BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2463
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2463 (Brownley)
As Amended May 28, 2010
Majority vote
HUMAN SERVICES 6-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Beall, Tom Berryhill, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Ammiano, |
| |Ammiano, Hall, Logue, | |Bradford, |
| |Swanson | |Charles Calderon, Coto, |
| | | |Davis, Monning, Ruskin, |
| | | |Skinner, Solorio, |
| | | |Torlakson, Torrico |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Miller, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby |
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SUMMARY : Codifies responsibilities of the statewide child care
resource and referral network. Specifically, this bill :
1) Deletes obsolete funding language to the child care and
development resource and referral agency (R&R agency), and
instead, makes a general funding allocation statement to
these agencies. Section 2
2) Clarifies the prohibition of releasing lists of small
family child care providers except to certain entities
including state funded R&R agency programs by adding
corresponding language from the Health & Safety Code to the
Education Code; and further creates an exception to this
prohibition when it is necessary to share the lists with
federal, state, and local emergency response efforts.
Section 3
3) 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. Since that time, any of those funds have been
reallocated to Alternative Payment Programs (APP), most of
whom work closely and/or are under the same agency as the
R&R. These funds have been co-mingled with APP funds to
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serve at-risk families and the service is no longer under
the auspice of R&R services. Section 4
4) Adds a code section for a written complaint procedure
process to conform to existing R&R regulations. Section 5
5) Adds language specifying that the basic child care
referral is at no cost to all persons requesting services
and a fee for an enhanced referral to conform to R&R
regulations. Section 6
6) Adds language to explain two different Child Care
Initiative Projects: State Program-California Child Care
Initiative Project and the other, Quality Plan Program -
California Child Care Initiative Projects. Section 7 and 8
7) Adds language to clarify the role of the R&R in
providing maximum parent choice and maximum access to
services in order to conform to existing R&R regulations.
Section 9
8) Adds a new code section outlining the R&Rs role in
Trustline implementation for license-exempt providers and
to provide a cross-reference to the Education Code.
Section 10
9) Makes various technical changes.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, no significant costs associated with this
legislation.
COMMENTS : According to the author, the California Child Care
Resource and Referral Network (Network) is at the forefront of
the oldest, most well-established system of child care resource
and referral (R&R) agencies in the United States. The Network
combines practical knowledge at the local level with extensive
experience in working on state and national child care policy.
Over the past thirty years, California's R&R services have
evolved from a grassroots effort helping parents find child
care, to a well-developed system that supports parents,
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providers, and local communities in finding, planning for, and
providing affordable, quality child care. R&Rs are the only
state and federally-funded programs that serve all parents
regardless of income and all types of child care providers.
California has allocated state funds for the local R&Rs to
provide services since 1976. The R&R funding has grown from
$900,000 in 1976 to a current budget in FY 2009-2010 of
$19,438,000, a mixture of state and federal funds ($3.6 million
in federal funding).
Every county in California is served by at least one R&R agency.
The Child Development Division of the California Department of
Education administers the R&Rs' state contracts. Over the last
two decades, R&R services have evolved from a grassroots effort
to help parents find child care, to a system that supports
parents, providers, and local communities in finding, planning
for, and providing affordable, quality child care. While R&R
agencies have evolved, the California Code which governs them
has not.
Amendments contained in this bill serve to clarify the role and
expertise of child care resource & referral programs in every
county throughout California to provide the following services:
1)Ensure that all families have access to information to make
the best child care choices to meet their family needs.
2)Support and develop the child care profession through
training, education, outreach and resources.
3)Document and analyze the child care supply and demand at the
local and statewide levels and strive to improve the quality,
accessibility and affordability of child care.
4)Educate and inform the community about child care needs,
parent needs and available resources.
5)Ensure the integration of child care resource and referral
services in the development and implementation of any quality
improvement system.
The sponsor, the Network, states that this bill updates and
clarifies tasks performed by R&R programs many of which are
required in the contract Funding Terms & Conditions under
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Section IV Community Assistance. The Network has been working
with its members over a two-year period and the amendments
contained in this bill is the product of that effort.
Analysis Prepared by : Frances Chacon / HUM. S. / (916)
319-2089
FN: 0004744