SB 192, as amended, Liu. Early learning and educational support services.
The Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, requires the Superintendent to administer child care and development programs that offer a full range of services for eligible children from infancy to 13 years of age and their parents, including a full range of supervision, health, and support services through full- and part-time programs.
This bill would reorganize and recast those provisions as the Early Learning and Educational Support Act, and would require the Superintendent to develop standards for the implementation of high-quality early learning and educational support programs based on certain indicia of quality, including, but not limited to, program activities and services that meet the needs of children with exceptional needs and diverse abilities. The bill would require certain information to be given to parents who receive services from resource and referral programs and alternative payment programs. The bill would delete obsolete provisions, make other related and conforming changes, and make nonsubstantive changes.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The heading of Chapter 2 (commencing with
2Section 8200) of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education
3Code is amended to read:
4
Section 8200 of the Education Code is amended to
9read:
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
11Early Learning and Educational Support Act.
Section 8201 of the Education Code is amended to
13read:
The purpose of this chapter is as follows:
15(a) To provide a comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective
16system of early learning and educational support services for
17children from infancy to 13 years of age and their parents, including
18a full range of supervision, health, and support services through
19full- and part-time programs.
20(b) To encourage community-level coordination in support of
21early learning and educational support services.
22(c) To provide an environment that is healthy and nurturing for
23all children in early learning and educational support programs.
24(d) To provide the opportunity for positive parenting to take
25place through understanding of human growth and development.
26(e) To reduce strain between parent and child in order to prevent
27abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
28(f) To enhance the cognitive development of children, with
29particular emphasis upon those children who require special
30assistance, including bilingual capabilities to attain their full
31potential.
32(g) To establish a framework for the expansion of early learning
33and educational support services.
34(h) To empower and encourage parents and families of children
35who require early learning
and educational support services to take
36responsibility to review the safety of the program or facility and
37to evaluate the ability of the program or facility to meet the needs
38of the child.
Section 8202 of the Education Code is amended to
2read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that:
4(a) All families have access to early learning and educational
5support services, through resource and referral services, where
6appropriate, regardless of ethnic status, cultural background, or
7special needs. It is further the intent that subsidized early learning
8and educational support services be provided to persons meeting
9the eligibility criteria established under this chapter to the extent
10funding is made available by the Legislature and Congress.
11(b) The healthy physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth
12and development of children be supported.
13(c) Families achieve and maintain their personal, social,
14economic, and emotional stability through an opportunity to attain
15financial stability through employment, while maximizing growth
16and development of their children, and enhancing their parenting
17skills through participation in early learning and educational
18support programs.
19(d) Community-level coordination in support of early learning
20and educational support services be encouraged.
21(e) Families have a choice of programs that allow for maximum
22involvement in planning, implementation, operation, and evaluation
23of early learning and educational support programs.
24(f) Parents and families be fully informed of
their rights and
25responsibilities to evaluate the quality and safety of care programs,
26including, but not limited to, their right to inspect care licensing
27files.
28(g) Planning for expansion of early learning and educational
29support programs be based on ongoing local needs assessments.
30(h) The Superintendent, in providing funding to early learning
31and educational support agencies, promote a range of services that
32will allow parents the opportunity to choose the type of care most
33suited to their needs. The program scope may include the
34following:
35(1) Programs located in centers, family care homes, or in the
36child’s own home.
37(2) Services provided
part-day, full-day, and during nonstandard
38hours including weekend care, night and shift care, before and
39after school care, and care during holidays and vacation.
P5 1(3) Services provided for infants and toddlers, and preschool
2and schoolage children.
3(i) The Superintendent be responsible for the establishment of
4a public hearing process or other public input process that ensures
5the participation of those agencies directly affected by a particular
6section or sections of this chapter.
Section 8203 of the Education Code is amended to
8read:
The Superintendent shall develop standards for the
10implementation of high-quality early learning and educational
11support programs. Indicators of quality shall include, but not be
12limited to:
13(a) A physical environment that is safe and appropriate to the
14ages and developmental needs of the children and that meets
15applicable licensing standards.
16(b) Program activities and services that are age appropriate and
17meet the developmental needs of each child.
