licensed
20providers working in cooperation with the local resource and
21referral agency.
22(3) Applicants shall demonstrate the administrative viability of
23the alternative payment agency and its capacity to meet
24performance requirements.
25(4) Existing alternative payment programs receiving funds for
26expansion into a new service area shall be funded at a documented
27rate appropriate to that community and may contract separately as
28appropriate.
29(c) On and after July 1, 2014, the Superintendent shall streamline
30the delivery of alternative payment programs through the
31simplification of contracts that serve special populations, including,
32but not limited to, migrant populations. Contractors shall continue
33to serve the same populations specified in their 2013-14 contracts,
34unless they receive prior approval from the department.
Section 8220.3 is added to the Education Code, to
37read:
Alternative payment contractors serving only migrant
39populations pursuant to a 2013-14 contract shall only enroll
40children of migrant agricultural worker families, as defined in
P26 1subdivision (a) of Section 8231, that move from place to place for
2the purpose of agricultural work.
Section 8220.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
5read:
(a) To offer maximum support for parents and
7providers, alternative payment programs shall have access to
8resource and referral services. Funding shall be adequate to
9purchase care at the same rate that a private client is charged for
10the same service as well as to provide locally designed support
11services for parents and providers.
12(b) Alternative payment programs shall provide professional
13and technical assistance and information to providers.
Section 8220.6 is added to the Education Code, to
16read:
(a) Information shall be provided to parents in the
18county of service at the time the family is determined eligible for
19services, and at recertification, by one of the following:
20(1) An alternative payment program.
21(2) A resource and referral program.
22(3) A partnership between the alternative payment program and
23the resource and referral program.
24(b) The information provided by the program or partnership
25shall be to assist parents in making informed choices about
26available types of care that would both offer a safe, caring, and
27age-appropriate early
learning and educational support environment
28for children, as well as support the parents’ work activities,
29including, but not limited to, information about high-quality early
30learning and educational support options and resources specified
31in this subdivision. The program or partnership maybegin delete utilize
32resources from a certified list posted on the department’s Internet
33Web site pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 8203, or mayend delete
34 develop local resources that shall include, but are not limited to,
35the following:
36(1) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
37needs of the parent and child.
38(2) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
39centers and family homes.
P27 1(3) Trustline requirements for homes and providers
exempt from
2licensure.
3(4) A range of possible early learning and educational support
4options from which a parent may choose.
5(5) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
6requirements.
7(6) Quality indicators, including provider or educator training,
8accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
9environments that support the healthy development of children,
10parent involvement, and communication between the parent and
11provider.
12(7) Information on quality rating and improvement systems,
13where available.
14(c) The program or partnership shall also provide parenting
15information to parents.
Section 8222 of the Education
Code is amended to
18read:
(a) Payments made by alternative payment programs
20shall not exceed the applicable market rate ceiling. Alternative
21payment programs may expend more than the standard
22reimbursement rate for a particular child. However, the aggregate
23payments for services purchased by the agency during the contract
24year shall not exceed the assigned reimbursable amount as
25established by the contract for the year.begin delete No agency mayend deletebegin insert An agency
26shall notend insert make payments in excess of the rate charged to full-cost
27families. This section does not preclude alternative payment
28programs from using the average daily enrollment adjustment
29
factor for children with exceptional needs as provided in Section
308265.5.
31(b) Alternative payment programs shall reimburse licensed
32providers in accordance with a biennial market rate survey pursuant
33to Section 8447, at a rate not to exceed the ceilings established
34pursuant to Section 8357.
35(c) An alternative payment program shall reimburse a licensed
36provider for care of a subsidized child based on the rate charged
37by the provider to nonsubsidized families, if any, for the same
38services, or the rates established by the provider for prospective
39nonsubsidized families. A licensed provider shall submit to the
40alternative payment program a copy of the provider’s rate sheet
P28 1listing the rates charged, and the provider’s discount or scholarship
2policies, if any, along with a statement signed by the provider
3confirming that the rates charged for a subsidized child are equal
4to or less
than the rates charged for a nonsubsidized child.
5(d) An alternative payment program shall maintain a copy of
6the rate sheet and the confirmation statement.
7(e) A licensed provider shall submit to the local resource and
8referral agency a copy of the provider’s rate sheet listing rates
9charged, and the provider’s discount or scholarship policies, if
10any, and shall self-certify that the information is correct.
11(f) Each licensed provider may alter rate levels for subsidized
12children once per year and shall provide the alternative payment
13program and resource and referral agency with the updated
14information pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (e), to reflect any
15changes.
16(g) A licensed provider shall post in a prominent location
17adjacent to the provider’s
license at the child care facility the
18provider’s rates and discounts or scholarship policies, if any.
19(h) An alternative payment program shall verify provider rates
20no less frequently than once a year by randomly selecting 10
21percent of licensed providers serving subsidized families. The
22purpose of this verification process is to confirm that rates reported
23to the alternative payment programs reasonably correspond to
24those reported to the resource and referral agency and the rates
25actually charged to nonsubsidized families for equivalent levels
26of services. It is the intent of the Legislature that the privacy of
27nonsubsidized families shall be protected in implementing this
28subdivision.
29(i) The department shall develop regulations for addressing
30discrepancies in the provider rate levels identified through the rate
31verification process in subdivision
(h).
Section 8223 of the Education
Code is amended to
34read:
The reimbursement for alternative payment programs
36shall include the cost of care paid to providers plus the
37administrative and support services costs of the alternative payment
38program. The total cost for administration and support services
39shall not exceed an amount equal to 17.5 percent of the total
P29 1contract amount. The administrative costs shall not exceed the
2costs allowable for administration under federal requirements.
Section 8225 of the Education
Code is amended to
5read:
When making referrals, every agency operating a direct
7classroom services program or a resource and referral program
8and an alternative payment program shall provide at least four
9referrals, at least one of which shall be a provider over which the
10agency has no fiscal or operational control, as well as information
11to a family on the family’s ability to choose a license exempt
12provider.
Section 8226 of the Education
Code is amended to
15read:
(a) When making referrals, every program operating
17pursuant to this article shall provide information to any person
18who requests a referral of his or her right to view the licensing
19information of a licensed child day care facility required to be
20maintained at the facility pursuant to Section 1596.859 of the
21Health and Safety Code and to access any public files pertaining
22to the facility that are maintained by the State Department of Social
23Services Community Care Licensing Division.
24(b) A written or oral advisement in substantially the following
25form will comply with the requirements of subdivision (a):
26“State law requires licensed child day care facilities to make
27accessible to the
public a copy of any licensing report pertaining
28to the facility that documents a facility visit or a substantiated
29complaint investigation. In addition, a more complete file regarding
30a child care licensee may be available at an office of the State
31Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing
32Division. You have the right to access any public information in
33these files.”
34(c) Every program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
35two days of receiving notice, remove from the program’s referral
36list the name of any licensed child day care facility with a
37revocation or a temporary suspension order or that is on probation.
38(d) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
39two business days of being notified of a revocation or a temporary
P30 1suspension order for a licensed child day care facility, do both of
2the following:
3(1) Terminate payment to the facility.
4(2) Notify each parent and the facility in writing that payment
5has been terminated and the reason for the termination.
6(e) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, upon being
7notified that a licensed child day care facility has been placed on
8probation, provide written notice to each parent utilizing the facility
9that the facility has been placed on probation and that the parent
10has the option of selecting a different provider or remaining with
11the facility without risk of subsidy payments to the provider being
12terminated. The Legislature urges each agency operating pursuant
13to this section to provide the written notice required by this
14subdivision in the primary language of the parent, to the extent
15feasible.
Section 8227 of the Education
Code is amended to
18read:
(a) To the extent that funding is made available for this
20purpose through the annual Budget Act, the alternative payment
21agency in each county shall design, maintain, and administer a
22system to consolidate local child care waiting lists so as to establish
23a countywide centralized eligibility list. In those counties with
24more than one alternative payment agency, the agency that also
25administers the resource and referral program shall have the
26responsibility of developing, maintaining, and administering the
27countywide centralized eligibility list. In those counties with more
28than one alternative payment agency and more than one resource
29and referral program, the department shall establish a process to
30select the agency to develop, maintain, and administer the
31countywide centralized
eligibility list.
32(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in those counties in which
33a countywide centralized eligibility list exists, as of the date that
34the act adding this section is enacted, the entity administering that
35list may receive funding, instead of the entity specified under
36subdivision (a).
37(c) Each centralized eligibility list shall include all of the
38following:
39(1) Family characteristics, including ZIP Code of residence,
40ZIP Code of employment, monthly income, and size.
P31 1(2) Child characteristics, including birth date and whether the
2child has special needs.
3(3) Service characteristics, including reason for need, whether
4full-time or part-time service is requested, and whether
after hours
5or weekend care is requested.
6(d) Information collected for the centralized eligibility list shall
7be reported to the Superintendent on an annual basis on the date
8and in the manner determined by the department.
9(e) (1) To be eligible to enter into an agreement with the
10department to provide subsidized care, a contractor shall participate
11in and use the centralized eligibility list.
12(2) A contractor with a campus child care and development
13program operating pursuant to Section 66060, a program operating
14on a seasonal basis providing services to a migrant population
15pursuant to Section 8230, or a program serving severely disabled
16children pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 8250 and who has
17a local site waiting list shall submit eligibility list information to
18the centralized
eligibility list administrator for any parent seeking
19subsidized services for whom these programs are not able to
20provide early learning and educational support services. A
21contractor or program described in this paragraph may utilize any
22waiting lists developed at its local site to fill vacancies for its
23specific population. Families enrolled from a local site waiting list
24shall be enrolled pursuant to Section 8263.
Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228) is added
27to Chapter 2 of Part 6 of
Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education
28Code, to read:
29
(a) The Superintendent shall administer early learning
33and educational support programs through direct classroom
34services, including, but not limited to, direct classroom programs
35pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230) and Article
367 (commencing with Section 8235), family child care home
37education networks pursuant to Article 8.5 (commencing with
38Section 8245), and services for children with special needs pursuant
39to Article 9 (commencing with Section 8250).
P32 1(b) Contractors providing direct classroom services pursuant to
2this article shall comply with the administrative requirements set
3forth in Article 10 (commencing with Section 8255).
The Superintendent, with funds appropriated for this
5purpose, shall administer programs through direct classroom
6services. These programs shall include, but not be limited to, all
7of the following:
8(a) Age and developmentally appropriate activities for children.
9(b) Supervision.
10(c) Parenting education and parent engagement.
11(d) Developmental and health services.
12(e) Nutrition.
13(f) Family support services that include, but are not limited to,
14
assessment of child and family needs and referral to appropriate
15human services organizations.
16(g) Training, professional development, and career advancement
17opportunities, documentation of which shall be provided to the
18department.
(a) Subdivision (b) shall apply to the award of funding
20for direct classroom services programs if upon appropriation by
21the Legislature moneys are made available for that purpose in any
22fiscal year.
23(b) (1) When funding is made available, priority for funding
24shall be given to programs operating classrooms located in the
25attendance area of elementary schools ranked in deciles 1 to 3,
26inclusive, of the Academic Performance Index pursuant to Section
2752056.
28(2) In an application for funds pursuant to this subdivision, an
29agency shall furnish the Superintendent with an estimate of the
30number and ages of children that it plans to serve in the following
31fiscal
year with those expansion funds. The agency also shall
32furnish documentation that indicates the basis of those estimates.
33(3) In awarding contracts for expansion, the Superintendent
34shall take into account the geographic criteria established pursuant
35to Section 8279.2, and the headquarters preferences and eligibility
36criteria relating to fiscal or programmatic noncompliance
37established pursuant to Section 8261.
38(c) This section does not prevent eligible children who are
39currently receiving services from continuing to receive those
40services 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
15populations 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
P34 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, migrantsbegin delete willend deletebegin insert shallend insert be recruited, trained,
23and hired 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.
38State-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.
P35 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.
P36 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
7enrolled, 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
P37 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.
P38 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
32California 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
P39 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 days.
13(b) Wraparound services provided pursuant to this section shall
14operate a minimum of 246 days per year unless the contract
15specified a lower minimum days of operation. Wraparound services
16may operate a full day for the remainder of the year after the
17completion of the part-day preschool program services. Services
18shall be provided in accordance with
Article 1 (commencing with
19Section 8200) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228).
