BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                            



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                        SB 192|
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                                    THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 192
          Author:   Liu (D)
          Amended:  5/28/13
          Vote:     21


           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE  :  7-1, 4/24/13
          AYES:  Liu, Block, Correa, Hancock, Hueso, Jackson, Monning
          NOES:  Huff
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Wyland

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  5-2, 5/23/13
          AYES:  De Le�n, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
          NOES:  Walters, Gaines


           SUBJECT  :    Early Learning and Educational Support Services

           SOURCE  :     Superintendent of Public Instruction


           DIGEST  :    This bill reorganizes and recasts the provisions of  
          the Early Learning and Educational Support Act, and requires the  
          Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) 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, program activities and  
          services that meet the needs of children with exceptional needs  
          and diverse abilities.  This bill requires certain information  
          to be given to parents who receive services from resource and  
          referral programs and alternative payment programs.


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           ANALYSIS  :    California's system of child care and early  
          education programs include:

          1.General Child Care and Development Programs use centers and  
            family child care home networks operated by either, public or  
            private agencies and schools.  These programs provide child  
            development services for children from birth to age 13 years.

          2.The California State Preschool Program consists of State  
            Preschool, Prekindergarten and Family Literacy, and  
            center-based general child care serving eligible three and  
            four-year olds.  These programs provide curriculum-based  
            instruction.

          3.Migrant Child Care and Development Programs serve children of  
            agricultural workers and are open for varying lengths of time  
            during the year, depending on the harvest activities in the  
            area.

          4.Resource and Referral Programs provide information to parents  
            about available child care in their area that meets the needs  
            of the parent and child.  These programs also provide services  
            such as training and coordination of community resources.

          5.Alternative Payment Programs help parents arrange child care  
            services and makes payments directly to the provider, which  
            may be in-home care, family child care or center-based care.

          6.Child Care and Development Services for Children with Special  
            Needs ensure that eligible children with exceptional needs are  
            given equal access to all child care and development programs.

          7.Family Child Care Home Education Networks support educational  
            objectives for children in licensed family child care homes  
            that serve families eligible for subsidized child care.

          8.Infant and Toddler Programs include supervision and group  
            care, educational stimulation, and health screening and  
            treatment.




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          This bill:

           1. Requires information to be provided to parents in the county  
             of service at the time the family is determined eligible for  
             services, and at recertification, by one of the following:

              A.    An alternative payment program.

              B.    A resource and referral program.

              C.    A partnership between the alternative payment program  
                and the resource and referral program.

           1. Requires the information to assist parents in making  
             informed choices about available types of care that would  
             both offer a safe, caring and age-appropriate early learning  
             and educational support environment for children, as well as  
             support the parents' work activities.

           2. Provides that the programs or partnership may develop local  
             resources that include:

             A.   Information regarding how to select services that meet  
               the needs of the parent and child.

             B.   Information on licensing requirements and procedures for  
               centers and family homes.

             C.   Trustline requirements for homes and providers exempt  
               from licensure.

             D.   A range of possible early learning and educational  
               support options from which a parent may choose.

             E.   Information on available care subsidies and eligibility  
               requirements.

             F.   Quality indicators, including provider or educator  
               training, accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio  
               of children to staff, environments that support the healthy  
               development of children, parent involvement, and  
               communication between the parent and provider.

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             G.   Information on quality rating and improvement systems,  
               where available.

           1. Provides that the SPI is to administer early learning and  
             educational support programs through direct classroom  
             services, which include:

             A.   The newly-termed direct classroom programs (includes  
               Title 5 programs currently known as General Child Care and  
               Development, Migrant Child Care and Development, Resource  
               and Referral Programs, Alternative Payment Programs, and  
               Infant Care and Development Services).  The effect is to  
               create an umbrella, called "direct classroom programs" to  
               encompass all center-based Title 5 programs.

             B.   State preschool programs.

             C.   Family child care home education networks.

             D.   Services for children with special needs.

           1. Renames beginning July 1, 2014, General Child Care and  
             Development, Migrant Child Care and Development, and  
             California State Preschool as "direct classroom programs."