18(c) Program activities and services that meet the cultural and
19linguistic needs of children and
families.
20(d) Family and community involvement and engagement.
21(e) Parent education.
22(f) Efficient and effective local program administration.
23(g) Staff that possesses the appropriate and required
24qualifications or experience, or both. The appropriate staff
25qualifications shall reflect the diverse linguistic and cultural
26makeup of the children and families in the early learning and
27educational support program. The use of intergenerational staff
28shall be encouraged.
29(h) Program activities and services that meet the needs of
30children with exceptional needs and diverse abilities, and their
31families.
32(i) Support services for children, families, and providers of care.
33(j) Resource and referral services.
34(k) Alternative payment services.
35(l) Provision for nutritional needs of children.
36(m) Social services that include, but are not limited to,
37identification of child and family needs and referral to appropriate
38agencies.
P6 1(n) Developmental and health services, as defined in subdivision
2
(n) of Section 8208, that include referral of children to appropriate
3agencies for services.
Section 8203.5 of the Education Code is amended to
5read:
(a) The Superintendent shall ensure that each contract
7entered into under this chapter to provide early learning and
8educational support services, or to facilitate the provision of those
9services, promotes children’s school readiness and subsequent
10school success through the delivery of appropriate high-quality
11educational services to the children served pursuant to the contract.
12(b) The Superintendent shall ensure that all contracts for early
13learning services include a requirement that each provider maintain
14a developmental profile to appropriately identify the emotional,
15social, physical, and cognitive growth of each child served in order
16to promote the child’s success in the public
schools. To the extent
17possible, the department shall provide a developmental profile to
18all public and private providers using existing profile instruments
19that are most cost efficient. The provider of any program operated
20pursuant to a contract under Section 8262 shall be responsible for
21maintaining developmental profiles upon entry through exit from
22a program providing early learning services.
23(c) This section is not subject to Part 34 (commencing with
24Section 62000) of Division 4 of Title 2.
Section 8204 of the Education Code is amended to
26read:
In recognition of the demonstrated relationship between
28food and good nutrition and the capacity of children to develop
29and learn, it is the policy of this state that no child shall be hungry
30while in attendance in a facility as defined in subdivision (i) of
31Section 8208 and that these facilities have an obligation to provide
32for the nutritional needs of children in attendance.
Section 8205 of the Education Code is amended to
34read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that, in providing early
36learning and educational support programs, the Superintendent
37give priority to children of families that qualify under applicable
38federal statutes or regulations as recipients of public assistance
39and other low-income and disadvantaged families. Federal
P7 1reimbursement shall be claimed for any child receiving services
2under this chapter for whom federal funds are available.
Section 8206 of the Education Code is amended to
4read:
(a) The department is hereby designated as the single
6state agency responsible for the promotion, development, and
7provision of care of children in the absence of their parents during
8the workday or while engaged in other activities that require
9assistance of a third party or parties. The department shall
10administer the federal Child Care and Development Fund.
11(b) For purposes of this section, “Child Care and Development
12Fund” has the same meaning as in Section 98.2 of Title 45 of the
13Code of Federal Regulations.
14(c) The department may create a list of high-quality early
15learning and
educational support resources to demonstrate
16high-quality options available to parents. If the department creates
17a list of resources, the list shall be posted on the department’s
18Internet Web site and made available to both resource and referral
19programs and alternative payment programs.
Section 8208 of the Education Code is amended to
21read:
As used in this chapter:
23(a) “Alternative payments” includes payments that are made by
24an alternative payment program to a licensed or license-exempt
25care provider for the provision of early learning and educational
26support services, and payments that are made by an alternative
27payment program to a parent for the parent’s purchase of early
28learning and
educational support services.
29(b) “Alternative payment program” means a local government
30agency or nonprofit organization that has contracted with the
31department pursuant to Section 8220.1 to provide alternative
32payments and to provide support services to parents and providers.