20(c) Part-day preschool services combined with wraparound
21services shall be reimbursed at no more than the full-day standard
22reimbursement rate, with adjustment factors, pursuant to Section
238265 and as determined in the annual Budget Act.
24(d) Three- and four-year-old children are eligible for wraparound
25services to supplement the part-day preschool services if the family
26meets the eligibility criteria specified in paragraph (1) of
27subdivision (a) of Section 8263, and the parents meet at least one
28of the criteria specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of
29Section 8263.
30(e) Fees shall be assessed and collected for families with children
31in part-day preschool programs, or families receiving wraparound
32services, or both, pursuant
to subdivisions (g) and (h) of Section
338263.
34(f) For purposes of this section, “wraparound services” means
35additional funding beyond the part-day California state preschool
36program services provided pursuant to subdivision (a), to meet a
37family’s need for services while the parent participates in an
38approved work or work-related activity. These services shall be
39provided consistent with the early learning and educational support
P40 1programs provided pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section
28200) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228).
The heading of Article 8 (commencing with Section
58240) of Chapter 2 of Part 6
of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 6Education Code is amended to read:
7
Section 8240 of the Education
Code is amended to
12read:
(a) The Superintendent, with funds appropriated for this
14purpose, shall administer general child care and development
15programs.
16General child care and development programs shall include:
17(1) Age and developmentally appropriate activities for children.
18(2) Supervision.
19(3) Parenting education and parent involvement.
20(4) Social services that include, but are not limited to,
21identification of child and family needs and referral to appropriate
22agencies.
23(5) Health services.
24(6) Nutrition.
25(7) Training and career ladder opportunities, documentation of
26which shall be provided to the department.
27(b) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2014, and,
28as of January 1, 2015, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
29that is enacted before January 1, 2015, deletes or extends the dates
30on 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
34birth to 13 years of age, including, but not limited to, services for
35all of the following:
36(1) Infants and toddlers.
37(2) Preschool age children.
38(3) Schoolage children.
39(4) Migrant children.
P41 1(b) The Superintendent shall streamline the delivery of direct
2classroom programs through the simplification of contracts that
3serve children described in subdivision (a). This shall include, but
4is not limited to, services for both of the following
special
5populations:
6(1) Preschool age children.
7(2) Migrant children.
8(c) (1) Contractors shall continue to serve the same populations
9specified in their 2013-14 contracts, unless they receive prior
10approval from the department.
11(2) Contractors that provide services to migrant populations
12shall comply with Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230).
13(3) Contractors that provide services to California state preschool
14program populations shall comply with Article 7 (commencing
15with Section 8235).
16(d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2014.
Section 8244 of the Education
Code is amended to
19read:
(a) (1) Any entity operating programs funded pursuant
21to this chapter that provide direct classroom services to children
22at two or more sites, including through more than one contract or
23subcontract funded pursuant to this chapter, shall employ a program
24director.
25(2) Programs providing direct services to children, for the
26purposes of this section, are direct classroom services programs
27pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228), migrant
28services pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230),
29California state preschool programs pursuant to Article 7
30(commencing with Section 8235), direct classroom services for
31children with special needs programs pursuant to Article 9
32(commencing with
Section 8250), infant care and development
33services programs pursuant to Article 17 (commencing with Section
348390), and any of these programs operated through family child
35care homes.
36(b) (1) For purposes of this section, the following definitions
37shall apply:
38(A) “Administrative responsibility” means awareness of the
39financial and business circumstances of the program, and, in
40appropriate cases, supervision of administrative and support
P42 1personnel and the knowledge and authority to direct or modify
2administrative practices and procedures to ensure compliance to
3administrative and financial standards imposed by law.
4(B) “Program director” means a person who, regardless of his
5or her title, has programmatic and administrative responsibility
6for an early learning and educational support program
that provides
7direct services to children at two or more sites.
8(C) “Programmatic responsibility” means overall supervision
9of curriculum and instructional staff, including instructional aides,
10and the knowledge and authority to direct or modify program
11practices and procedures to ensure compliance to applicable quality
12and health and safety standards imposed by law.
13(2) Administrative and programmatic responsibility also includes
14the responsibility to act as the representative for the early learning
15and educational support program to the department. With respect
16to programs operated through family child care homes,
17administrative and programmatic responsibility includes ensuring
18that quality services are provided in the family child care homes.
19(c) The program director also may serve as the site supervisor
20at one of
the sites, provided that he or she both fulfills the duties
21of a day care center director, as set forth in Section 101215.1 of
22Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, and meets the
23qualifications for a site supervisor as set forth in subdivision (ab)
24of Section 8208.
25(d) The Superintendent may waive the qualifications for program
26director described in Sections 8360.1 and 8360.3 upon a finding
27of one of the following circumstances:
28(1) The applicant is making satisfactory progress toward
29securing a permit issued by the Commission on Teacher
30Credentialing authorizing supervision ofbegin delete aend deletebegin insert anend insert early learning and
31educational support program operating in two or more sites or
32fulfilling the
qualifications for program directors in programs
33serving severely disabled children, as specified in Section 8360.3.
34(2) The place of employment is so remote from institutions
35offering the necessary coursework as to make continuing education
36impracticable and the contractor has made a diligent search but
37has been unable to hire a more qualified applicant.
38(e) The Superintendent, upon good cause, may by rule identify
39and apply grounds in addition to those specified in subdivision (d)
40for granting a waiver of the qualifications for program director.
The heading of Article 9 (commencing with Section
38250) of Chapter 2 of Part 6
of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 4Education Code is amended to read:
5
Section 8250 of the Education
Code is amended to
10read:
(a) The Superintendent shall ensure that eligible children
12with exceptional needs are given equal access to all early learning
13and educational support programs. Available federal and state
14funds for children with exceptional needs above the standard
15reimbursement amount shall be used to assist agencies in
16developing and supporting appropriate programs for these children.
17(b) To provide children with exceptional needs with additional
18access to early learning and educational support programs, the
19Superintendent shall establish alternate appropriate placements,
20such as self-contained programs and innovative programs using
21the least restrictive environment. These programs shall be started
22as expansion funds become available and
shall be expanded
23throughout the implementation of the plan. The Superintendent
24shall utilize existing program models and input from program
25specialists to develop new program criteria and guidelines for
26programs serving children with exceptional needs. These programs
27may serve children with exceptional needs up to 21 years of age.
28(c) Any child with exceptional needs served in early learning
29and educational support programs shall be afforded all rights and
30protections guaranteed in state and federal laws and regulations
31for individuals with exceptional needs.
32(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the
33Superintendent may develop unique reimbursement rates for, and
34make reimbursements to, early learning and educational support
35programs that received state funding for the 1980-81 fiscal year
36and serve severely disabled children, as defined in subdivision (z)
37of
Section 8208, when all of the following conditions exist:
38(1) Eligibility for enrollment of a severely disabled child in the
39program is the sole basis of the child’s need for service.
P44 1(2) Services are provided to severely disabled children from
2birth to 21 years of age.
3(3) No fees are charged to the parents of the severely disabled
4children receiving the services.
5(e) The Superintendent shall include providers in all personnel
6development for persons providing services for children with
7exceptional needs.
Section 8250.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
10read:
A contractor providing services pursuant to a direct
12classroom services contract, a migrant services contract, or an
13alternative payment child care contract is subject to the
14requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (42
15U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.).
Section 8251 of the Education
Code is amended to
18read:
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insertAll direct classroom services programs shall include
20plans or programs, or both, for the care of the children when they
21are sick. These plans shall be age appropriate and parents shall be
22included in the planning and evaluation. The Superintendent shall
23disseminate information regarding effective sick child care models
24to all early learning and educational support programs.
25Nothing
end delete
26begin insert(b)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertNothingend insert in this chapter shall be construed to allow the
27practice of medicine without a license.
Section 8252 of the Education
Code is amended to
30read:
(a) The department and the local county welfare
32department shall enter into contracts that establish the procedures
33for serving and referring a child in need of care as part of the
34provision of protective services pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing
35with Section 16500) of Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
36Institutions Code. The department, in consultation with the State
37Department of Social Services, may contract with another
38appropriate community agency that provides services or referrals,
39or both, for the prevention or intervention of child abuse or neglect
P45 1if no such contract for child care services exists between the
2department and the county welfare department.
3(b) The contracts shall specify the resource and referral
program
4or operating agency or agencies providing early learning and
5educational support pursuant to this chapter in the county that the
6local contracting agency shall contact to secure care for a child
7needing protective services. If an operating agency is unable to
8enroll the child, the local contracting agency described in
9subdivision (a) with the assistance of the providers of local
10resources and referral services shall locate services for the family.
11Payments for these located services in the absence of other funds
12shall be made by the local contracting agency.
13(c) The need for services funded pursuant to this section shall
14be reviewed by the local contracting agency no less than every
15three months.
Section 8255 of the Education
Code is amended to
18read:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the
20effectiveness of early learning and educational support programs
21can be increased through improved state administration, technical
22assistance to provider agencies, and monitoring.
23(b) It is the intent of the Legislature:
24(1) That the department develop clear, consistent, and
25appropriate regulations for early learning and educational support
26programs to replace policy guidelines that are not subject to the
27public hearing process, often inconsistent, and without the force
28of law.
29(2) That the department make better use of staff with direct field
30
experience in early learning and educational support programs.
31(3) That better criteria be developed for the awarding,
32evaluating, and renewal of early learning and educational support
33contracts.
34(4) That improvements be made in the method of reimbursing
35providers.
36(5) That increased effort be made to provide program operators
37with technical assistance in meeting their contractual obligations.
Section 8257 of the Education
Code is amended to
40read:
The department shall do all of the following in
2administering this chapter:
3(a) Apply sanctions against contracting agencies that have
4serious licensing violations, as defined and reported by the State
5Department of Social Services pursuant to Section 1544 of the
6Health and Safety Code.
7(b) Provide 90 days’ written notification to any contractor whose
8agreement is being terminated, except if there is imminent danger
9to the health and welfare of children if agency operation is not
10terminated more promptly. Notwithstanding Article 18
11(commencing with Section 8400), the department shall establish
12procedures for placing a contractor whose agreement is being
13terminated into receivership.
Action to initiate receivership shall
14be at the discretion of the department, and may be taken against a
15contractor whose agreement is being terminated either immediately
16or within 90 days. The receiver shall not be a department employee.
17The receiver shall have sufficient experience in the administration
18of early learning and educational support programs to ensure
19compliance with the terms of the receivership.
Section 8258 of the Education
Code is amended to
22read:
(a) begin deleteNo end deletebegin insertA end insertperson employed by the department in a
24policymaking position in the area of early learning and educational
25support programs shallbegin insert notend insert serve as a member of the board of
26directors, advisory council, or advisory committee for any agency
27receiving funds pursuant to this chapter.
28(b) begin deleteNo end deletebegin insertA
end insertretired, dismissed, separated, or formerly employed
29person of the department employed under the State Civil Service
30begin insert Act end insert or otherwise appointed to serve in the departmentbegin delete mayend deletebegin insert shall
31notend insert enter into a contract pursuant to Section 8262 in which he or
32she engaged in any of the negotiations, transactions, planning,
33arrangements, or any part of the decisionmaking process relevant
34to the contract while employed in any capacity by the department.
35The prohibition contained in this subdivision shall apply to the
36person only during the two-year period beginning on the date the
37person left state employment.
38(c) For a period of 12 months
following the date of his or her
39retirement, dismissal, or separation from state service,begin delete noend deletebegin insert aend insert person
40employed underbegin delete State Civil Serviceend deletebegin insert state civil serviceend insert or otherwise
P47 1appointed to serve in the departmentbegin delete mayend deletebegin insert shall notend insert enter into a
2contract pursuant to Section 8262 if he or she was employed by
3the department in a policymaking position in the area of early
4learning and educational support programs within the 12-month
5period before his or her
retirement, dismissal, or separation.
