Amended in Senate May 31, 2016

Amended in Assembly January 21, 2016

Amended in Assembly January 14, 2016

Amended in Assembly January 4, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 598

Introduced by Assembly Member Calderon

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Rendon)

February 24, 2015

An act to amend Sections 8245 and 8246 of, to add Section 8248 to, and to repeal and add Section 8247 of, the Education Code, relating to child care.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 598, as amended, Calderon. Child care: family child care home education networks.

Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to contract with entities organized to operate family child care home education networks that support educational objectives for children in licensed family child care homes that serve families eligible for subsidized care. Existing law requires the family child care home education network programs to include certain begin delete things, end delete begin insert components, end insert including an assessment of each family child care home provider to ensure that services are of high quality and are educationally and developmentally appropriate. begin delete Existing law also requires each family child care home education network to do certain things, including assess the educational quality of the program offered in each family child care home in the network and ensure that a developmental profile is completed for each child in consultation with the provider. end delete

This bill would require that tools used to make these assessments be appropriate to family child care home begin delete settings. The bill would require the network to complete the developmental profile in collaboration with the provider by doing certain things, including conducting a parent survey of a child’s developmental progress as directed by the department and incorporating it into the profile. The bill end delete begin insert settings and end insert would require a family child care home education network begin insert program end insert to include the maintenance of a developmental begin delete portfolio, end delete begin insert portfolio for each child, end insert as provided. begin delete The bill would also require a family child care home education network to conduct a minimum of 9 site visits to each affiliated provider in a calendar year, as provided, among other things. end delete

begin delete

Existing law provides that the above laws do not impose any new requirements on a family child care home education network nor does it require any increase in reimbursement rates.

end delete begin insert

Existing law imposes various requirements on family child care home education network contractors, including ensuring that a developmental profile is completed for each child.

end insert begin insert

This bill would impose additional requirements on those contractors, including that the developmental profiles specified above be completed in accordance with the provider’s observations, conducting site visits, and offering training and technical assistance, as specified.

end insert

This bill would delete begin delete this law. end delete begin insert a provision specifying that the provisions relating to family child care home education networks do not impose any new requirements on a family child care home education network or require any increase in reimbursement rates. end insert

The bill would begin delete require a provider in a end delete begin insert also impose various duties on end insert family child care home education network begin insert providers, including requiring those providers end insert to adopt and use a curriculum begin delete or curricula of the provider’s choosing that is appropriate for the age range of children in the home. The bill would also impose additional duties on providers, including providing end delete begin insert and to provide end insert age and developmentally appropriate educational activities for children.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 8245 of the Education Code is amended
to read:

8245.  

(a) The Superintendent, with funds appropriated for this
purpose, shall contract with begin delete contracting end delete begin insert authorized end insert entities to
operate family child care home education networks that support
educational objectives for children in licensed family child care
homes that serve families eligible for subsidized child care.

(b) Family child care home education network programs shall
include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Age and developmentally appropriate activities for children.

(2) Care and supervision of children.

(3) Parenting education.

(4) Identification of child and family social or health needs and
referral of the child or the family to the appropriate social or health
services.

begin delete

(5) Nutrition.

end delete begin insert

(5) Nutrition education and training.

end insert

(6) Training and support for the family child care home
education network’s family home providers and staff.

(7) Assessment of each family child care home provider to
ensure that services are of high quality and are educationally and
developmentally appropriate. Tools used to make an assessment
shall be appropriate to family child care home settings.

(8) Developmental profiles for children enrolled in the program.

(9) Maintenance of a folder, known as a developmental portfolio,
for each child that includes, among other items, a child’s work
product and observations of the begin delete child by the provider, the child
development specialist, or both. end delete begin insert child. end insert

(10)  begin delete Parent end delete begin insert Opportunities for parent end insert involvement.

SEC. 2.  

Section 8246 of the Education Code is amended to
read:

8246.  

