Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 427

Introduced by Assembly Member Weber

February 19, 2015

An act to begin delete amend Section 8970 of end delete begin insert add Section 8209.5 to end insert the Education Code, relating to early childhood education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 427, as amended, Weber. Early primary begin delete programs. end delete begin insert programs: child care services: eligibility: military families. end insert

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The Child Care and Development Services Act has a purpose of providing a comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective system of child care and development services for 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.

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This bill would exclude from income the amount of the basic allowance for housing provided to an individual who is on federal active duty, state active duty, active duty for special work, or Active Guard and Reserve duty in the military that is equal to the lowest rate of the allowance for the military housing area in which the individual resides for purposes of determining eligibility for child care and development services.

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Existing law provides various legislative declarations concerning early primary programs, including, among others, that it is the Legislature’s intent that school districts that establish an early primary program coordinate that program, whenever possible, with the Demonstration in Restructuring of Public Education program and, where applicable, with the county interagency children’s services coordinating council.

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This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

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(1) California is home to a large number of military personnel,
including 150,000 active duty personnel.

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(2) Military families are a unique population with unique
circumstances. The children of military families face constant
transition, including family mobility and parental deployment.

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(3) Military families move more than twice as often as civilian
families. Forty percent of officers and 60 percent of enlisted
personnel move during the school year. Thus, the lower the rank
of the military family member, the more often the family moves.

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(4) During a time of war, military families endure the strains
of long-term separation as one or both parents may be deployed
overseas.

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(5) During parental deployment children are often anxious,
stressed, and confused. Child care providers and preschools can
be places where stability and routine can provide security. The
routine helps to cushion the impact of parental deployment.

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(6) Early education can be a determining factor in the early
academic success of a pupil from a military family by providing
educational enrichment, as well as a stable and nurturing learning
environment.

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(b) Given these special circumstances, it is the intent of the
Legislature in enacting this act to ensure that military families
have access to the child care development services that their
children need.

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begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

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begin insert Section 8209.5 is added to the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert , to
read: end insert

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begin insert 8209.5. end insert   

For purposes of determining eligibility for services
offered pursuant to this chapter, the income of an individual who
is on federal active duty, state active duty, active duty for special
work, or Active Guard and Reserve duty in the military shall not
include the amount of the basic allowance for housing pursuant
to Section 403 of Title 37 of the United States Code provided to
the individual that is equal to the lowest rate of the allowance for
the military housing area in which the individual resides.

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begin delete

SECTION 1.  

Section 8970 of the Education Code is amended
to read:

8970.  

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) The Superintendent convened a Task Force on School
Readiness that prepared a report that included the following
findings and recommendations:

(1) Preschool and kindergarten programs have become more
academically oriented with an emphasis on paper and pencil “seat
work” and a decreased emphasis on other essential age-appropriate
curricular elements such as language development; familiarity
with stories, music, and oral language experiences; artistic
exploration; social interaction; and large muscle development.

(2) Assessment tests of questionable validity and reliability are
being used to delay children’s entrance to kindergarten or to place
them in a two-year kindergarten.

(3) An appropriate, integrated experiential curriculum should
be provided for children in preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1
to 3, inclusive.

(4) Programs should meet the special needs of our culturally
and linguistically diverse pupils as well as the needs of exceptional
children.

(5) Classroom organization and teaching methods should reflect
the heterogeneous skills and abilities of children in early primary
programs.

(6) School districts should be encouraged to develop
communication about linkages between programs for
four-year-olds, early primary programs, and the primary and
intermediate grades of elementary schools.

(7) The staff of early primary programs should receive
appropriate education, training, and remuneration.

(8) Programs should be offered full-day and also should provide
before- and after-school care.

(9) Assessment methods of children in early primary programs
should be drastically altered.

(10) Parental involvement should be encouraged.

(11) A public awareness campaign should be launched
describing appropriate learning practices for children in preschool,
kindergarten, and grades 1 to 3, inclusive.

(b) The Superintendent issued a Triennial Report on Publicly
Funded Child Development Programs that documents the
increasing numbers of low-income families eligible but unserved
by limited preschool and child care funds, and that presents policy
implications for staffing and funding issues.

(c) National studies show future benefits of early intervention
programs to society and immediate advantages to California
employers in the form of reduced absenteeism, improved worker
morale, and increased productivity.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that activities initiated as
a result of this chapter shall continue without regard to fiscal year
depending, when necessary, on continued funding.

(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that school districts that
establish an early primary program coordinate that program,
whenever possible, with the Demonstration of Restructuring in
Public Education program, established pursuant to Chapter 9
(commencing with Section 58900) of Part 31 and, where
applicable, with the county interagency children’s services
coordination council, established pursuant to Article 2
(commencing with Section 18986.10) of Chapter 12.8 of Part 6 of
Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

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