6(d) For a period of 12 months following the date of his or her
7retirement, dismissal, or separation from state service, no person
8employed underbegin delete State Civil Serviceend deletebegin insert state civil serviceend insert or otherwise
9appointed to serve in the department may be employed by a
10contractor pursuant to Section 8262 if he or she engaged in any of
11the negotiations, transactions, planning, arrangements, or any part
12of the decisionmaking process relevant to the contract while
13employed in any capacity by the department.
Section 8261 of the Education
Code is amended to
16read:
(a) The Superintendent shall adopt rules and regulations
18pursuant to this chapter. The rules and regulations shall include,
19but not be limited to, provisions which do all of the following:
20(1) Provide clear guidelines for the selection of agencies when
21early learning and educational support contracts are let.
22(2) Provide for a contract monitoring system to ensure that
23agencies expend funds received pursuant to this chapter in
24accordance with the provisions of their contracts.
25(3) Specify adequate standards of agency performance.
26(4) Establish reporting requirements for service reports,
27including provisions for varying the frequency with which these
28reports are to be submitted on the basis of agency performance.
29(5) Specify standards for withholding payments to agencies that
30fail to submit required fiscal reports.
31(6) Set forth standards for department site visits to contracting
32agencies, including, but not limited to, specification as to the
33purpose of the visits, the personnel that will perform these visits,
34and the frequency of these visits that shall be as frequently as staff
35and budget resources permit. By September 1 of each year, the
36department shall report to the Senate Education, Senate Health
37and Human Services, Assembly Education, and Assembly Human
38Services Committees on the number of visits conducted during
39the previous fiscal year pursuant to this paragraph.
P48 1(b) The Superintendent shall consult with the State Department
2of Social Services with respect to rules and regulations adopted
3relative to the disbursal of federal funds under Title XX of the
4federal Social Security Act.
5(c) For purposes of expediting the implementation of state or
6federal legislation to expand child care services, the Superintendent
7may waive (1) the regulations regarding the point qualifications
8for, and the process and scoring of, interviews of contract
9applicants pursuant to Section 18002 of Title 5 of the California
10Code of Regulations, or (2) the time limitations for scheduling and
11notification of appeal hearings and their results pursuant to Section
1218003 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. The
13Superintendent shall ensure that the appeal hearings provided for
14in Section 18003 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations
15are conducted in a
timely manner.
16(d) (1) Early learning and educational support programs
17operated under contract from funds made available pursuant to the
18federal Child Care and Development Fund, shall be administered
19according to Division 19 (commencing with Section 17906) of
20Chapter 1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, unless
21provisions of these regulations conflict with federal regulations.
22If state and federal regulations conflict, the federal regulations
23shall apply unless a waiver of federal regulations is authorized.
24(2) For purposes of this section, “Child Care and Development
25Fund” has the same meaning as in Section 98.2 of Title 45 of the
26Code of Federal Regulations.
Section 8261.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
29read:
For purposes of meeting state and federal reporting
31requirements and for the effective administration of early learning
32and educational support programs, the Superintendent is authorized
33to require the collection and submission of social security numbers
34of heads of households, and other information as required, from
35public and private agencies contracting with the department
36pursuant to this chapter, including local educational agencies.
Section 8262 of the Education
Code is amended to
39read:
Notwithstanding Sections 14616 and 14780 of the
2Government Code, the Superintendent may enter into and execute
3local contractual agreements with any public or private entity or
4agency for the delivery of early learning and educational support
5services or the furnishing of property, facilities, personnel, supplies,
6equipment, and administrative services related to the delivery of
7early learning and educational support services. Before entering
8into or executing a local agreement, the department shall obtain
9annual approval from the Department of General Services and the
10Department of Finance as to the form and general content thereof.
11The agreements may only be made for the delivery of early learning
12and educational support services, or the furnishing of property,
13facilities, personnel, supplies, equipment, or
administrative services
14related thereto, which conform with the provisions of this chapter.
Section 8263 of the Education
Code is amended to
17read:
(a) The Superintendent shall adopt rules and regulations
19on eligibility, enrollment, and priority of services needed to
20implement this chapter. In order to be eligible for federal and state
21subsidized early learning and educational support services, families
22shall meet at least one requirement in each of the following areas:
23(1) A family is (A) a current aid recipient, (B) income eligible,
24(C) homeless, or (D) one whose children are recipients of protective
25services, or whose children have been identified as being abused,
26neglected, or exploited, or at risk of being abused, neglected, or
27exploited.
28(2) A family needs the child care services (A) because the child
29is identified by a legal, medical, or
social services agency, or
30emergency shelter as (i) a recipient of protective services or (ii)
31being neglected, abused, or exploited, or at risk of neglect, abuse,
32or exploitation, or (B) because the parents are (i) engaged in
33vocational training leading directly to a recognized trade,
34paraprofession, or profession, (ii) employed or seeking
35employment, (iii) seeking permanent housing for family stability,
36or (iv) incapacitated.
37(b) Except as provided in Article 15.5 (commencing with Section
388350), priority for federal and state subsidized early learning and
39educational support services is as follows:
P50 1(1) (A) First priority shall be given to neglected or abused
2children who are recipients of child protective services, or children
3who are at risk of being neglected or abused, upon written referral
4from a legal, medical, or social services agency. If an agency
is
5unable to enroll a child in the first priority category, the agency
6shall refer the family to local resource and referral services to
7locate services for the child.
8(B) A family who is receiving child care on the basis of being
9a child at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, as defined in
10subdivision (i) of Section 8208, is eligible to receive services
11pursuant to subparagraph (A) for up to three months, unless the
12family becomes eligible pursuant to subparagraph (C).
13(C) A family may receive child care services for up to 12 months
14on the basis of a certification by the county child welfare agency
15that child care services continue to be necessary or, if the child is
16receiving child protective services during that period of time, and
17the family requires child care and remains otherwise eligible. This
18time limit does not apply if the family’s referral is recertified by
19the
county child welfare agency.
20(2) Second priority shall be given equally to eligible families,
21regardless of the number of parents in the home, who are income
22eligible. Within this priority, families with the lowest gross monthly
23income in relation to family size, as determined by a schedule
24adopted by the Superintendent, shall be admitted first. If two or
25more families are in the same priority in relation to income, the
26family that has a child with exceptional needs shall be admitted
27first. If there is no family of the same priority with a child with
28exceptional needs, the same priority family that has been on the
29waiting list for the longest time shall be admitted first. For purposes
30of determining order of admission, the grants of public assistance
31recipients shall be counted as income.
32(3) The Superintendent shall set criteria for and may grant
33specific waivers of the
priorities established in this subdivision for
34agencies that wish to serve specific populations, including children
35with exceptional needs or children of prisoners. These new waivers
36shall not include proposals to avoid appropriate fee schedules or
37admit ineligible families, but may include proposals to accept
38members of special populations in other than strict income order,
39as long as appropriate fees are paid.
P51 1(c) Notwithstanding any other law, in order to promote
2continuity of services, a family enrolled in a state or federally
3funded child care and development program whose services would
4otherwise be terminated because the family no longer meets the
5program income, eligibility, or need criteria may continue to
6receive child development services in another state or federally
7funded child care and development program if the contractor is
8able to transfer the family’s enrollment to another program for
9which the family is eligible before the
date of termination of
10services or to exchange the family’s existing enrollment with the
11enrollment of a family in another program, provided that both
12families satisfy the eligibility requirements for the program in
13which they are being enrolled. The transfer of enrollment may be
14to another program within the same administrative agency or to
15another agency that administers state or federally funded child
16care and development programs.
17(d) In order to promote continuity of services, the Superintendent
18may extend the 60-working-day period specified in subdivision
19(a) of Section 18086.5 of Title 5 of the California Code of
20Regulations for an additional 60 working days if he or she
21determines that opportunities for employment have diminished to
22the degree that one or both parents cannot reasonably be expected
23to find employment within 60 working days and granting the
24extension is in the public interest. The scope of extensions granted
25pursuant to
this subdivision shall be limited to the necessary
26geographic areas and affected persons, which shall be described
27in the Superintendent’s order granting the extension. It is the intent
28of the Legislature that extensions granted pursuant to this
29subdivision improve services in areas with high unemployment
30rates and areas with disproportionately high numbers of seasonal
31agricultural jobs.
32(e) A physical examination and evaluation, including
33age-appropriate immunization, shall be required before, or within
34six weeks of, enrollment. A standard, rule, or regulation shall not
35require medical examination or immunization for admission to an
36early learning and educational support program of a child whose
37parent or guardian files a letter with the governing board of the
38program stating that the medical examination or immunization is
39contrary to his or her religious beliefs, or provide for the exclusion
40of a child from the program because of a parent or
guardian having
P52 1filed the letter. However, if there is good cause to believe that a
2child is suffering from a recognized contagious or infectious
3disease, the child shall be temporarily excluded from the program
4until the governing board of the program is satisfied that the child
5is not suffering from that contagious or infectious disease.
6(f) Regulations formulated and promulgated pursuant to this
7section shall include the recommendations of the State Department
8of Health Care Services relative to health care screening and the
9provision of health care services. The Superintendent shall seek
10the advice and assistance of these health authorities in situations
11where service under this chapter includes or requires care of
12children who are ill or children with exceptional needs.
13(g) (1) The Superintendent shall establish a fee schedule for
14families utilizing
early learning and educational support services
15pursuant to this chapter, including families receiving services under
16paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). Families receiving services under
17subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) may be
18exempt from these fees for up to three months. Families receiving
19services under subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision
20(b) may be exempt from these fees for up to 12 months. The
21cumulative period of time of exemption from these fees for families
22receiving services under paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) shall not
23exceed 12 months.
24(2) The income of a recipient of federal supplemental security
25income benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security
26Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) and state supplemental program
27benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act
28(42 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) and Chapter 3 (commencing with
29Section 12000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the
Welfare and
30Institutions Code shall not be included as income for purposes of
31determining the amount of the family fee.
32(h) (1) The family fee schedule shall provide, among other
33things, that a contractor or provider may require parents to provide
34diapers. A contractor or provider offering field trips either may
35include the cost of the field trips within the service rate charged
36to the parent or may charge parents an additional fee. Federal or
37state money shall not be used to reimburse parents for the costs of
38field trips if those costs are charged as an additional fee. A
39contractor or provider that charges parents an additional fee for
P53 1field trips shall inform parents, before enrolling the child, that a
2fee may be charged and that no reimbursement will be available.
3(2) A contractor or provider may charge parents for field trips
4or require parents to provide
diapers only under the following
5circumstances:
6(A) The provider has a written policy that is adopted by the
7agency’s governing board that includes parents in the
8decisionmaking process regarding both of the following:
9(i) Whether or not, and how much, to charge for field trip
10expenses.
11(ii) Whether or not to require parents to provide diapers.
12(B) The maximum total of charges per child in a contract year
13does not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25).
14(C) A child shall not be denied participation in a field trip due
15to the parent’s inability or refusal to pay the charge. Adverse action
16shall not be taken against a parent for that inability or refusal.
17(3) Each contractor or provider shall establish a payment system
18that prevents the identification of children based on whether or
19not their parents have paid a field trip charge.
20(4) Expenses incurred and income received for field trips
21pursuant to this section shall be reported to the department. The
22income received for field trips shall be reported specifically as
23restricted income.
24(i) The Superintendent shall establish guidelines for the
25collection of employer-sponsored child care benefit payments from
26a parent whose child receives subsidized early learning and
27educational support services. These guidelines shall provide for
28the collection of the full amount of the benefit payment, but not
29to exceed the actual cost of early learning and educational support
30services provided, notwithstanding the applicable fee based on
the
31fee schedule.
32(j) The Superintendent shall establish guidelines according to
33which the director or a duly authorized representative of the early
34learning and educational support program will certify children as
35eligible for state reimbursement pursuant to this section.
36(k) Public funds shall not be paid directly or indirectly to an
37agency that does not pay at least the minimum wage to each of its
38employees.
