BILL NUMBER: SB 244	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 1, 2009
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 20, 2009
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 4, 2009
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 31, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Wright
   (Coauthors: Senators Alquist, Hancock, and Liu)

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2009

   An act  to amend Sections 8227, 8236, 8263, 8301, 8499.5,
and 79121 of, and to add Sections 8210 and 8499.11 to, the Education
Code, and to amend Sections 401 and 16001.9 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code,   relating to children's services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 244, as amended, Wright. Children's services: high-risk
children. 
   (1) The Child Care and Development Services Act requires the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer child care and
development programs that provide a full range of services for
eligible children from infancy to 13 years of age.  

   Existing law authorizes funds appropriated for child care and
development services to be used for alternative payment programs, and
requires alternative payment agencies in each county to design,
maintain, and administer a countywide centralized eligibility list
that includes specified information relating to child
characteristics.  
   This bill would require the central eligibility list also to
include certain additional information, including whether a child
from birth to 5 years of age is in the foster care system, in
relative care or reunification, formerly in the foster care system
and recently adopted, homeless, or has a custodial parent who meets
certain criteria.  
   (2) Existing law requires the Superintendent to administer all
California state preschool programs, and requires applicants and
contracting agencies to give priority to 3- or 4-year-old neglected
or abused children or children who are at risk of being neglected,
abused, or exploited, as specified. Existing law requires agencies,
after children in that first priority category are enrolled, to
enroll eligible 4-year-old children prior to enrolling eligible
3-year-old children.  
   This bill would further prioritize the enrollment of the children
in the 2nd category based on specified criteria, including children
who are in relative care or reunification, are formerly in the foster
care system and recently adopted, homeless, or have a custodial
parent who meets specified criteria.  
   (3) Existing law sets forth certain requirements for a family to
be eligible for federal and state subsidized child development
services.  
   This bill would include families with children from birth to 5
years of age who seek placement in a program operated by a licensed
child care provider or local educational agency who are in relative
care or reunification, were in the foster care system and recently
adopted, are homeless or are dependents of custodial parents who meet
specified criteria. The bill would make conforming changes. The bill
would also specify that those children have the right to continuous
enrollment if their residence or placement changes, except as
specified.  
   (4) Existing 
    Existing  law establishes the Early Learning Quality
Improvement System Advisory Committee, and requires the committee to
submit a report  containing recommendations for the creation of
an Early Learning Quality Improvement System, as specified,  to
the Legislature and the Governor by December 31, 2010.
   This bill would require the  committee to include
additional information in that report relating to the availability
and adequacy of high-quality child care and development programs for
certain children, including   State Department of
Education to conduct a study regarding the feasibility of providing
priority enrollment in high-quality child care and development
programs for  children from birth to 5 years of age who are in
the foster care system, in relative care or reunification, or were
formerly in the foster care system, who are at risk of abuse,
neglect, or exploitation, are homeless, or have a custodial parent
who meets specified criteria  . The department would be required
to report its findings to the Governor and to appropriate fiscal and
policy committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2010  .

   (5) Existing law provides for the establishment of local child
care and development planning councils, and requires each local
planning council to conduct an assessment of child care needs in the
county that includes all factors deemed appropriate by the local
planning council, as specified.  
   This bill would include among those factors the need for child
care for income-eligible children from birth to 5 years of age in
relative care or reunification, who have formerly been in the foster
care system and have recently been adopted, are homeless, or have a
custodial parent that meets specified criteria.  
   (6) The federal Head Start Act is established to promote school
readiness for children from lower income families. Existing law
states the Legislature's findings and declarations relating to
federal requirements for grantees of federal Head Start funds.
 
   This bill would express the Legislature's intent that when Head
Start and early Head Start programs perform community needs
assessments and determine local priorities, that they seriously
consider the needs of hidden populations and giving open slots to
income-eligible children who meet certain criteria, including
children who are in the foster care system or at risk of abuse,
neglect, or exploitation, among others.  
   (7) Existing law authorizes any county to institute a program of
advocates for pupils in foster care placement that uses educational
advocates to assist children in foster care through the educational
system, including facilitating the school enrollment of pupils in
foster care.  
   This bill would also require the advocate to facilitate the
enrollment of children in the foster care system in child care and
development programs.  
   (8) Existing law specifies that children in foster care have
certain rights, including the right to attend school. 

   This bill would also include the right to attend high-quality
child care and development programs. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    (a) The State Department of Education
shall conduct a study regarding the feasibility of providing priority
enrollment in high-quality child care and development programs for
children from birth to five years of age who are in the foster care
system, in relative care or reunification, or were formerly in the
foster care system, who are at risk of abuse, neglect, or
exploitation, are homeless, or have a custodial parent in the foster
care system, or are on probation or parole, or in a correctional or
residential treatment facility.  
   (b) The department shall report the findings of the study required
in subdivision (a) to the Governor and to appropriate fiscal and
policy committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2010.  All
matter omitted in this version of the bill appears in the bill as
amended in Senate, May 20, 2009 (JR11)