AB 427, as amended, Weber. Early primary programs: child care services: eligibility: military families.
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.
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.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(1) California is home to a large number of military personnel,
4including 150,000 active duty personnel.
5(2) Military families are a unique population with unique
6circumstances. The children of military families face constant
7transition, including family mobility and parental deployment.
8(3) Military families move more than twice as often as civilian
9families. Forty percent of officers and 60 percent of enlisted
10personnel move during the school
year. Thus, the lower the rank
11of the military family member, the more often the family moves.
12(4) During a time of war, military families endure the strains of
13long-term separation as one or both parents may be deployed
14overseas.
15(5) During parental deployment children are often anxious,
16stressed, and confused. Child care providers and preschools can
17be places where stability and routine can provide security. The
18routine helps to cushion the impact of parental deployment.
19(6) Early education can be a determining factor in the early
20academic success of a pupil from a military family by providing
21educational enrichment, as well as a stable and nurturing learning
22environment.
23(b) Given these special circumstances, it is the intent of the
24Legislature in enacting this act to ensure that military families have
25access to the child care development services that their children
26need.
Section 8209.5 is added to the Education Code, to
28read:
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insert For purposes of determining eligibility for services
30offered pursuant to this chapter, the income of an individual who
31is on federal active duty, state active duty, active duty for special
32work, or Active Guard and Reserve duty in the military shall not
33include the amount of the basic allowance for housing pursuant to
34Section 403 of Title 37 of the United States Code provided to the
35individual that is equal to the lowest rate of the allowance for the
36military housing area in which the individual resides.
P3 1(b) This section does not affect the priorities for federal and
2state subsidized child development services established pursuant
3to subdivision (b) of Section 8263.
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