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
16underserved 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
P56 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 eligiblebegin delete 11 or 12 year oldend deletebegin insert
11- or 12-year-old childend insert
9 with the option of combining care provided in a before or after
10school program with subsidized care in another setting, for those
11hours within a day when the before or after school program does
12not operate, in order to meet the needs of 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 anbegin delete 11 or 12 year oldend deletebegin insert 11- or 12-year-oldend insert child who is
38enrolled in a subsidized early learning and educational support
39program becomes ineligible for subsidized care under subdivision
40(b) and is disenrolled from the before or after school program, or
P57 1if the before or after school program no longer meets the needs of
2the family, the child shall be given priority to return to the
3subsidized early learning and educational support services upon
4the parent’s notification of the contractor of the need for child care.
5(f) This section does not apply to anbegin delete 11 or 12 year oldend deletebegin insert
11- or
612-year-oldend insert child with a disability, including a child with
7exceptional needs who has an individualized education program
8as required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
9Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.), Section 504 of the federal
10Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794), or Part 30
11(commencing with Section 56000) of Division 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
21savings 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 Healthbegin insert Careend insert Services shall provide a mechanism
27for the delivery of health screening and followup services for
28children enrolled in early learning and educational support
29programs for whom there are no appropriate health services
30accessible by referral.
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
P58 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 tobegin delete adult/childend delete
27begin insert adult-to-child end insert ratios prescribed in Chapter 7 (commencing with
28Section 86001) of Division 6 of Title 22 of the California Code of
29Regulations.
30(e) Approval by the Superintendent of any ongoing or new
31programs seeking to operate under the ratios and standards
32established by the Superintendent under this chapter shall be based
33upon the following considerations:
34(1) The type of facility in which care is being or is to be
35provided.
36(2) The ability of the Superintendent to implement a funding
37source change.
38(3) The proportion of
nonsubsidized children enrolled or to be
39enrolled by the agency.
P59 1(4) The most cost-effective ratios possible for the type of
2services provided or to be provided by the agency.
3(f) The Superintendent shall apply for waivers of federal
4requirements 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
9read:
(a) Early learning and educational support programs
11shall maintain at least the following minimum ratios in all direct
12classroom services except for family child care home education
13networks operating pursuant to Article 8.5 (commencing with
14Section 8245):
15(1) Infants, birth to 18 months old--1:3 adult-to-child ratio,
161:18 teacher-to-child ratio.
17(2) Toddlers, 18 months up to their third birthday--1:4
18adult-to-child ratio, 1:16 teacher-to-child ratio.
19(3) Preschool, at least 30 months to kindergarten eligibility--1:8
20adult-to-child ratio, 1:24 teacher-to-child ratio.
21(4) Schoolage, enrolled in kindergarten to their 13th
22birthday--1:14 adult-to-child ratio, 1:28 teacher-to-child ratio.
23(b) Compliance with the ratios established by subdivision (a)
24shall be determined based on actual attendance.
Section 8265 of the Education
Code is amended to
27read:
(a) The Superintendent shall implement a plan that
29establishes reasonable standards and assigned reimbursement rates,
30which vary with the length of the program year and the hours of
31service.
32(1) Parent fees shall be used to pay reasonable and necessary
33costs for providing additional services.
34(2) When establishing standards and assigned reimbursement
35rates, the Superintendent shall confer with applicant agencies.
36(3) The reimbursement system, including standards and rates,
37shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
38(4) The Superintendent may establish any regulations he or she
39deems advisable concerning conditions of service and hours of
40enrollment for children in the programs.
P60 1(b) The standard reimbursement rate shall be three thousand
2five hundred twenty-three dollars ($3,523) per unit of average
3daily enrollment for a 250-day year, increased by the cost-of-living
4adjustment granted by the Legislature beginning July 1, 1980.
5(c) The plan shall require agencies having an assigned
6reimbursement rate above the current year standard reimbursement
7rate to reduce costs on an incremental basis to achieve the standard
8reimbursement rate.
9(d) The plan shall provide for adjusting reimbursement on a
10case-by-case basis, in order to maintain service levels for agencies
11currently at a rate less than the standard reimbursement
rate.
12Assigned reimbursement rates shall be increased only on the basis
13of one or more of the following:
14(1) Loss of program resources from other sources.
15(2) Need of an agency to pay the same rates as those prevailing
16in the local community.
17(3) Increased costs directly attributable to new or different
18regulations.
19(4) Documented increased costs necessary to maintain the prior
20year’s level of service and ensure the continuation of threatened
21programs. Agencies funded at the lowest rates shall be given first
22priority for increases.
23(e) The plan shall provide for expansion of early learning and
24educational support programs at no more than the standard
25reimbursement rate for that fiscal
year.
26(f) The Superintendent may reduce the percentage of reduction
27for a public agency that satisfies any of the following:
28(1) Serves more than 400 children.
29(2) Has in effect a collective bargaining agreement.
30(3) Has other extenuating circumstances that apply, as
31determined by the Superintendent.
Section 8266 of the Education
Code is amended to
34read:
(a) Notwithstanding Section 8265, the assigned
36reimbursement rate of a direct classroom services program (1)
37contracting with the department, (2) operating under licensing
38standards for child care and development facilities specified by
39Section 1500 et seq. of the Health and Safety Code and by Title
4022 of the California Code of Regulations, and (3) with less than a
P61 1majority of subsidized children enrolled in the facility, shall be
2equivalent to the fee paid for the same service by families of
3nonsubsidized children.
4(b) It is not the intent of the Legislature to preclude an agency
5with a contract with the department from adjusting the fees charged
6to nonsubsidized children during the contract year. In no event
7shall the
assigned reimbursement rate exceed the standard
8reimbursement rate established pursuant to Section 8265.
9(c) An agency subject to this section shall provide
10documentation to the department that subsidized children, as
11necessary and appropriate, shall receive supportive services through
12county welfare departments, resource and referral programs, or
13other existing community resources, or all of them.
Section 8266.1 of the
Education Code is amended to
16read:
Commencing with the 1995-96 fiscal year and each
18fiscal year thereafter, for the purposes of this chapter,
19reimbursement rates shall be adjusted by the following
20reimbursement factors for direct classroom services programs with
21a standard reimbursement rate, but shall not apply to the resource
22and referral programs set forth in Article 2 (commencing with
23Section 8210), the alternative payment programs set forth in Article
243 (commencing with Section 8220), the part-day California state
25preschool 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.
P62 1(c) For direct classroom services program providers serving
2children for not less than six and one-half hours per day, and less
3thanbegin delete 10 and one-halfend deletebegin insert
10end insertbegin insert1⁄2end insert hours per day, the reimbursement factor
4is 100 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,begin delete pointsend deletebegin insert points,end insert or other fees associated with the purchase,
35over a 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,begin delete pointsend deletebegin insert
points,end insert or
39other fees associated with the purchase, over a period of 15 years
40or more.
P63 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
P64 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 tobegin delete Sectionend delete
8begin insert Sections end insert 8277.1 tobegin delete Sectionend delete 8277.4, inclusive, to benefit children
9most needing early learning and educational support programs.
10The first priority for all capital outlay shall be given to facilities
11located in geographic areas with no other available enrollment
12slots in existing subsidized and nonsubsidized child care and
13development facilities. This capital outlay funding shall be used
14solely for
purposes 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
P65 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.
P66 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
40shall include in guidelines developed for use by local planning
P67 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
P68 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
P69 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,begin delete equipmentend deletebegin insert
equipment,end insert and other necessary items and
37such city, county, city and county, other public agency, or private
38foundation or nonprofit corporation, is authorized to enter into the
39agreements.
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,
P73 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
13care, 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.
P74 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,begin delete timesend deletebegin insert
multiplied byend insert
23 2 percent.
24(3) The local policy may supersede state law concerning subsidy
25programs with regard only to the following factors:
26(A) Eligibility criteria including, but not limited to, age, family
27size, time limits, income level, inclusion of former and current
28CalWORKs participants, and special needs considerations, except
29that the local policy may not deny or reduce eligibility of a family
30that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8353. Under the local
31policy, a family that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8354
32shall be treated for purposes of eligibility and fees in the same
33manner as a family that qualifies for subsidized care on another
34basis pursuant to the local policy.
35(B) Fees including, but not limited to, family fees, sliding scale
36fees, and copayments for those
families that are not income eligible,
37as defined by Section 8263.1.
38(C) Reimbursement rates.
39(D) Methods of maximizing the efficient use of subsidy funds,
40including, but not limited to, multiyear contracting with the
P75 1department for direct classroom services, and interagency
2agreements that allow for flexible and temporary transfer of funds
3among agencies.
4(c) Recognition that all funding sources utilized by direct service
5contractors that provide early learning and educational support
6services in the city and county are eligible to be included in the
7subsidy plan of the city and county.
8(d) Establishment of measurable outcomes to evaluate the
9success of the plan to achieve the city and county’s goals and to
10overcome any barriers identified in the
state’s subsidy system. The
11State Department of Social Services shall have an opportunity to
12review and comment on the proposed measurable outcomes before
13they are submitted to the local planning council for approval
14pursuant to Section 8335.3.
Section 8335.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
17read:
The City and County of San Francisco may implement
19an individualized subsidy plan until July 1, 2014, at which date
20the city and county shall terminate the plan. Between July 1, 2014,
21and July 1, 2016, the city and county shall phase out the
22individualized county subsidy plan and, as of July 1, 2016, shall
23implement the state’s requirements for subsidies. A child enrolling
24for the first time for subsidized care in the city and county after
25July 1, 2014, shall not be enrolled in the pilot program established
26pursuant to this article and is subject to existing state laws and
27regulations regarding eligibility and priority.
The heading of Article 15.3 (commencing with
30Section 8340) of Chapter 2 of
Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 31Education Code is amended to read:
32
Section 8341 of the
Education Code is amended to
37read:
Before implementing the local subsidy plan, the County
39of San Mateo, in consultation with the department, shall develop
P76 1an individualized county subsidy plan that includes the following
2four elements:
3(a) An assessment to identify the county’s goal for its subsidized
4care system. The assessment shall examine whether the current
5structure of subsidized care funding adequately supports working
6families in the county and whether the county’s goals coincide
7with the state’s requirements for funding, eligibility, priority, and
8reimbursement. The assessment shall also identify barriers in the
9state’s subsidy system that inhibit the county from meeting its
10goals. In conducting the assessment, the county shall consider all
11of the following:
12(1) The general demographics of families who are in need of
13care, 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 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 county’s achievement of its desired
31outcomes 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
39county’s subsidy plan.
P77 1(E) (i) Authorize any agency that provides early learning and
2educational support services in San Mateo 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 8342, or modified pursuant to
9subdivision (c) of Section 8342.
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 County of San Mateo shall, by the end of the first
14fiscal year of operation under the approved subsidy plan,
15demonstrate an increase in the aggregate child days of enrollment
16in the county as compared to the enrollment in the final quarter of
17the 2002-03 fiscal 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
202002-03 fiscal year for all contracts amended as provided in
21subparagraph (E) of paragraphbegin delete 1end deletebegin insert (1)end insert,
under which the contractor
22receives an increase in its reimbursement rate,begin delete timesend deletebegin insert multiplied byend insert
23 2 percent.
24(3) The local policy may supersede state law concerning subsidy
25programs with regard only to the following factors:
26(A) Eligibility criteria including, but not limited to, age, family
27size, time limits, income level, inclusion of former and current
28CalWORKs participants, and special needs considerations, except
29that the local policy may not deny or reduce eligibility of a family
30that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8353. Under the local
31policy, a family that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8354
32shall be treated for purposes of eligibility and fees in the same
33manner as a
family that qualifies for subsidized care on another
34basis pursuant to the local policy.
35(B) Fees including, but not limited to, family fees, sliding scale
36fees, and copayments for those families that are not income eligible,
37as defined by Section 8263.1.
38(C) Reimbursement rates.
39(D) Methods of maximizing the efficient use of subsidy funds,
40including, but not limited to, multiyear contracting with the
P78 1department for direct classroom services, and interagency
2agreements that allow for flexible and temporary transfer of funds
3among agencies.
4(c) Recognition that all funding sources utilized by direct service
5contractors that provide early learning and educational support
6services in San Mateo County are eligible to be included in the
7subsidy plan of the
county.
8(d) Establishment of measurable outcomes to evaluate the
9success of the plan to achieve the county’s goals and to overcome
10any barriers identified in the state’s subsidy system. The State
11Department of Social Services shall have an opportunity to review
12and comment on the proposed measurable outcomes before they
13are submitted to the local planning council for approval pursuant
14to Section 8342.
