BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 598 (Calderon) - Child care: family child care home education networks ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: August 1, 2016 |Policy Vote: ED. 9 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: This bill codifies activities of family child care home education networks (networks). Fiscal Impact: Unknown, likely significant cost pressure related to codifying activities and existing practices of family child care home education networks. To the extent all contractors and providers are not currently satisfying all the duties being codified in this bill, additional resources would be needed to come into compliance with the new law, thereby putting pressure on state resources. For context, the total contract AB 598 (Calderon) Page 1 of ? value for the networks is $35 million, prior to the enactment of the Budget Act of 2016. If these activities constitute 5 percent of the total contract value, the statewide cost pressure could exceed $1 million. See staff comments. (General Fund) Background: Existing state law establishes the Child Care and Development Services Act to provide child care and development services as part of a coordinated, comprehensive, and cost effective system serving children from birth to 13 years old and their parents including a full range of supervision, health, and support services through full- and part-time programs. Child care and development services are defined as services designed to meet a wide variety of children's and families' needs while parents and guardians are working, in training, seeking employment, incapacitated, or in need of respite. (Education Code § 8200, et seq.) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to contract with entities organized under law to operate networks that support educational objectives for children in licensed family child care homes that serve families eligible for subsidized child care. Existing law lists requirements for the networks including: ensuring that provider services are of high quality and educationally and developmentally appropriate; recruiting and enrolling eligible families; and collecting family fees. Networks contract with the California Department of Education (CDE) to make payments to licensed family child care home providers, and to provide educational and support services to providers and to children and families eligible for state-subsidized child care and development services. (EC § 8245, 8246, and 8208) Proposed Law: This bill codifies activities of network contractors and providers. Specifically, this bill: Expands the required components of a network program to include: nutrition education and training, and maintenance of a developmental portfolio for each child that includes, among AB 598 (Calderon) Page 2 of ? other items, a child's work product and observations of the child. Requires a network contractor to do specified activities when completing the developmental profile for each child, including completing the developmental assessment profile selected by CDE and utilizing the developmental portfolio maintained by the provider, including provider observations of each child. Requires a network contractor to also: o Develop and implement a plan for timely payment to providers; o Conduct a parent survey as directed by the CDE; o Ensure that parent conferences are offered to the parent of each enrolled child; o Support 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; o Offer providers at least 12 hours annually of training and technical assistance, as specified, in group or individual settings. o Employ at least one child development specialist who has educational qualifications equivalent to a child development teacher permit to provide training, technical assistance, and coaching to providers; and AB 598 (Calderon) Page 3 of ? o Maintain a signed agreement, including specified components, with each affiliated provider and an authorized representative of the network. Expands beyond current law the requirement that a network contractor conduct periodic assessments of program quality to require the network contractor to conduct no less than six site visits to each affiliated provider in a program year to conduct assessments and provide technical assistance, training, and support. Requires a provider in a network to adopt and use a curriculum appropriate for the ages of the children in the home. Allows a contractor to adopt a policy limiting the curricula acceptable within its network. Requires a provider in a network to, among other things, provide age and developmentally appropriate educational activities for children; provide parenting education, as specified; provide nutrition that is consistent with federal standards; work in consultation with the contractor to complete the developmental profile for each child, as specified; and obtain no less than 12 hours of professional training per year and maintain documentation of the training for three years. Related Legislation: SB 1154 (Liu, 2016) codifies the duties of child care resource and referral programs (R&R), many of which are included in state regulations. R&Rs provide information and services related to child care to all parents regardless of income and to all providers. This bill (AB 598) similarly codifies the duties of the networks which provide information and services specifically to family home child care providers and contractors. SB 1154 failed passage in this committee. AB 598 (Calderon) Page 4 of ? Staff Comments: According to the author, this bill codifies the expectations for both the contracting agency and the provider in administering child care programs within home settings. Family child care home education networks were codified in the Education Code through Chapter 897, Statutes of 2004 (AB 379, Mullin). However, the CDE has contracted with networks for over 30 years under the General Child Care and Development Program, though their duties are not codified in statute. AB 379 established a second type of network, the California Family Child Care Home Education Network. This bill would further codify its activities. According to the CDE, it contracts with 33 agencies that provide service to 2,625 children via 799 family child care home providers. Under the General Child Care and Development program authority, there are 60 agencies serving 4,503 children. Some agencies hold contracts under both types of networks. While several of the activities appear to be required through regulations and contract funding terms and conditions, their codification creates a cost pressure for the specified activities. Codifying activities in statute makes activities an ongoing obligation whereas regulations can be more easily amended or deleted. Also, to the extent all contractors and providers are not currently satisfying all the duties being codified, such as six site visits in a program year, providing 12 hours of professional training, or employing at least one child development specialist who has educational qualifications equivalent to a child development teacher permit, additional resources would be needed to come into compliance with the new law, thereby putting pressure on state resources. The total contract value for family child care home education networks is $35 million, prior to the enactment of the Budget Act of 2016. If these activities constitute 5 percent of the total contract value, the statewide cost pressure could exceed $1 million. -- END -- AB 598 (Calderon) Page 5 of ?