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert A family child care home education network
contractor, in addition to the requirements set forth in subdivision
(b) of Section 8245, shall do all of the following:

begin delete

(a)

end delete

begin insert (1) end insert  Recruit, enroll, and certify eligible families.

begin delete

(b)

end delete

begin insert (2) end insert  Recruit, train, support, and reimburse licensed family home
providers.

begin delete

(c)

end delete

begin insert (3) end insert   begin delete Collect end delete begin insert Ensure collection of end insert family fees in accordance with
contract requirements.

begin delete

(d)

end delete

begin insert (4) end insert  Assess, according to standards set by the department, the
educational quality of the program offered in each family child
care home in the network using assessment tools that are
appropriate to family child care home settings.

begin delete

(e)

end delete

begin insert (5) end insert   begin delete Ensure that end delete begin insert Complete end insert a developmental profile begin delete is completed end delete
for each child based upon observations of network staff, begin insert and end insert in
begin delete collaboration end delete begin insert accordance end insert with the begin delete provider, end delete begin insert provider’s
observations, end insert by doing at least begin delete all end delete begin insert both end insert of the following:

begin delete

(1)

end delete

begin insert (A) end insert   begin delete Collaboratively end delete begin insert In consultation with the provider, end insert completing
the developmental child assessment profile selected by the
department. The contractor’s child development specialist shall
sign the developmental profile.

begin delete

(2)

end delete

begin insert (B) end insert  Utilizing the developmental portfolio, as described in
paragraph (9) of subdivision (b) of Section 8245, maintained by
the provider, including provider observations of each child.

begin delete

(3) Conducting

end delete

begin insert (6) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Conduct end insert a parent survey begin delete concerning his or her child’s
developmental progress end delete as directed by the begin delete department and
incorporate it into the developmental profile. end delete begin insert department. end insert

begin delete

(f)

end delete

begin insert (7) end insert  Ensure that parent conferences are offered to the parent of
each enrolled child. The parent may decline a parent conference.

begin delete

(g) Monitor requirements, including quality standards, and
conduct periodic assessments of program quality in each family
child care home affiliated with the network.

end delete begin delete

(h) Ensure that basic health and nutrition requirements are met.

end delete begin insert

(8) Monitor each family child care home affiliated with the
network to ensure that requirements are met, including, but not
limited to, basic health, nutrition, and quality standards.

end insert begin delete

(i)

end delete

begin insert (9) end insert  Provide data and reporting in accordance with contract
requirements.

begin delete

(j)

end delete

begin insert (10) end insert  Conduct begin delete a minimum of nine end delete begin insert no less than six end insert site visits to
each affiliated provider in a begin delete calendar end delete begin insert program end insert year for purposes
of conducting assessments and providing technical assistance,
training, and support.

begin delete

(k)

end delete

begin insert (11) end insert  Support the affiliated providers in meeting the standards
for program quality by reviewing, observing, and assessing the
providers’ program components, and providing technical assistance,
training, and coaching.

begin delete

(l)

end delete

begin insert (12) end insert  Offer providers at least 12 hours begin insert annually end insert of training and
technical assistance in group or individual settings. begin delete Trainings end delete
begin insert Training end insert may include, but begin delete are end delete begin insert is end insert not limited to, the following:

begin delete

(1)

end delete

begin insert (A) end insert  Age and developmentally appropriate educational practices
and activities for children.

begin delete

(2)

end delete

begin insert (B) end insert  Appropriate care and supervision of children.

begin delete

(3) Parenting and parent involvement in the development of
children.

end delete begin insert

(C) Engaging parents in the program and providing parenting
information on age-appropriate child development and activities.

end insert begin delete

(4)

end delete

begin insert (D) end insert  Menu planning and nutrition begin delete information, unless this is
provided by a United States Department of Food and
Agriculture-funded program. end delete begin insert information. end insert

begin delete

(5)

end delete

begin insert (E) end insert  Provider and family communication.

begin delete

(6)

end delete

begin insert (F) end insert  Understanding the developmental measures of the
developmental profile child assessment instrument.