Section 8341.5 of the
Education Code is amended to
17read:
To ensure that the annual and final reports required
19pursuant to Section 8343 provide useful comparative information,
20the Legislative Analyst and the Senate Office of Research shall
21review the evaluation design, the baseline data, and the data
22collection proposed in the subsidy plan of the county before the
23plan is submitted to the local planning council for approval.
Section 8342 of the
Education Code is amended to
26read:
(a) The plan shall be submitted to the local planning
28council for approval. Upon approval of the plan by the local
29planning council, the county board of supervisors shall hold at
30least one public hearing on the plan. Following the hearing, if the
31county board of supervisors votes in favor of the plan, the plan
32shall be submitted to the Child Development Division of the
33department for review.
34(b) Within 30 days of receiving the plan, the Child Development
35Division shall review and either approve or disapprove the plan.
36(c) Within 30 days of receiving any modification to the plan,
37the Child Development Division shall review and either approve
38or disapprove that
modification to the plan.
39(d) The Child Development Division may disapprove only those
40portions of the plan or modifications to the plan that are not in
P79 1conformance with this article or that are in conflict with federal
2law.
Section 8343 of the
Education Code is amended to
5read:
(a) Upon approval of the plan by the Child Development
7Division, the County of San Mateo shall annually prepare and
8submit to the Legislature, the State Department of Social Services,
9and the department a report that summarizes the success of the
10pilot project and the county’s ability to maximize the use of funds
11and to improve and stabilize care in the county.
12(b) On or before December 31, 2008, the County of San Mateo
13shall submit a final report to the Legislature, the State Department
14of Social Services, and the department summarizing the impact of
15the plan on the care needs of working families.
Section 8344 of the
Education Code is amended to
18read:
The County of San Mateo may implement its
20individualized county subsidy plan until January 1, 2014, at which
21date the County of San Mateo shall terminate the plan. Between
22January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2016, the County of San Mateo
23shall phase out the individualized county subsidy plan and, as of
24January 1, 2016, shall implement the state’s requirements for
25subsidies. A child enrolling for the first time for subsidized care
26in San Mateo County after January 1, 2014, shall not be enrolled
27in the pilot program established pursuant to this article and is
28subject to existing state laws and regulations regarding care
29eligibility and priority.
The heading of Article 15.5 (commencing with
32Section 8350) of Chapter 2 of
Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 33Education Code is amended to read:
34
Section 8350 of the
Education Code is amended to
39read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
2article to ensure that recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing
3with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
4Institutions Code, or any successor program, and former recipients
5who have left aid for employment, are connected as soon as
6possible to local resources, make stable arrangements for services,
7and continue to receive subsidized services after they no longer
8receive aid as long as they require those services and meet the
9eligibility requirements set forth in Sections 8263 and 8263.1.
10(b) This article establishes three stages of child care services
11through which a recipient of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing
12with Section 11200) of Part 3 of
Division 9 of the Welfare and
13Institutions Code, or any successor program, will pass. Further, as
14families’ needs are met by county welfare departments and later
15by other local early learning and educational support contractors,
16it is the intent of the Legislature that families experience no break
17 in their services due to a transition between the three stages of
18child care services.
Section 8352 of the
Education Code is amended to
21read:
(a) As soon as appropriate, a county welfare department
23shall refer families needing services to the local resource and
24referral program funded pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with
25Section 8210). Resource and referral program staff shall colocate
26with a county welfare department’s case management office for
27aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3
28of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor
29program, or arrange other means of swift communication with
30parents and case managers of this aid. The local resource and
31referral program shall assist families to establish stable
32arrangements as soon as possible. These arrangements may include
33licensed and license-exempt care.
34(b) Information shall be provided to parents in the county of
35service at the time the family is determined eligible for services,
36and at recertification, by one of the following:
37(1) An alternative payment program.
38(2) A resource and referral program.
39(3) A partnership between the alternative payment program and
40the resource and referral program.
P81 1(c) The information provided by the program or partnership
2shall be to assist parents in making informed choices about
3available types of care that would both offer a safe, caring, and
4age-appropriate early learning and educational support environment
5for children, as well as support the parents’ work activities,
6including, but not limited to, information about high-quality early
7learning and
educational support options and resources specified
8in this subdivision. The program or partnership maybegin delete utilize
9resources from a certified list posted on the department’s Internet
10Web site pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 8203, or mayend delete
11 develop local resources that shall include, but are not limited to,
12the following:
13(1) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
14needs of the parent and child.
15(2) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
16centers and family homes.
17(3) Trustline requirements for homes and providers exempt from
18licensure.
19(4) A range of possible early learning and educational support
20options from which a parent may
choose.
21(5) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
22requirements.
23(6) Quality indicators, including provider or educator training,
24accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
25environments that support the healthy development of children,
26parent involvement, and communication between the parent and
27provider.
28(7) Information on quality rating and improvement systems,
29where available.
30(d) The program or partnership shall also provide parenting
31information to parents.
32(e) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
33two business days of being notified of a revocation or a temporary
34suspension order for a licensed child day care
facility, do both of
35the following:
36(1) Terminate payment to the facility.
37(2) Notify each parent and the facility in writing that payment
38has been terminated and the reason for the termination.
39(f) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, upon being
40notified that a licensed child care facility has been placed on
P82 1probation, provide written notice to each parent utilizing the facility
2that the facility has been placed on probation and that the parent
3has the option of selecting a different provider or remaining with
4the facility without risk of subsidy payments to the provider being
5terminated. The Legislature urges each agency operating pursuant
6to this section to provide the written notice required by this
7subdivision in the primary language of the parent, to the extent
8
feasible.
Section 8353 of the
Education Code is amended to
11read:
(a) The second stage of child care begins when the
13county determines that the recipient’s work or approved work
14activity is stable or when a recipient is transitioning off of aid and
15care is available through a local stage two program. Second stage
16child care may be provided to a family who elects to receive a
17lump-sum diversion payment or diversion services under Section
1811266.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code when a funded space
19is not immediately available for the family in third stage. The local
20stage two agency shall assist in moving families to stage three as
21quickly as feasible. Former CalWORKs recipients are eligible to
22receive services in stage one and stage two for up to a total of no
23more than 24 months after they leave cash aid, or until they are
24otherwise ineligible within
that 24-month period. Family size and
25income for purposes of determining eligibility and calculating the
26family fee shall be determined pursuant to Sections 8263 and
278263.1. A family leaving cash aid under the CalWORKS program
28shall receive up to two years of care, if otherwise eligible, as
29needed to continue the family’s employment. The provision of the
30two-year time limit is not intended to limit eligibility for care under
31Section 8354.
32(b) The second stage shall be administered by agencies
33contracting with the department. These contractors may be either
34agencies that have an alternative payment contract pursuant to
35Section 8220.1 or county welfare departments that choose to
36administer this stage in order to continue to provide services for
37recipients or former recipients of aid. If the county chooses to
38contract with the department to provide alternative payment
39services, this contract shall not displace, or result in the reduction
40of an
existing contract of, a current alternative payment program.
Section 8354 of the
Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) The third stage of child care begins when a funded
5space is available. CalWORKs recipients are eligible for the third
6stage of child care. Persons who received a lump-sum diversion
7payment or diversion services and former CalWORKs participants
8are eligible if they have an income that does not exceed 70 percent
9of the state median income pursuant to Section 8263.1. The third
10stage shall be administered by programs contracting with the
11department. Parents’ eligibility for services will be governed by
12Section 8263 and regulations adopted by the department.
13(b) In order to move welfare recipients and former recipients
14from their relationship with county welfare departments to
15relationships with institutions providing services to working
16families, it is the intent of
the Legislature that families that are
17former recipients of aid, or are transitioning off aid, receive their
18assistance in the same fashion as other low-income working
19families. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that families
20no longer rely on county welfare departments to obtain subsidies
21beyond the time they are receiving other services from the welfare
22department.
23(c) A county welfare department shall not administer the third
24stage of child care for CalWORKs recipients except to the extent
25to which it delivered those services to families receiving, or within
26one year of having received, Aid to Families with Dependent
27Children before the enactment of this section.
28(d) This article does not preclude county welfare departments
29from operating an alternative payment program under contract
30with the department to serve families referred by child protective
31
services.
Section 8355 of the
Education Code is amended to
34read:
Child care during the third stage may be funded with
36moneys dedicated to current and former recipients of aid under
37Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division
389 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program,
39including the federal funds appropriated to alternative payment
40program contractors in the 1996-97 fiscal year using the Budget
P84 1Act’s Section 28 process as described in subdivision (b). Nothing
2shall prevent services provided under stage three from being funded
3with moneys from other federal or state sources. Nothing in this
4article shall preclude current and former recipients of aid under
5Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division
69 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program,
7from receiving services pursuant to other provisions
of this chapter.
Section 8356 of the
Education Code is amended to
10read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that the department
12work with Head Start and California state preschool programs to
13generate extended-day and evening care for recipients of aid under
14Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division
159 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program,
16through recruiting and training parents to be licensed and
17license-exempt care providers and shall facilitate connections
18between Head Start and California state preschool program
19contractors and certificate administrators, including counties and
20other alternative payment programs, so that funds available for
21Sections 8351, 8353, and 8354 cover the cost of this care.
Section 8357 of the
Education Code is amended to
24read:
(a) The cost of services provided under this article shall
26be governed by regional market rates. Recipients of services
27provided pursuant to this article shall be allowed to choose the
28services of licensed providers or providers who are, by law, not
29required to be licensed, and the cost of that care shall be reimbursed
30by counties or agencies that contract with the department if the
31cost is within the regional market rate. For purposes of this section,
32“regional market rate” means care costing no more than 1.5 market
33standard deviations above the mean cost of care for that region.
34The regional market rate ceilings shall be established at the 85th
35percentile of the 2005 regional market rate survey for that region.
36(b) Reimbursement to license-exempt providers shall
not exceed
3760 percent of the family child care home rate established pursuant
38to subdivision (a), effective July 1, 2011.
39(c) Reimbursement to providers shall not exceed the fee charged
40to private clients for the same service.
P85 1(d) Reimbursement shall not be made for services if care is
2provided by parents, legal guardians, or members of the assistance
3unit.
4(e) A provider located on an Indian reservation or rancheria and
5exempted from state licensing requirements shall meet applicable
6tribal standards.
7(f) For purposes of this section, “reimbursement” means a direct
8payment to the provider of services, including license-exempt
9providers. If care is provided in the home of the recipient, payment
10may be made to the parent as the employer, and the parent
shall
11be informed of his or her concomitant legal and financial reporting
12requirements. To allow time for the development of the
13administrative systems necessary to issue direct payments to
14providers, for a period not to exceed six months from the effective
15date of this article, a county or an alternative payment agency
16contracting with the department may reimburse the cost of services
17through a direct payment to a recipient of aid rather than to the
18provider.
19(g) Counties and alternative payment programs shall not be
20bound by the rate limits described in subdivision (a) if there are,
21in the region, no more than two providers of the type needed by
22the recipient of services provided under this article.
23(h) Notwithstanding any other law, reimbursements to providers
24based upon a daily rate may only be authorized under either of the
25following circumstances:
26(1) A family has an unscheduled but documented need of six
27hours or more per occurrence, such as the parent’s need to work
28on a regularly scheduled day off, that exceeds the certified need
29for care.
30(2) A family has a documented need of six hours or more per
31day that exceeds no more than 14 days per month. In no event shall
32reimbursements to a provider based on the daily rate over one
33month’s time exceed the provider’s equivalent full-time monthly
34rate or applicable monthly ceiling.
35(3) This subdivision shall not limit providers from being
36reimbursed for services using a weekly or monthly rate, pursuant
37to subdivision (c) of Section 8222.
Section 8358 of the
Education Code is amended to
40read:
(a) The department and the State Department of Social
2Services shall design a form for license-exempt providers to use
3for certifying health and safety requirements to the extent required
4by federal law. Until the form is adopted, the information required
5pursuant to Section 11324 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
6shall continue to be maintained by the county welfare department
7or contractor, as appropriate.
8(b) The department and the State Department of Social Services
9shall do both of the following:
10(1) Design a standard process for complaints by parents about
11the provision of care that is exempt from licensure.
