Amended in Assembly April 2, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2111

Introduced by Assembly Member Ammiano

February 20, 2014

An act to add Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 8253) to Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of, and to repeal Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of Chapter 9 of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2 of, the Education Code, relating to child development services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2111, as amended, Ammiano. Child development services: pregnant and parenting teens: Cal-SAFE.

Existing law, the California School Age Families Education Program (Cal-SAFE), provides state funding and assistance to school districts and county superintendents of schools for the purpose of establishing comprehensive, continuous, community linked, school-based programs that focus on youth development and dropout prevention for pregnant and parenting pupils, and child care and development services for their children. Cal-SAFE requires participating entities to develop a county service coordination plan, which is required to contain specified information, including, but not limited to, the incidence of pregnant and parenting pupils receiving welfare aid by a method to be determined by the State Department of Education.

This bill would revise and recast the Cal-SAFE program. The bill would, among other things, specify that a Cal-SAFE program may provide for any or all of the supportive services for teen parents begin delete or any end delete begin insert , as specified, and an end insert early learning and educational support program for the begin insert voluntarily enrolled end insert children of the teen parents. The bill would authorize a school district, charter school, or county superintendent of schools to participate in a Cal-Safe program and would authorize the above entities to use funds appropriated according to the local control funding formula for purposes of the Cal-SAFE program. The bill would require the entities, if operating an early learning and educational support program for the children of teen parents participating in the Cal-SAFE program, to adhere to certain health, safety, and quality requirements, including that each child have a developmental profile. begin insert The bill would impose various other requirements. end insert

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.  

Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 8253) is
added to Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, to read:

 

Article 9.5.  California School Age begin delete Family end delete begin insert Families end insert Education
Program

 

8253.  

This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the
California School Age Families Education Program (Cal-SAFE).

8253.1.  

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that
school-based programs for begin delete pregnant end delete begin insert expectant end insert and parenting begin delete teens end delete
begin insert pupils end insert and their children offering a wide range of educational and
support services, including early learning and educational support
services, which begin during pregnancy and continue after
childbirth, have been successful in increasing school enrollment
and high school graduation rates, and reducing the incidence of
low birth weight babies and repeat pregnancies.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the operation
of comprehensive, continuous, and community linked school-based
programs that focus on youth development begin insert , reduction of chronic
school end insert begin insert -based absenteeism, end insert and dropout prevention for begin delete pregnant end delete
begin insert expectant end insert and parenting pupils and on early learning and
educational support services for their children for the purpose of
improving results for pupils and their children.

(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that these programs achieve
all the following goals:

(1) Pupils served who receive program services for one or more
years will earn a high school diploma or its equivalent or
demonstrate progress toward completion of educational goals.

(2) Pupils served who graduate will transition to postsecondary
education, including a technical school, or into the world of work.

(3) Pupils served and their children will not live their lives in
poverty.

(4) Pupils served will demonstrate effective parenting skills.

(5) Pupils served will not have a repeat birth or father a repeat
pregnancy before graduation from high school.

(6)  begin delete Pregnant end delete begin insert Expectant end insert pupils served will not have a low birth
weight baby.

(7) Children of enrolled teen parents in early learning and
educational support programs will receive services based upon the
assessed developmental and health needs of each child.

(8) Children of enrolled teen parents served will receive health
screening and immunizations except when the custodial parent
annually provides a written request for an exemption pursuant to
Section 49451 and Section 120365 of the Health and Safety Code.

(9) Children of enrolled teen parents served will have enhanced
school readiness, and demonstrate progress toward meeting their
assessed developmental goals.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that Cal-SAFE programs
should be begin delete integrated end delete begin insert coordinated end insert with any local Adolescent Family
Life programs begin insert , Nurse Family Partnership Home Visiting programs, end insert
and Cal-Learn programs in a manner that avoids duplication of
services.

8253.2.  

For the purposes of this article, the following
begin delete definitions end delete begin insert terms end insert have the following meanings:

(a) “Cal-SAFE” means the California School Age Families
Education Program.

(b) “Children” or “child” means the children or child of a teen
parent from the time of the child’s birth until enrollment either in
transitional kindergarten or kindergarten.

(c) “Early learning and educational support program” means
developmentally appropriate learning activities for the children of
teen parents that are provided when the child’s teen parent is, or
parents are, enrolled in and participating in a school-approved
activity during the school day.

begin insert

(d) “Intake process” means the interactive process upon
enrollment into the Cal-SAFE program to assess the services
needed by the teen parent that are deemed necessary to meet
program goals.

end insert begin delete

(d)

end delete

begin insert (e) end insert  “Local Control Funding Formula” means the funding
provided to county superintendents of schools, school districts,
and charter schools as provided pursuant to Chapter 12.5
(commencing with Section 2574) of Part 2 and Article 2
(commencing with Section 42238.02) of Chapter 7 of Part 24 of
Division 3 of Title 2.

begin delete

(e)

end delete

begin insert (f) end insert  “Teen parent” means a female who is pregnant or a male
who voluntarily identifies himself as the parent of an unborn child,
or who is the parent of a child, and is a minor begin insert of any age end insert or a
dependent adult, and who is enrolled in begin insert a school in end insert the school
district begin delete or end delete begin insert , end insert charter school begin insert , or school of the county superintendent
of schools end insert that provides services.

begin insert

(g) “Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Regulations”
means Public Law 92-318 and the regulations set forth in Section
106.1 and following of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
which, among other things, prohibit discrimination against pupils
because of their pregnant or parenting status.

end insert

8253.3.  

