BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: SB 1154
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Author: |Liu |
|-----------+-----------------------------------------------------|
|Version: |February 18, 2016 Hearing |
| |Date: March 30, 2016 |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Consultant:|Olgalilia Ramirez |
| | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Child care and development services: resource and
referral programs
NOTE : This bill has been referred to the Committees on
Education and Human Services. A "do pass" motion should include
referral to the Committee on Human Services.
SUMMARY
This bill updates, clarifies and codifies the duties and
responsibilities of child care resource and referral programs.
BACKGROUND
Existing law authorizes funds appropriated for purposes, of the
act to be used for child care resource and referral programs,
which may be operated by public or private nonprofit entities
and are required to provide certain information and services to
parents and child care providers relating to child care services
in a defined geographic area. (Education Code § 8211, et seq.)
ANALYSIS
This bill updates, clarifies, and codifies the duties and
responsibilities of child care R&Rs. Specifically, this bill:
1) Requires that the provisions of law related to child care
resource and referral programs be known and cited as, the
SB 1154 (Liu) Page 2
of ?
"Patricia Siegel Child Care Resources and Referral Memorial
Act."
2) States that child care R&Rs are unique in that services are
provided to all parents regardless of income and to all
types of child care providers.
3) Makes a number of changes regarding the administration of
child care referral services. Specifically it,
a) Requires that the referral process be
described in writing and available to all parents and
providers on request, regardless of income level or
eligibility requirements.
b) Includes a cross-reference to the
Health & Safety Code regarding the authority to limit
the distribution of the list of small family day care
homes.
c) Adds use of e-mail to the methods used to provide
information to parents.
d) Clarifies that basic child care
referral shall be at no cost to anyone requesting
services.
e) Specifies that a basic referral
includes the name and phone number of the providers
referred and other specified information related to
the maximization of parental choice.
f) Authorizes a fee for an enhanced
referral that includes more information than a basic
referral.
g) Specifies additional services an R&R
program may provide to child care providers.
h) Adds a written complaint procedure
process to conform to existing R&R regulations.
i) Expands documentation of requests for service to
include:
SB 1154 (Liu) Page 3
of ?
i) Inquiries about child care
supply information including the number of
licensed child care programs.
ii) Requests for other child care
information not otherwise specified.
4) Expands specified options for technical assistance to
include:
a) Training and workshops on health and
safety, child development, special needs and other
topics related to professional development.
b) Dissemination of information to
specified entities regarding community resources,
child care statistics, and the opening a child care
business.
c) Collaboration with community partners
and local county welfare services.
d) Assistance in planning and improving child care
in local communities.
e) Assistance in advising on potential expansion of
child care services.
5) Requires resource and referral programs (R&Rs) to provide
professional development services to support the
development of new child care services and improve program
quality.
6) Clarifies the role of R&Rs in providing maximum parent
choice and maximum access to services in order to conform
to existing R&R regulations and requires R&Rs to provide
parents with information related to:
a) Selection child care that meets the needs of the
parent and child.
b) Licensing requirements.
SB 1154 (Liu) Page 4
of ?
c) Eligibility for subsidized care.
d) Child care alternatives.
7) Outlines the referral process for an agency operating both
a direct service program and referral program in cases
where fewer than four providers meet the parent's needs.
8) Outlines the R&Rs role in the implementation of Trustline
for license-exempt providers and provides a cross-reference
to the Health & Safety Code.
9) Clarifies that there are state and local distinctions to
the California Child Care Initiative Project.
10) Clarifies the requirement to remove a child care provider
whose license has been revoked or suspended from the list
of providers within two business days upon notification
from the State Department of Social Services Community Care
Licensing Division.
11) Repeals a code section regarding funding that was provided
for R&Rs to serve families under stress who needed short
term assistance to avoid the Child Protective Service
system as this service is no longer under the auspice of
R&R services.
12) Makes a technical cross reference correction regarding
funding for R&Rs.
13) Deletes obsolete language that identified a fixed amount of
funding for R&Rs, and instead makes a general funding
allocation statement with regard to R&Rs.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill. According to the author, current law
related to child care resource and referral programs is
outdated and does not adequately represent the
responsibilities of R&Rs or services offered. The author
asserts that the updated language will standardize services
statewide while ensuring that families from each region
receive the same basic referral and child care services.
SB 1154 (Liu) Page 5
of ?
2) Patricia Siegel. This bill requires the provisions of law
related to child care resource and referral programs (R&Rs)
to be known and cited as, the "Patricia Siegel Child Care
Resources and Referral Memorial Act." In 1980, Patricia
Siegel founded and became executive director of the
California Child Care Resource and Referral Network. The
Network aims to promote accessible, affordable, quality
child care. Its membership consists of R&Rs from across the
state.
3) R&R Programs. Every county in California is served by at
least one R&R program. The California Department of
Education administers the R&Rs' state contracts. The roles,
responsibilities, and requirements that R&Rs are required
to meet, are contained in the Education Code, Health &
Safety Code, regulations and in the Funding Terms and
Conditions developed by the Department of Education.
4) Why codify? This bill codifies existing duties and
responsibilities of R&Rs. Consolidating the many references
to R&Rs in the Health & Safety Code, regulations and the
Funding Terms and Conditions under a single Act of the
Education Code may provide greater awareness of, and
compliance with, roles, responsibilities, and requirements.
However, codification could create cost pressure to
provide additional funding for the services specified in
this bill.
5) Prior legislation. AB 2364 (Brownley) similar to this
bill, proposed to update and make clean up changes to the
child care and resource and referral (R&R) statutes. AB
2364 passed this Committee and was subsequently held in
Senate Appropriations.
SUPPORT
California Alternative Payment Program Association
California Federation of Teachers
Child Care Alliance Los Angeles
Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County
Northern Director's Group
Siskiyou Child Care Council
OPPOSITION
SB 1154 (Liu) Page 6
of ?
None received.
-- END --