12(2) Design, in consultation with local planning councils, a single
13application for all early learning and educational support programs
14and all families.
15(c) (1) County welfare departments and alternative payment
16programs shall encourage all providers who are licensed or who
17are exempt from licensure and who are providing care under
18Section 8351, 8353, or 8354, to secure training and education in
19basic child development.
20(2) Provider job training provided to CalWORKs recipients that
21is funded by either the department or the State Department of
22Social Services shall include information on becoming a licensed
23provider.
24(d) The department shall increase consumer education and
25consumer awareness activities so that parents will have the
26
information needed to seek high-quality services. High-quality
27services shall include both licensed and license-exempt care.
Section 8358.5 of the
Education Code is amended
30to read:
Notwithstanding any other confidentiality requirement,
32the government or private agency administering subsidized care
33services shall share information necessary for the administration
34of the programs pursuant to this article and the CalWORKs
35program pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200)
36of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for
37the time period for which the person receives services.
Section 8359.1 of the
Education Code is amended
40to read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
2article to provide sufficient funding through an appropriation in
3the annual Budget Act to fund the estimated cost of providing care
4for all individuals who are anticipated to need care to participate
5in the welfare-to-work programs and to transition to work.
6(b) Funding for purposes of implementing this article shall be
7appropriated in the annual Budget Act.
The heading of Article 16 (commencing with Section
108360) of Chapter 2 of
Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 11Education Code is amended to read:
12
Section 8360 of the
Education Code is amended to
18read:
(a) Early learning and educational support programs
20shall include a career ladder for instructional staff. The governing
21board of each contracting agency shall be encouraged to provide
22instructional staff and aides with salary increases for the successful
23completion of early childhood education or child development
24unit-based coursework and degrees.
25(b) Any person who meets the following criteria is eligible to
26serve in an instructional capacity in an early learning and
27educational support program:
28(1) Any person serving as a teacher in an early learning and
29educational support program providing direct classroom services
30shall possess a permit or credential
issued by the Commission on
31Teacher Credentialing, including, but not limited to, one of the
32following:
33(A) An associate teacher permit, or higher, authorizing service
34in the care, development, and instruction of children in early
35learning and educational support programs.
36(B) A multiple subject credential with an authorization to teach
37prekindergartenbegin delete throughend deletebegin insert toend insert grade 12, inclusive, in a self-contained
38classroom.
39(C) An elementary or a single subject credential in home
40economics. Teachers with an elementary or single subject credential
P88 1must also have completed 12 semester units in early childhood
2education or child development,
or both, or have two years’
3experience in early childhood education or an early learning and
4educational support program.
5(2) Persons who are 18 years of age and older may be employed
6as aides and may be eligible for salary increases upon the
7completion of additional semester units in early childhood
8education or child development.
Section 8360.1 of the Education Code is repealed.
Section 8360.1 is added to the
Education Code, to
13read:
Except as waived under Section 8242 and except as
15stated in Section 18203 of Title 5 of the California Code of
16Regulations regarding program directors in schoolage community
17services programs, any entity operating early learning and
18educational support programs providing direct classroom services
19to children, pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228),
20at two or more sites, shall employ a program director who possesses
21a permit or credential issued by the Commission on Teacher
22Credentialing authorizing supervision of a child care and
23development program, including, but not limited to:
24(a) An administrative credential.
25(b) A children’s center supervision permit.
26(c) A program director permit.
27(d) A waiver issued by the Superintendent pursuant to Section
288244.
Section 8360.2 of the
Education Code is amended
31to read:
Not later than 95 days after the governing board of a
33public agency sets the date a person employed by that board shall
34begin service in a position requiring a permit or credential, that
35person shall file, on or before that date, with the county
36superintendent of schools a valid permit issued on or before that
37date, authorizing him or her to serve in a position for which he or
38she was employed. Upon renewal of that permit, that person shall
39file that renewal with the county superintendent of schools no later
40than 95 days after the renewal.
The heading of Article 17 (commencing with Section
38390) of Chapter 2 of
Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 4Education Code is amended to read:
5
Section 8390 of the
Education Code is amended to
10read:
The Superintendent may, with funds appropriated for
12that purpose, enter into agreements with school districts or
13community college districts or county superintendents of schools
14for the establishment and maintenance of early learning and
15educational support programs for infants, and the training of pupils
16in their roles as parents, as part of the high school program.
Section 8392 of the
Education Code is amended to
19read:
Infant early learning and educational support services
21include, but are not limited to, the following:
22(a) Supervision and group care, providing for the physical and
23emotional needs of the infant in a manner that conveys concern
24and engenders trust.
25(b) Educational stimulation from the earliest development stages
26onward.
27(c) Development and health screening and treatment.
Section 8394 of the
Education Code is amended to
30read:
(a) In school districts maintaining more than one high
32school, the governing board, after soliciting the opinions of pupil
33parents and other interested persons, shall determine the location
34of the infant center.
35(b) Infant centers shall be located within high school buildings
36or within that proximity to high school buildings as would ensure
37convenient access by pupil parents and other pupils.
Section 8395 of the
Education Code is amended to
40read:
To the extent funds are available, federal reimbursement
2shall be claimed for any child receiving services in the infant early
3learning and educational support program.
Section 8397 of the
Education Code is amended to
6read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, infants whose parent
8or parents are high school pupils may attend infant centers while
9their parents attend high school.
10(b) Notwithstanding any other law, the Superintendent may
11enter into an agreement pursuant to Section 8390 permitting infants
12whose parent or parents are pupils in grades 7 and 8 to attend infant
13centers while their parents attend school.
Section 8400 of the
Education Code is amended to
16read:
It has come to the attention of the Legislature that:
18(a) Existing law does not provide for an administrative appeal
19procedure to review and resolve disputes between the department
20and the over 750 local contracting agencies that contract with the
21department to provide early learning and educational support
22services to low-income families in California.
23(b) All disputes are currently resolved in the already
24overburdened California courts resulting in a time-consuming and
25costly process for both the contract agency and the department.
26Extensive funds have been expended by the department for those
27purposes.
28(c) The
presence of public and private agencies, small as well
29as large, in the subsidized care delivery system provides client
30families with a range of desirable services, and cost-effective
31service mechanisms.
32(d) The presence of an efficient administrative appeal procedure
33will ensure program stability and encourage retention in the
34delivery system of a range of service-providing agencies.
Section 8401 of the
Education Code is amended to
37read:
It is the intent of the Legislature to authorize an appeal
39process for the resolution of disputes between the department and
40local agencies that contract with the department pursuant to Section
P91 18262 to provide early learning and educational support services
2or to furnish property, facilities, personnel, supplies,begin delete equipmentend delete
3begin insert equipment, end insert and administrative services.
Section 8402 of the
Education Code is amended to
6read:
The department shall provide an independent appeal
8procedure to each contracting agency providing early learning and
9educational support services pursuant to Section 8262. Before
10filing an appeal petition, the contracting agency shall have
11submitted all previously required standard monthly or quarterly
12reporting forms to the department. The appeal procedure shall be
13conducted by the Office of Administrative Hearings and shall be
14provided upon petition of the contracting agency in any of the
15following circumstances:
16(a) Termination or suspension of a contracting agency’s contract.
17(b) Denial of more than 4 percent or twenty-five thousand dollars
18($25,000), whichever is less, of a local
contracting agency’s
19contracted payment for services schedule.
20(c) Demand for remittance of an overpayment of more than 4
21percent or twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), whichever is
22less, of a local contracting agency’s annual contract.
Section 8406.7 of the
Education Code is amended
25to read:
(a) Any agency that evidences chronic fiscal or
27program violations of a felony nature may have its contract
28suspended or terminated immediately if there is documented
29evidence of these violations, and upon review and recommendation
30of the general counsel of the department. A fiscal or programmatic
31violation constituting a breach of contract includes one or more
32of the following:
33(1) Fraud, or conspiracy to defraud.
34(2) Misuse of state funds in violation of the State of California
35Accounting Manual.
36(3) Embezzlement.
37(4) Threats of bodily or other harm to state officials.
38(5) Bribery or attempted bribery of a state official.
39(6) Unsafe or unhealthy physical environment or facility.
40(7) Substantiated abuse or molestation of children.
P92 1(8) Failure to report suspected child abuse or molestation.
2(9) Theft of supplies, equipment, or food.
3(b) An agency contract terminated for cause retains appeal rights
4in accordance with Section 8402.
5(c) The department shall advise contractors of the provisions
6of this section within 30 working days of its enactment.
Section 8447 of the
Education Code is amended to
9read:
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that greater
11efficiencies may be achieved in the execution of state subsidized
12early learning and educational support program contracts with
13public and private agencies by the timely approval of contract
14provisions by the Department of Finance, the Department of
15General Services, and the State Department of Education and by
16authorizing the State Department of Education to establish a
17multiyear application, contract expenditure, and service review as
18may be necessary to provide timely service while preserving audit
19and oversight functions to protect the public welfare.
20(b) (1) The Department of Finance and the Department of
21General Services shall approve or disapprove annual contract
22funding terms and
conditions, including both family fee schedules
23and regional market rate schedules that are required to be adhered
24to by contract, and contract face sheets submitted by the State
25Department of Education not more than 30 working days from the
26date of submission, unless unresolved conflicts remain between
27the Department of Finance, the State Department of Education,
28and the Department of General Services. The State Department of
29Education shall resolve conflicts within an additional 30 working
30day time period. Contracts and funding terms and conditions shall
31be issued to contractors no later than June 1. Applications for new
32child care funding shall be issued not more than 45 working days
33after the effective date of authorized new allocations of child care
34moneys.
35(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the State Department of
36Education shall implement the regional market rate schedules
37based upon the county aggregates, as determined by thebegin delete Regional begin insert
regional market rateend insert survey conducted in 2005.
38Marketend delete
39(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), for the 2006-07 fiscal year,
40the State Department of Education shall update the family fee
P93 1schedules by family size, based on the 2005 state median income
2survey data for a family of four. The family fee schedule used
3during the 2005-06 fiscal year shall remain in effect. However,
4the department shall adjust the family fee schedule for families
5that are newly eligible to receive or will continue to receive services
6under the new income eligibility limits. The family fees shall not
7exceed 10 percent of the family’s monthly income.
8(4) Notwithstanding any other law, the family fee schedule that
9was in effect for the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11
10fiscal years shall be adjusted to reflect the income eligibility limits
11specified in subdivision (b) of Section 8263.1 for
the 2011-12
12fiscal year, and shall retain a flat fee per family. The revised family
13fee schedule shall begin at income levels at which families
14currently begin paying fees. The revised family fees shall not
15exceed 10 percent of the family’s monthly income. The State
16Department of Education shall first submit the adjusted fee
17schedule to the Department of Finance for approval in order to be
18implemented by July 1, 2011.
19(5) Notwithstanding any other law, the family fee schedule that
20was in effect for the 2011-12 fiscal year pursuant to paragraph (4)
21shall remain in effect for the 2012-13 fiscal year, and shall retain
22a flat fee per family.
23(6) It is the intent of the Legislature to fully fund the third stage
24of child care for former CalWORKs recipients.
25(c) With respect to subdivision (b), it is the intent of the
26
Legislature that the Department of Finance annually review
27contract funding terms and conditions for the primary purpose of
28ensuring consistency between child care contracts and the child
29care budget. This review shall include evaluating any proposed
30changes to contract language or other fiscal documents to which
31the contractor is required to adhere, including those changes to
32terms or conditions that authorize higher reimbursement rates, that
33modify related adjustment factors, that modify administrative or
34other service allowances, or that diminish fee revenues otherwise
35available for services, to determine if the change is necessary or
36has the potential effect of reducing the number of full-time
37equivalent children that may be served.
38(d) Alternative payment programs, as set forth in Article 3
39(commencing with Section 8220), shall be subject to the rates
40established in the Regional Market Rate Survey of California Child
P94 1Care Providers for
provider payments. The State Department of
2Education shall contract to conduct and complete abegin delete Regional begin insert regional market rate surveyend insert no more
3Market Rate Surveyend delete
4frequently than once every two years, consistent with federal
5regulations, with a goal of completion by March 1.