33(c) “Applicant or contracting agency” means a school district,
34community college district, college or university, county
35superintendent of schools, county, city, public agency, private
36nontax-exempt agency, private tax-exempt agency, or other entity
37that is authorized to establish, maintain, or operate services
38pursuant to this chapter. Private agencies and parent cooperatives,
39duly licensed by law, shall receive the same consideration as any
P8 1other authorized entity with no loss of parental
decisionmaking
2prerogatives as consistent with the provisions of this chapter.
3(d) “Assigned reimbursement rate” is that rate established by
4the contract with the agency and is derived by dividing the total
5dollar amount of the contract by the minimum child day of average
6daily enrollment level of service required.
7(e) (1) “Attendance” means the number of children present at
8a facility where early learning and educational support services
9are provided.
10(2) For purposes of reimbursement for early learning services,
11attendance includes excused absences of children because of illness,
12quarantine, illness or quarantine of their parent, family emergency,
13or to spend time with a parent or other relative as
required by a
14court of law or that is clearly in the best interest of the child.
15(3) For purposes of reimbursement to providers through an
16alternative payment program, attendance includes any of the
17following:
18(A) The hours of service provided that are broadly consistent
19with certified hours of need.
20(B) For families with variable schedules, the actual days and
21hours of attendance up to the maximum certified hours.
22(C) In the case of license-exempt providers that provide
23part-time services, the actual days and hours of attendance.
24(4) For purposes of reimbursement to providers through an
25alternative
payment program, contractors shall not be required to
26track absences.
27(f) “Capital outlay” means the amount paid for the renovation
28and repair of facilities to comply with state and local health and
29safety standards, and the amount paid for the state purchase of
30relocatable facilities for lease to qualifying contracting agencies.
31(g) “Caregiver” means a person who provides direct care,
32supervision, and guidance to children in a child care and
33development facility.
34(h) “Child care” or “care” means services provided by all
35licensed or license-exempt providers, including, but not limited
36to, private for-profit, nonprofit, and publicly funded programs, for
37all children from birth to 13 years of age, including children
with
38exceptional needs and children from all linguistic and cultural
39backgrounds.
P9 1(i) “Child care and development facility” or “facility” means a
2residence or building or part of a residence or building in which
3early learning and educational support services are provided.
4(j) “Children at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation” means
5children who are so identified in a written referral from a legal,
6medical, or social service agency, or emergency shelter.
7(k) “Children with exceptional needs” means either of the
8following:
9(1) Infants and toddlers under three years of age who have been
10determined to be eligible for early intervention services pursuant
11to
the California Early Intervention Services Act (Title 14
12(commencing with Section 95000) of the Government Code) and
13its implementing regulations. These children include an infant or
14toddler with a developmental delay or established risk condition,
15or who is at high risk of having a substantial developmental
16disability, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 95014 of the
17Government Code. These children shall have active individualized
18family service plans, shall be receiving early intervention services,
19and shall be children who require the special attention of adults in
20a care setting.
21(2) Children 3 to 21 years of age, inclusive, who have been
22determined to be eligible for special education and related services
23by an individualized education program team according to the
24special education requirements contained in Part 30 (commencing
25with
Section 56000) of Division 4 of Title 2, and who meet
26eligibility criteria described in Section 56026 and, Article 2.5
27(commencing with Section 56333) of Chapter 4 of Part 30 of
28Division 4 of Title 2, and Sections 3030 and 3031 of Title 5 of the
29California Code of Regulations. These children shall have an active
30individualized education program, shall be receiving early
31intervention services or appropriate special education and related
32services, and shall be children who require the special attention of
33adults in a care setting. These children include children with
34intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments (including deafness),
35speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including
36blindness), serious emotional disturbance (also referred to as
37emotional disturbance), orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic
38brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning
39disabilities, who
need special education and related services
P10 1consistent with Section 1401(3)(A) of Title 20 of the United States
2Code.
3(l) “Closedown costs” means reimbursements for all approved
4activities associated with the closing of operationsbegin insert of migrant child
5care and development programs, as described in Article 9
6(commencing with Section 8230),end insert at the end of each growingbegin delete season begin insert seasonend insert.
