BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 379
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   January 21, 2004

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                              Darrell Steinberg, Chair

                   AB 379 (Mullin) - As Amended:   January 15, 2004

          Policy Committee:                              Human  
          ServicesVote:6-1

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill codifies the current practice of the California State  
          Department of Education (SDE) with regard to Family Child Care  
          Home Education Networks (FCCHENs). This bill will assure that  
          the FCCHENs comply with efforts to provide specified outcomes  
          for children. FCCHENs that contracted with SDE prior to January  
          1, 2005 are exempt from the provisions of this bill. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          No costs, as the bill simply codifies current practice.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . This bill will codify current practice and better  
            define the use, responsibilities and desired outcomes for  
            FCCHENs. 

           2)Background  . SDE has contracted with FCCHENs for over 30 years  
            to recruit, enroll, train and certify state-subsidized family  
            day care providers.  In addition, they collect family  
            co-payments. In 2001-02 more than 5,000 children were served  
            by FCCHENs, with 32 agencies represented. 
           
          3)Child Care Outcomes  . The SDE has developed an accountability  
            system for child care homes and centers, modeled on elementary  
            and secondary school models. These "desired outcomes" include  
            physical and motor competence; safe and healthy children; and  
            families achieve their children's learning and development.  
            According to SDE, this bill will increase its ability to hold  
            FCCHENs accountable for such outcomes.








                                                                  AB 379
                                                                  Page  2

           
          4)Related Legislation  . AB 56 (Steinberg) in 2003 proposed a  
            statewide system of school readiness centers for young  
            children, 3 and 4 years of age; lowered the minimum age of  
            compulsory education from age 6 to 5; and extended the minimum  
            day for kindergartners by 50 minutes. AB 56 is pending in this  
            committee.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081