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: May 28, 2015 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee |
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SUSPENSE FILE. AS AMENDED.
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 (as approved on May 28,
2015):
Local costs: Absorbable within existing resources to implement
the pilot program.
Administrative costs: Minor and absorbable to the California
Department of Education (CDE) related to contract monitoring
and review of the pilot plan and reports.
Cost pressure: Potential significant cost pressure to scale
this pilot statewide which would result in changes in
SB 311 (Beall) Page 1 of
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eligibility, allowing for self-certification of income
eligibility and allowing children to participate in the
program that are older than four years old.
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 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
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
Author Amendments (as adopted on May 28, 2015): Amendment
requires that implementation of the pilot program does not
result in additional state funding.
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