BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          SB 311 (Beall) - Child Care and Development Services Act:   
          preschool:  Alum Rock Union Elementary School District:  pilot  
          project
          
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          |Version: April 6, 2015          |Policy Vote: ED. 8 - 0          |
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          |Urgency: Yes                    |Mandate: No                     |
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          |Hearing Date:                   |Consultant: Jillian Kissee      |
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          This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.


          Bill  
          Summary:  This bill, an urgency measure, authorizes a pilot  
          project at Alum Rock Union Elementary School District (school  
          district) which allows the district to create a part-day  
          pre-school subsidy plan to meet the particular needs of families  
          in the school district until January 1, 2022.


          Fiscal  
          Impact:  
           Expanded eligibility:   This bill results in expanded  
            eligibility for the school district's part-day preschool by  
            allowing for self-certification of income eligibility and  
            allowing for children to participate in the program that are  
            older than four years old.  In addition, there is no  
            requirement in the bill for the school district to use  
            existing funds.  Therefore, this bill could result in  
            potentially significant costs to the state.  For example, a 1  







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            percent increase in the state's contract with the sponsoring  
            provider would be about $138,000.
           Administrative costs: this bill creates costs to develop an  
            eligibility part-day preschool subsidy plan and also includes  
            a reporting requirement to the Legislature and the department  
            regarding the progress and future of the pilot program.
           Cost pressure: Potential significant cost pressure to scale  
            this pilot statewide.

          Background:  Existing law establishes several programs providing subsidized  
          child care and development services that service low-income  
          families who are working, seeking work, in training, or  
          providing community service.  Existing law requires those  
          programs to include, but not be limited to, part-day age and  
          developmentally appropriate programs designed to facilitate the  
          transition to kindergarten for three- and four-year-old children  
          in educational development, health services, social services,  
          nutritional services, parent education and parent participation,  
          evaluation, and staff development.  These programs are  
          administered by the California Department of Education (CDE) and  
          require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to adopt rules  
          and regulations on eligibility, enrollment, family fees,  
          provider rates, and priority services.  (Education Code § 8235  
          and 8263)

          The California State Preschool Program - Part Day is a  
          three-hour educational program for children ages three- and  
          four- years of age that operates for a minimum of 3 hours daily  
          for a minimum of 175 days per year.  These programs are located  
          at elementary schools and provide personalized learning  
          experiences before children enter kindergarten.

          Children are eligible for the program if the family currently  
          receives aid, meets specified income eligibility requirements,  
          is homeless, or if the child is the recipient of protective  
          services, or has been identified as neglected, abused or  
          exploited (or at risk of such).  In addition, the family must  
          have need of the child care services due to specified social  
          service circumstances, employment training, or other specified  
          needs.

          The Budget Act of 2013 augmented funding for existing California  
          State Preschool Program contracts, thereby allowing these  
          contractors to provide additional services during fiscal year  








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          2013-2014. This additional funding was included in the base  
          funding for part-day preschool for fiscal year 2014-2015.   
          According to the author, it is the intent that this pilot  
          project will be funded within the existing resources provided to  
          the district in the 2014-15 fiscal year.


          Proposed Law:  
           This urgency measure establishes a pilot project with the Alum  
          Rock Union Elementary School District.  This district may  
          develop and implement an individualized eligibility part-day  
          preschool subsidy plan for children residing in the school  
          district, until January 1, 2022.

          Before implementing the plan, the school district, in  
          consultation with any preschool program and the Santa Clara  
          Office of Education, include eligibility for participation in  
          the preschool program based on: (1) the child's eligibility for  
          free or reduced-priced meals; and (2) whether the child is a  
          foster youth, as defined.  In addition, this bill allows  
          children up to the age of admission into first grade to be  
          allowed to participate in the preschool program.  These  
          eligibility requirements would supersede those established in  
          current law.

          The plan must be submitted to and approved by the Santa Clara  
          County Local Child Care Planning Council and the Early Education  
          and Support Division of the CDE.  Upon approval, the school  
          district, the Santa Clara Office of Education, and First 5 Santa  
          Clara must submit a final report to the Legislature and CDE, by  
          December 31, 2022 that provides recommendations as to whether  
          the pilot project should continue as a permanent program.

          This bill states that it will prevent needless hours and  
          paperwork to certify eligibility.  Further, it states that in  
          order to eliminate the barriers for families to access state  
          preschool and to remove the paperwork burden on families and  
          agencies in time for the new school year, it is necessary that  
          this act take effect immediately.  By connecting eligibility to  
          coincide with students that are eligible for free or reduced  
          priced meals, the school district will be able to self-certify  
          income eligibility and avoid procedures required in current law  
          to confirm income eligibility.  









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          Related  
     Legislation:1. AB 260 (Gordon, CH. 731, 2013) extends the individualized county  
          child care subsidy pilot plans for San Mateo County to July 1,  
          2018 and San Francisco County to July 1, 2016. 

          AB 1326 (Simitian, CH. 691, 2003) created a five-year child care  
          subsidy pilot program in San Mateo County that permitted the  
          county to revise its local child care system to meet the  
          particular needs of San Mateo County residents.



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