6(e) By March 1 of each year, the Department of Finance shall
7provide to the State Department of Education thebegin delete State Median begin insert state median incomeend insert amount for a four-person household
8Incomeend delete
9in California based on the best available data. The State Department
10of Education shall adjust its fee schedule for
providers to reflect
11this updated state median income; however, no changes based on
12revisions to the state median income amount shall be implemented
13midyear.
14(f) Notwithstanding the June 1 date specified in subdivision (b),
15changes to the regional market rate schedules and fee schedules
16may be made at any other time to reflect the availability of accurate
17data necessary for their completion, provided these documents
18receive the approval of the Department of Finance. The Department
19of Finance shall review the changes within 30 working days of
20submission and the State Department of Education shall resolve
21conflicts within an additional 30 working day period. Contractors
22shall be given adequate notice before the effective date of the
23approved schedules. It is the intent of the Legislature that contracts
24for services not be delayed by the timing of the availability of
25accurate data needed to update these schedules.
26(g) Notwithstanding any other law, no family receiving
27CalWORKs cash aid may be charged a family fee.
Section 8448 of the
Education Code is amended to
30read:
As used in this article:
32(a) “Financial and compliance audit” means a systematic review
33or appraisal to determine each of the following:
34(1) Whether the financial statements of an audited organization
35fairly present the financial position and the results of financial
36operations in accordance with generally accepted accounting
37principles.
38(2) Whether the organization has complied with laws and
39regulations that may have a material effect upon the financial
40statements.
P95 1(b) “Public accountants” means certified public accountants, or
2state licensed public
accountants.
3(c) “Independent auditors” means public accountants who have
4no direct or indirect relationship with the functions or activities
5being audited or with the business conducted by any of the officials
6or contractors being audited.
7(d) “Generally accepted auditing standards” means the auditing
8standards set forth in the financial and compliance element of the
9“Government Auditing Standards” issued by the Comptroller
10General of the United States and incorporating the audit standards
11of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
12(e) “Direct service contract” means any contract with any public
13or private entity for early learning and educational support
14programs, resource and referral programs, and programs contracting
15to provide support services, as defined in Section 8208.
16(f) “Nonprofit organization” means an organization described
17in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 which
18is exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of that code, or any
19nonprofit, scientific, or educational organization qualified under
20Section 23701d of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
21(g) (1) Annually, there shall be a single independent financial
22and compliance audit of organizations that contract with the state
23under a direct service contract. Any such audit shall include an
24evaluation of the accounting and control systems of the direct
25service contractor and of the activities by the contractor to comply
26with the financial requirements of direct service contracts received
27by the contractor from the state agency. The financial and
28compliance requirements to be reviewed during the audit shall be
29those developed and published by the
department in consultation
30with the Department of Finance. Audits carried out pursuant to
31this section shall be audits of the contractor rather than audits of
32individual contracts or programs. In the case of any contractor that
33receives less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per year
34from any state agency, the audit required by this section shall be
35conducted biennially, unless there is evidence of fraud or other
36violation of state law in connection with the direct service contract.
37The cost of the audit may be included in direct service contracts.
38(2) The organization receiving funds from the state shall be
39responsible for obtaining the required financial and compliance
40audits of the organization and any subcontractors, except for direct
P96 1service subcontracts and other subcontracts exempt from
2department review, as agreed to by the Departments of Finance
3and General Services. The audits shall be made by independent
4auditors in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
5The audit shall be completed by the 15th day of the fifth month
6following the end of the contractor’s fiscal year. A copy of the
7required audit shall be filed with the department upon its
8completion. In the event an audit is not filed, the department shall
9notify the organization of the contract violation. The audit report
10filed shall be an integral part of the direct service contract file.
11(h) (1) Nothing in this article limits the authority of the
12department to make audits of direct service contracts. However,
13if independent audits arranged for by direct service contractors
14meet generally accepted auditing standards, the department shall
15rely on those audits and any additional audit work shall build upon
16the work already done.
17(2) Nothing in this article precludes the state from conducting,
18or
contracting for the conduct of, contract performance audits
19which are not financial and compliance audits.
20(3) Nothing in this article limits the state’s responsibility or
21authority to enforce state law or regulations, procedures, or
22reporting requirements arising pursuant thereto.
23(4) Nothing in this article limits the responsibility of the
24department to provide an independent appeal procedure according
25to the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 5
26(commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title
272) of the Government Code.
Section 8450 of the
Education Code is amended to
30read:
(a) All early learning and educational support contractors
32are encouraged to develop and maintain a reserve within the child
33development fund, derived from earned but unexpended funds.
34Contractors may retain all earned funds. For the purpose of this
35section, “earned funds” are those for which the required number
36of eligible service units have been provided.
37(b) (1) Earned funds shall not be expended for any activities
38proscribed by Section 8406.7. Earned but unexpended funds shall
39remain in the contractor’s reserve account within the child
40development fund and shall be expended only by direct classroom
P97 1service programs that are funded under contract with the
2department.
3(2) Commencing July 1, 2011, a contractor may retain a reserve
4fund balance, separate from the reserve fund retained pursuant to
5subdivision (c) or (d), equal to 5 percent of the sum of the
6maximum reimbursable amounts of all contracts to which the
7contractor is a party, or two thousand dollars ($2,000), whichever
8is greater. This paragraph applies to direct classroom service
9programs that are funded under contract with the department.
10(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a contractor may
11retain a reserve fund balance for a resource and referral program,
12separate from the balance retained pursuant to subdivision (b) or
13(d), not to exceed 3 percent of the contract amount. Funds from
14this reserve account may be expended only by resource and referral
15programs that are funded under contract with the department.
16(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a
contractor may
17retain a reserve fund balance for alternative payment model and
18certificate contracts, separate from the reserve fund retained
19pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c). Funds from this reserve
20account may be expended only by alternative payment model and
21certificate programs that are funded under contract with the
22department. The reserve amount allowed by this section may not
23exceed either of the following, whichever is greater:
24(1) Two percent of the sum of the parts of each contract to which
25that contractor is a party that is allowed for administration pursuant
26to Section 8276.7 and that is allowed for supportive services
27pursuant to the provisions of the contract.
28(2) One thousand dollars ($1,000).
29(e) Each contractor’s audit shall identify any funds earned by
30the contractor for each contract through
the provision of contracted
31services in excess of funds expended.
32(f) Any interest earned on reserve funds shall be included in the
33fund balance of the reserve. This reserve fund shall be maintained
34in an interest-bearing account.
35(g) Moneys in a contractor’s reserve fund may be used only for
36expenses that are reasonable and necessary costs as defined in
37subdivision (l) of Section 8208.
38(h) Any reserve fund balance in excess of the amount authorized
39pursuant to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) shall be returned to the
40department pursuant to procedures established by the department.
P98 1(i) Upon termination of all early learning and educational
2support contracts between a contractor and the department, all
3moneys in a contractor’s reserve fund shall be
returned to the
4department pursuant to procedures established by the department.
5(j) Expenditures from, additions to, and balances in, the reserve
6fund shall be included in the agency’s annual financial statements
7and audit.
Section 8493 of the
Education Code is amended to
10read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that funds be
12appropriated for capital outlay for purposes of providing facilities
13for services provided pursuant to this chapter, including, but not
14limited to, all of the following purposes:
15(a) For the purchase of relocatable facilities by the state for lease
16to qualifying contracting agencies in areas with no available
17economically practical or feasible child care and development
18facilities.
19(b) For renovation and repair of child care and development
20facilities in order to comply with state and local health and safety
21standards and licensing requirements, without unnecessarily
22increasing the value of the
facility.
Section 8494 of the
Education Code is amended to
25read:
(a) All of the following programs, other than those
27providing extended care services, shall be eligible to receive a loan
28for the renovation and repair of facilities used for the program or
29to lease relocatable facilities to be used for the program:
30(1) Private nonprofit programs currently, or soon to be, under
31contract with the department pursuant to Section 8262.
32(2) Early learning and educational support programs conducted
33pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 8225).
34(3) Early learning and educational support programs operated
35by, or in a facility owned by, a public entity.
36(4) Early learning and educational support programs conducted
37pursuant to Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of
38Chapter 9 of Part 29.
39(b) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall document
40that the renovated facility shall comply with all laws and
P99 1regulations applicable to child care facilities provided for pursuant
2to Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 1596.70) and Chapter
33.5 (commencing with Section 1596.90) of Division 2 of the Health
4and Safety Code.
5(c) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shallbegin delete assureend delete
6begin insert
ensureend insert the board that the renovated facility shall be used for
7purposes of the program for the entire loan period, which shall be
8determined by the board as follows:
9(1) For loans equal to or less than thirty thousand dollars
10($30,000), not less than three years.
11(2) For loans exceeding thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), the
12loan period shall increase one year for each additional ten thousand
13dollars ($10,000) or part thereof, to a maximum of fifty thousand
14dollars ($50,000).
15(d) Interest on the loan principal shall be charged at a rate equal
16to the average of the interest rate applied to the last three bond
17sales pursuant to Chapter 21.6 (commencing with Section 17695)
18of Part 10.
19(e) In the event that a recipient
ceases to use the renovated
20facility for purposes of the program before the expiration of the
21loan period, the board shall collect the entire outstanding balance
22of the loan, plus interest, notwithstanding the loan period originally
23set pursuant to subdivision (c), unless the board deems it
24appropriate to waive repayment at that time.
25(f) If the renovated facility has been continuously used for
26purposes of the program for the entire loan period, the board shall
27waive repayment of the amount of the loan principal, plus interest,
28at the end of the loan period.
Section 8495 of the
Education Code is amended to
31read:
(a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury the
33State Child Care Capital Outlay Fund. Notwithstanding Section
3413340 of the Government Code, all moneys in the State Child Care
35Capital Outlay Fund, including moneys deposited in that fund from
36any source whatsoever, shall be continuously appropriated without
37regard to fiscal year for expenditure pursuant to this article. The
38fund shall be administered by the State Allocation Board, which
39may authorize the expenditure of any moneys in the fund for capital
40outlay projects pursuant to Section 8277.7 or this article. Funds in
P100 1the State Child Care Facilities Fund set aside for the purposes of
2providing extended day care facilities pursuant to Section 8477
3shall be transferred to the State Child Care Capital Outlay Fund
4upon the effective date
of the act amending this section in the
51997-98 Regular Session.
6(b) The Superintendent shall establish the qualifications to
7determine the eligibility of agencies, including those that provide
8preschool and extended day care services, to lease relocatable
9facilities under this section.
10(c) Although primary use of relocatable facilities shall be for
11early learning and educational support programs, including
12preschool and extended day care programs, those facilities may
13be used for other purposes if the following conditions are met:
14(1) The alternative use of the facility does not infringe upon the
15accessibility of early learning and educational support programs
16including preschool or extended day care programs.
17(2) The Superintendent authorizes
alternative use as being
18compatible with early learning and educational support programs,
19including preschool or extended day care programs.
20(d) The State Allocation Board, with the advice of the
21Superintendent, may do all of the following:
22(1) Establish any procedures and policies in connection with
23the administration of this section that it deems necessary.
24(2) Adopt any rules and regulations for the administration of
25this section requiring those procedures, forms, and information
26that it deems necessary.
27(3) Have constructed, furnished, equipped, or otherwise require
28whatever work is necessary to place relocatable facilities for early
29learning and educational support services, including preschool and
30extended day care services where needed.
31(e) The board shall lease relocatable facilities to qualifying
32agencies providing early learning and educational support services,
33including preschool or extended day care services, and shall charge
34rent of one dollar ($1) per year. The board shall require lessees to
35undertake all necessary maintenance, repairs, renewal, and
36replacement to ensure that a project is at all times kept in good
37repair, working order, and condition. All costs incurred for this
38purpose shall be borne by the lessee. Neither the board nor the
39state shall assume any responsibility for utility services costs other
40than initial installation costs reimbursed under this article, and the
P101 1agency shall provide adequate safeguards to protect the state’s
2interest in this regard.