(a) As provided for in this article, a Cal-SAFE program
may provide any or all of the supportive services for teen parents
set forth in Section 8253.4 begin insert that are assessed to be needed through
an intake process relative to pupils who voluntarily enroll in the
program, end insert and may provide an early learning and educational
support program for the begin insert voluntarily enrolled end insert children of teen
parents.

(b) Participation by a school district, charter school, or county
superintendent of schools in a Cal-SAFE program is voluntary and
may be paid for with local control funding formula funds
appropriated to the school district, charter school, or county
superintendent of schools.

(c) Any school district, charter school, or county superintendent
of schools choosing to provide early learning and educational
support program services located on or near the schoolsite for the
children of teen parents begin delete participating in the Cal-SAFE program
using funds received pursuant to the local control funding formula,
or any other funds, end delete shall adhere to all of the following health,
safety, and quality requirements:

(1) Each child shall have a health evaluation form signed by a
physician, or the physician’s designee, before the child is allowed
on the school campus or is enrolled in an early learning and
educational support program. Health screening and immunization
shall not be required when the custodial parent annually files a
written request as provided for in Section 49451 and Section
120365 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) Each child shall have a developmental profile as specified
in subdivision (b) of Section 8203.5. This profile shall be used by
the program staff to design a program that meets the developmental
needs of the child.

(3) The child care site environment shall be safe, healthy, and
comfortable for children and staff, easily maintained, and
appropriate for meeting the developmental needs of the individual
child. Child care sites shall meet the health and safety requirements
specified in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 101151)
including Subchapter 2 (commencing with Section 101351) of
Division 12 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(4) The early learning and educational support component of
the Cal-SAFE program shall operate pursuant to applicable sections
of this chapter. In addition to meeting requirements of Section
8360, teachers shall have at least three semester units, or the
equivalent number of quarter units, of coursework related to the
care of infants and toddlers.

(5) The child care site shall be available as a laboratory for
parenting or related courses that are offered by the funded agency
with priority given to pupils whose children are enrolled in the
Cal-SAFE early learning and educational support program.

begin insert

(d) Cal-SAFE programs shall participate in the established data
collection and evaluation system to track outcomes and
effectiveness of programming.

end insert

8253.4.  

(a) In addition to providing an academic program that
meets applicable standards, school districts, charter schools, and
county superintendents of schools may provide supportive services
to teen parents begin insert in accordance with the intent of the local control
funding formula to improve the outcomes of high need pupil
populations end insert , including, but not limited to begin insert , end insert the following services:

(1) Parenting education and life skills instruction.

(2) Perinatal education and care, including childbirth
preparation.

(3) Safe home-to-school transportation.

(4) Case management services.

(5) Comprehensive health education, including reproductive
health.

(6) Nutrition education, counseling, and meal supplements.

(7) School safety and violence prevention strategies targeted to
expectant and parenting teens and their children.

(8) Academic support and youth development services, such as
tutoring, mentoring, and community service internships.

(9) Career counseling, preemployment skills, and job training.

(10) Substance abuse prevention education, counseling, and
treatment services.

(11) Mental health assessment, interventions, and referrals.

(12) Crisis intervention counseling services, including suicide
prevention.

(13) Peer support groups and counseling.

(14) Family support and development services, including
individual and family counseling.

(15) Child and domestic abuse prevention education, counseling,
and services.

(16) Enrichment and recreational activities, as appropriate.

(17) Services that facilitate transition to postsecondary
education, training, or employment.

(18) Support services for grandparents, siblings, and fathers of
children not enrolled in the Cal-SAFE program.

(19) Outreach activities to identify eligible pupils and to educate
the community about the realities of teen pregnancy and parenting.

(b) School districts, charter schools, and county superintendents
of schools may collaborate with local Adolescent Family Life
programs, Cal-Learn programs, or other local programs, regardless
of fund source, to provide the services in subdivision (a).

begin insert

(c) Teen parents may be enrolled in the Cal-SAFE program on
an open entry and open exit basis.

end insert begin insert

(d) Although the classroom is the recommended instructional
strategy, enrolled teen parents retain their right to voluntarily
participate in any comprehensive school or educational alternative
programs in which they could otherwise enroll and shall not
experience discrimination prohibited by the Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972 Regulations.

end insert begin insert

(e) An enrolled teen parent with an active special education
individualized education plan (IEP) and who meets the eligibility
criteria shall continue to receive services identified in the IEP
while concurrently enrolled in a Cal-SAFE program.

end insert begin insert

(f) A pupil may not be denied initial or continuous enrollment
in a Cal-SAFE program for any of the following reasons:

end insert begin insert

(1) The pupil has had multiple pregnancies.

end insert begin insert

(2) The pupil has more than one child.

end insert begin insert

(3) The pupil’s eligibility status changes from expectant to
parenting.

end insert begin insert

(g) A pupil or the pupil’s family shall not be assessed any fees
for services provided through the Cal-SAFE program.

end insert

SEC. 2.  

Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of
Chapter 9 of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code
is repealed.