begin delete

(7)

end delete

begin insert (G) end insert  Individualizing the provider’s program to meet the needs
of each child in the provider’s care by using the results of the
developmental profile.

begin delete

(m)

end delete

begin insert (13) end insert  Employ at least one child development begin delete specialist, who shall
have end delete begin insert specialist who has end insert educational qualifications equivalent to a
child development teacher permit, to provide training, technical
assistance, and coaching to providers. Notwithstanding any other
law, family child care home education network begin delete contractors end delete
begin insert providers end insert shall not be required to employ individuals with child
development teacher permits.

begin delete

(n)

end delete

begin insert (14) end insert  Maintain a signed, written agreement with each affiliated
provider and an authorized representative of the family child care
home education network. The agreement shall include, but not be
limited to, all of the following:

begin delete

(1)

end delete

begin insert (A) end insert  The provider’s status as an independent contractor with the
family child care home education network.

begin delete

(2)

end delete

begin insert (B) end insert  The provider’s nondiscrimination policy.

begin delete

(3)

end delete

begin insert (C) end insert  The established reimbursement rates.

begin insert

(b) A family child care home education network contractor is
not required to maintain a parent advisory committee.

end insert

SEC. 3.  

Section 8247 of the Education Code is repealed.

SEC. 4.  

Section 8247 is added to the Education Code, to read:

8247.  

(a) A provider in a family child care home education
network shall adopt and use a curriculum or curricula, of the
provider’s choosing, appropriate for the age range of children in
the home.

(b) In order to ensure educational quality for children, the
contractor may adopt a policy limiting the curricula acceptable
within its network. The policy shall include not less than three
curricula, and the contractor may approve begin delete provider developed end delete
begin insert provider-developed end insert curricula if they are educational and appropriate
for the age ranges of children in the homes.

SEC. 5.  

Section 8248 is added to the Education Code, to read:

8248.  

(a) A provider shall do all of the following:

(1) Provide age and developmentally appropriate educational
activities for children.

(2) Provide care and supervision of children.

(3) Provide parenting education to parents. Parenting education
may include, but is not limited to, general program information
and formal or informal parent conferences and exchange of
information about the development, needs, and skills of the parents’
child or children.

(4) Identify child and family social service or health needs, and
share those needs with the contractor.

(5) Provide nutrition that is consistent with standards of the
Child and Adult Care Food Program of the United States
Department of Agriculture.

(6)  begin delete Collaborate end delete begin insert Work in consultation end insert with the contractor begin delete in
completion of end delete begin insert to complete end insert the developmental profile for each child,
including doing all of the following:

(A)  begin delete Collaborating in completion of end delete begin insert In consultation with the
contractor, complete end insert the developmental profile child assessment
instrument.

(B)  begin delete Maintaining end delete begin insert Maintain end insert a developmental portfolio, as
described in paragraph (9) of subdivision (b) of Section 8245, for
each child that includes items produced by the child. A copy of
this portfolio shall be shared with the family child care home
education network contractor for purposes of department review.

(C)  begin delete Maintaining end delete begin insert Maintain end insert observations begin delete of the child, end delete and other
documentation of the child’s skills.

(D)  begin delete Conducting or participating end delete begin insert Conduct or participate end insert in parent
begin delete conferences, end delete begin insert conferences end insert per contractor policies.

(7) Provide the contractor with copies of all citations issued to
the provider by the Community Care Licensing Division of the
State Department of Social Services within five calendar days of
the issuing date of the citation.

(8) Obtain no less than 12 hours of professional training per
year, and maintain documentation of the training for three years.
Training may include group or individual training provided by the
contractor, or training provided by other qualified individuals or
organizations.

(b) A provider may, but is not required to, encourage parent
involvement in the provider’s begin delete home end delete begin insert family child care end insert program.

(c) A provider is not required to maintain a parent advisory

begin delete committee, as required by center contractors. end delete begin insert committee. end insert