3(f) The board shall require lessees to insure at their own expense
4for the benefit of the state, any leased relocatable facility that is
5the
property of the state, against any risks, including liability from
6the use thereof, in the amounts the board deems necessary to protect
7the interests of the state. Neither the board nor the state shall
8assume any responsibility for utility services costs other than initial
9installation costs reimbursed under this article, and the agency
10shall provide adequate safeguards to protect the state’s interest in
11this regard.
12(g) begin deleteNo relocatable end deletebegin insertRelocatable end insertfacilities shallbegin insert notend insert be made
13available to an agency unless the agency furnishes evidence,
14satisfactory to the board, that the agency has no other facility
15available for rental, lease, or purchase in the
geographic service
16area that is economically or otherwise feasible.
17(h) The board shall have prepared for its use, performance
18specifications for relocatable facilities and bids for their
19construction that can be solicited from more than one responsible
20bidder. The board shall from time to time solicit bids from, and
21award to, the lowest responsible competitive bidder, contracts for
22the construction or purchase of relocatable facilities that have been
23approved for lease to eligible agencies that provide early learning
24and educational support services, including preschool or extended
25day care services.
26(i) If at any time the board determines that abegin delete lessees’end deletebegin insert lessee’send insert
27 need for particular
relocatable facilities that were made available
28to the lessee pursuant to this article has ceased, the board may take
29possession of the relocatable facilities and may lease them to other
30eligible contracting agencies, or, if there is no longer a need for
31the relocatable facilities, the board may dispose of them to public
32or private parties in the manner it deems to be in the best interests
33of the state.
34(j) If a lessee uses a particular relocatable facility for only a
35portion of the year, the board may enter into a second lease with
36a public or private party for the use of that facility for the portion
37of the year during which the facility would otherwise be unused,
38in the manner it deems to be in the best interests of the state. The
39lessee shall be subject to subdivisions (d) and (f).
Section 8495.1 of the
Education Code is amended
3to read:
(a) The State Allocation Board shall establish
5regulations for the allocation of funds for capital outlay and for
6the reimbursement of initial utility installation costs for purposes
7of this chapter. The Superintendent shall establish qualifications
8for determining the eligibility of agencies providing early learning
9and educational support services, including preschool and extended
10day care service, to apply for these funds.
11(b) Notwithstanding any other law, except for Section 8477,
12priority in funding of capital outlay grants or relocatables from
13funds administered pursuant to Section 8277.7 and under this
14article, shall be determined in the following order:
15(1) Programs experiencing emergencies as defined by the
16Superintendent and the State Allocation Board.
17(2) Facilities lost due to the Class Size Reduction Program
18(Chapter 6.10 (commencing with Section 52120) of Part 28).
19(3) Expansion of early learning and educational support services.
Section 8498 of the
Education Code is amended to
22read:
(a) The State Allocation Board may use up to 5 percent
24of any appropriation for purposes of this article to provide loans
25to private nonsectarian early learning and educational support
26programs not under contract with the department for renovation
27and repair of existing program facilities, in accordance with this
28section.
29(b) The Superintendent shall establish qualifications to determine
30the eligibility of agencies for loans pursuant to this section.
31(c) The board, with any necessary assistance from the
32Superintendent, may do any of the following:
33(1) Establish procedures and policies in connection
with the
34administration of this section it deems necessary.
35(2) Adopt rules and regulations for the administration of this
36section requiring procedure, forms, and information it deems
37necessary.
38(d) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall do all of
39the following:
P103 1(1) Document that the renovated facility shall comply with all
2laws and regulations applicable to child care facilities provided
3for pursuant to Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 1596.70)
4and Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 1596.90) of Division
52 of the Health and Safety Code.
6(2) Demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board that it will have
7sufficient revenues to pay the principal and interest on the loan
8and to maintain the operation of the child care facility.
9(e) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shallbegin delete assureend delete
10begin insert ensureend insert the board that the renovated facility shall be used for
11purposes of the program for the following periods:
12(1) For loans equal to or less than thirty thousand dollars
13($30,000), not less than three years from the beginning of the loan
14period.
15(2) For loans exceeding thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), the
16fixed period of time shall increase one year for each additional ten
17thousand dollars ($10,000) or part thereof, to a maximum of fifty
18thousand dollars ($50,000).
19(f) The board shall set the period
of the loan for each recipient,
20up to a maximum of 10 years, based upon the amount of the loan,
21the recipient’s ability to repay the loan, and the length of time the
22recipient has committed to use the renovated facility for purposes
23of the program.
24(g) Interest on the loan principal shall be charged at a rate equal
25to the average of the interest rate applied to the last three bond
26sales pursuant to Chapter 21.6 (commencing with Section 17695)
27of Part 10.
28(h) In the event that a recipient ceases to use the renovated
29facility for purposes of the program before the expiration of the
30period specified pursuant to subdivision (e), the board shall collect
31the entire outstanding balance of the loan, plus interest,
32notwithstanding the loan period originally set pursuant to
33subdivision (f).
Section 8499 of the
Education Code is amended to
36read:
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions
38shall apply:
39(a) “Block grant” means the block grant contained in Title VI
40of the Child Care and Development Fund, as established by the
P104 1federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
2Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193).
3(b) “Child care” means all licensed early learning and
4educational support services and license-exempt child care,
5including, but not limited to, private for-profit programs, nonprofit
6programs, and publicly funded programs, for all children from
7birth to 13 years of age, including children with exceptional needs
8and children from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
9(c) “Child care provider” means a person who provides child
10care services or represents persons who provide child care services.
11(d) “Community representative” means a person who represents
12an agency or business that provides private funding for child care
13services, or who advocates for child care services through
14participation in civic or community-based organizations but is not
15a child care provider and does not represent an agency that
16contracts with the State Department of Education to provide early
17learning and educational support services.
18(e) “Consumer” means a parent or person who receives, or who
19has received within the past 36 months, child care services.
20(f) “Department” means the State Department of Education.
21(g) “Local
planning council” means a local early learning and
22educational support planning council as described in Section
238499.3.
24(h) “Public agency representative” means a person who
25represents a city, county, city and county, or local educational
26agency.
The heading of Article 2 (commencing with Section
298499.3) of Chapter 2.3
of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 30Education Code is amended to read:
31
Section 8499.3 of the
Education Code is amended
36to read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that local planning
38councils shall provide a forum for the identification of local
39priorities for early learning and educational support and the
P105 1development of policies to meet the needs identified within those
2priorities.
3(b) The county board of supervisors and the county
4superintendent of schools shall do both of the following:
5(1) Select the members of the local planning council. Before
6making selections pursuant to this subdivision, the county board
7of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools shall
8publicize their intention to select the members and shall invite
9local organizations to submit nominations.
In counties in which
10the county superintendent is appointed by the county board of
11education, the county board of education may make the
12appointment or may delegate that responsibility to the
13superintendent.
14(2) Establish the term of appointment for the members of the
15local planning council.
16(c) (1) The local planning council shall be comprised as follows:
17(A) Twenty percent of the membership shall be consumers.
18(B) Twenty percent of the membership shall be providers,
19reflective of the range of providers in the county.
20(C) Twenty percent of the membership shall be public agency
21representatives.
22(D) Twenty percent of the membership shall be community
23representatives, who shall not be providers or agencies that contract
24with the department to provide services.
25(E) The remaining 20 percent shall be appointed at the discretion
26of the appointing agencies.
27(2) The county board of supervisors and the county
28superintendent of schools shall each appoint one-half of the
29members. In the case of uneven membership, both appointing
30entities shall agree on the odd-numbered appointee.
31(d) Every effort shall be made to ensure that the ethnic, racial,
32and geographic composition of the local planning council is
33reflective of the ethnic, racial, and geographic distribution of the
34population of the county.
35(e) The county board of supervisors and
county superintendent
36of schools may designate an existing planning council or
37coordinated child and family services council as the local planning
38council, as long as it has or can achieve the representation set forth
39in this section.
P106 1(f) Upon establishment of a local planning council, the local
2planning council shall elect a chair and select a staff.
3(g) Each local planning council shall develop and implement a
4training plan to provide increased efficiency, productivity, and
5facilitation of local planning council meetings. This may include
6developing a training manual, hiring facilitators, and identifying
7strategies to meet the objectives of the council.
8(h) begin deleteNo end deletebegin insertA
end insertmember of a local planning council shallbegin insert notend insert participate
9in a vote if he or she has a proprietary interest in the outcome of
10the matter being voted upon.
Section 8499.5 of the
Education Code is amended
13to read:
(a) The department shall allocate funding pursuant to
15Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8200) based on the amount
16of state and federal funding that is available.
17(b) By May 30 of each year, upon approval by the county board
18of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, a local
19planning council shall submit to the department the local priorities
20it has identified that reflect all child care needs in the county. To
21accomplish this, a local planning council shall do all of the
22following:
23(1) Conduct an assessment of child care needs in the county no
24less than once every five years. The department shall define and
25prescribe data elements to be included in the needs assessment and
26shall specify
the format for the data reporting. The needs
27assessment shall also include all factors deemed appropriate by
28the local planning council in order to obtain an accurate picture of
29the comprehensive child care needs in the county. The factors
30include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
31(A) The needs of families eligible for subsidized care.
32(B) The needs of families not eligible for subsidized care.
33(C) The waiting lists for programs funded by the department
34and the State Department of Social Services.
35(D) The need for care for children determined by the child
36protective services agency to be neglected, abused, or exploited,
37or at risk of being neglected, abused, or exploited.
38(E) The number of children in families receiving public
39assistance, including CalFresh benefits, housing support, and
P107 1Medi-Cal, and assistance from the Healthy Families Program and
2the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
3(F) Family income among families with preschool or schoolage
4children.
5(G) The number of children in migrant agricultural families
6who move from place to place for work or who are currently
7dependent for their income on agricultural employment in
8accordance with subdivision (a) of, and paragraphs (1) and (2) of
9subdivision (b) of, Section 8231.
10(H) The number of children who have been determined by a
11regional center to require services pursuant to an individualized
12family service plan, or by a local educational agency to require
13services pursuant to an individualized
education program or an
14individualized family service plan.
15(I) The number of children in the county by primary language
16spoken pursuant to the department’s language survey.
17(J) Special needs based on geographic considerations, including
18rural areas.
19(K) The number of children needing services by age cohort.
20(2) Document information gathered during the needs assessment
21that shall include, but need not be limited to, data on supply,
22demand, cost, and market rates for each category of child care in
23the county.
24(3) Encourage public input in the development of the priorities.
25Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public
26hearing during which members of the public can comment
on the
27proposed priorities.
28(4) Prepare a comprehensive countywide child care plan
29designed to mobilize public and private resources to address
30identified needs.
31(5) Conduct a periodic review of child care programs funded
32by the department and the State Department of Social Services to
33determine if identified priorities are being met.
34(6) Collaborate with subsidized and nonsubsidized providers,
35county welfare departments, human service agencies, regional
36centers, job training programs, employers, integrated child and
37family service councils, local and state children and families
38commissions, parent organizations, early start family resource
39centers, family empowerment centers on disability, local resource
P108 1and referral programs, and other interested parties to foster
2partnerships designed to meet local child care
needs.
3(7) Design a system to consolidate local child care waiting lists,
4if a centralized eligibility list is not already in existence.
5(8) Coordinate part-day programs, including California state
6preschool and Head Start, with other early learning and educational
7support services to provide full-day care.
8(9) Submit the results of the needs assessment and the local
9priorities identified by the local planning council to the county
10board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools for
11approval before submitting them to the department.
12(10) Identify at least one, but not more than two, members to
13serve as part of the department team that reviews and scores
14proposals for the provision of services funded through contracts
15with the department.
Local planning council representatives may
16not review and score proposals from the geographic area covered
17by their own local planning council. The department shall notify
18each local planning council whenever this opportunity is available.
19(c) The department shall, in conjunction with the State
20Department of Social Services and all appropriate statewide
21agencies and associations, develop guidelines for use by local
22planning councils to assist them in conducting needs assessments
23that are reliable and accurate. The guidelines shall include
24acceptable sources of demographic and child care data, and
25methodologies for assessing child care supply and demand.
26(d) The department shall allocate funding within each county
27in accordance with the priorities identified by the local planning
28council of that county and submitted to the department pursuant
29to this section, unless the priorities
do not meet the requirements
30of state or federal law.
O
95