           2. Requires the SPI to streamline the delivery of direct  
             classroom programs through the simplification of contracts  
             (for the Title 5 programs listed above).

           3. Shifts the ages within each staffing ratio category without  
             changing staffing ratios, as follows:

             A.   Current infants are 0-2 years.  This bill changes  
               infants to birth-18 months.

             B.   Current infants and toddlers are 0-2 years.  This bill  
               establishes a toddlers-only category of 18 months up age 3  
               years.

             C.   Current is children 3-6 years.  This bill modifies this  
               to preschool, at least 30 months to kindergarten  
               eligibility.


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             D.   Current is children 6-10 years.  This bill modifies this  
               to school age, enrolled in kindergarten to age 13 years.

             E.   Current is children 10-13.  This bill folds this age  
               bracket into the category for children age 6-13.

           1. Provides detail to the current description of permits or  
             credentials that authorize a person to be employed in an  
             instructional capacity.  This bill updates terminology and  
             specifies the minimum permits and credentials separately but  
             does not change staffing requirements.

           2. Expands the definition of "migrant agricultural worker  
             family" from a family that has earned at least 50% of its  
             total gross income, to a family with at least one parent that  
             has earned at least 50% of his/her income from employment in  
             fishing, agriculture, or agriculturally related work during  
             the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application  
             for services.

           3. Establishes provisions specific to the one migrant  
             alternative payment program in the state, to exempt that  
             provider from the existing requirements for second and third  
             tier priorities that other alternative payment programs must  
             meet.
           
          Miscellaneous

           1.Adds to the indicators of quality programs:

             A.   Use of California preschool learning foundations,  
               frameworks, and guidelines, and California early childhood  
               educator competencies.

             B.   Meeting children's instructional and developmental  
               needs.

             C.   Provision of positive teacher-child interactions.

          1.Prioritizes any future expansion funds for programs operating  
            classrooms located in the attendance area of elementary  
            schools ranked in deciles 1-3 on the Academic Performance  
            Index.


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          2.Changes the name of the Child Care and Development Services  
            Act to the Early Learning and Educational Support Act, and  
            changes references from "child care" to "early learning and  
            educational support" throughout child care provisions in the  
            Education Code.

          3.Specifies activities that are in support of the professional  
            development and preparation of educators and professionals in  
            the field of early learning and educational support services.

          4.Recasts the stated purpose of child care provisions to reflect  
            components of high-quality early education programs, such as  
            developmentally appropriate curriculum.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

                 Consolidation of contracts:  Potentially substantial  
               loss of state savings, likely millions of dollars annually,  
               as well as minor administrative costs to the CDE.  May  
               create additional cost pressure on Proposition 98 funds, by  
               effectively lifting the restriction on their use only for  
               part-day pre-school.

                 Expansion of "migrant family" definition:  Unknown,  
               potentially substantial loss of savings to the extent that  
               more families become eligible for Migrant Child Care and  
               Development services.

                 Conforming existing regulations:  CDE anticipates minor  
               costs of up to $20,000 to conform existing regulations to  
               statute amended in this bill.

                 Codified legislative intent language:  This bill  
               significantly expands codified legislative intent language  
               concerning programmatic expansion, state-supported staff  
               training, compensation and incentives, and the  
               implementation of a quality rating system; creates cost  
               pressure to implement declared intentions.

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/28/13)


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          Superintendent of Public Instruction (source)
          Advancement Project
          California Child Development Administrators Association
          California Teachers Association
          Child Care Law Center
          Child Development Resources
          Children Now
          Compton Unified School District
          Early Edge California
          Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
          Options - A Child Care and Human Services Agency
          San Mateo County Child Care Partnership Council


           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author, "Early  
          learning and child care services were codified in 1976.   
          California has worked to improve the quality of programs for  
          children through regional structures of quality improvement,  
          which is the foundation for California's Early Learning  
          Challenge Grant.  The code has not been substantially updated to  
          eliminate outdated programs, definitions, or practices."


          PQ:ej  5/28/13   Senate Floor Analyses 

                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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