7for early learning programs serving migrant populations pursuant
8to Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230)end delete
9(m) “Cost” includes, but is not
limited to, expenditures that are
10related to the operation of early learning and educational support
11programs. “Cost” may include a reasonable amount for state and
12local contributions to employee benefits, including approved
13retirement programs, agency administration, and any other
14reasonable program operational costs. “Cost” may also include
15amounts for licensable facilities in the community served by the
16program, including lease payments or depreciation, downpayments,
17and payments of principal and interest on loans incurred to acquire,
18rehabilitate, or construct licensable facilities, but these costs shall
19not exceed fair market rents existing in the community in which
20the facility is located. “Reasonable and necessary costs” are costs
21that, in nature and amount, do not exceed what an ordinary prudent
22person would incur in the conduct of a competitive business.
23(n) “Developmental and health services” include, but are not
24limited to, all of the following:
25(1) Referral, whenever possible, to appropriate health care
26providers able to provide continuity of medical care.
27(2) Developmental and health screening and health treatment,
28including a full range of immunization recorded on the appropriate
29state immunization form to the extent provided by the Medi-Cal
30Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of
31Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) and the Child
32Health and Disability Prevention Program (Article 6 (commencing
33with Section 124025) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 106 of
34the Health and Safety Code), but only to the extent that ongoing
35care cannot be obtained utilizing community resources.
36(3) Health education and training for children, parents, staff,
37and providers.
38(4) Followup treatment through referral to appropriate health
39care agencies or individual health care professionals.
P11 1(o) “Early learning programs” means early learning and
2educational support programs that serve children from birth to 13
3years of age, including, but not limited to, services for the
4following:
5(1) Infants and toddlers pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with
6Section 8240).
7(2) Preschool age children pursuant to Article 7 (commencing
8with Section 8235).
9(3) Schoolage children pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with
10Section 8240).
11(4) Children of migrant agricultural worker families pursuant
12to Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230).
13(p)
end delete14begin insert(o)end insert “Early learning services” means all of the following:
begin insert
15(1) Migrant child care and development programs pursuant to
16Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230).
17(2) California State Preschool Programs pursuant to Article 7
18(commencing with Section 8235).
19(1) Early learning
end delete
20begin insert(3)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertGeneral child care and developmentend insert programs pursuant to
21Article 8 (commencing with Section 8240).
22(2)
end delete
23begin insert(4)end insert Family child care home education networks pursuant to
24Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 8245).
25(3)
end delete
26begin insert(5)end insert Programs that serve severely disabled children pursuant to
27subdivision (d) of Section 8250.
28(4)
end delete
29begin insert(6)end insert Services administered by the Superintendent pursuant to
30Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228).
31(q)
end delete
32begin insert(p)end insert “Early learning and educational support programs” or “early
33learning
and educational support services” means those programs
34or services that offer a full range of care and support services
35designed to meet a wide variety of needs of children, from birth
36to 13 years of age, and their families. Services provided by an
37applicant or contracting agency, may be for any part of the day
38that a parent is working, in training, seeking employment,
39incapacitated, or in need of respite. These services may include,
40but are not limited to, the following:
P12 1(1) Early learning services pursuant to Article 5 (commencing
2with Section 8228).
3(2) Alternative payment programs pursuant to subdivision (b).
4(r)
end delete
5begin insert(q)end insert “Elementary school,” as contained in former Section 425 of
6Title 20 of the United States Code (the National Defense Education
7Act of 1958, Public Law 85-864, as amended), includes early
8childhood education programs and all early learning and
9educational support programs, for the purpose of the cancellation
10provisions of loans to students in institutions of higher learning.
11(s)
end delete
12begin insert(r)end insert “Family child care home education network” means an entity
13organized
under law that contracts with the department pursuant
14to Section 8245 to make payments to licensed family child care
15home providers and to provide educational and support services
16to those providers and to children and families eligible for
17state-subsidized early learning and educational support services.
18A family child care home education network may also be referred
19to as a family child care home system.
20(t)
end delete
21begin insert(s)end insert “Higher educational institutions” means the Regents of the
22University of California, the Trustees of the California State
23University, the Board of Governors of the California Community
24Colleges,
and the governing bodies of any accredited private
25nonprofit institution of postsecondary education.
26(u)
end delete
27begin insert(t)end insert “Intergenerational staff” means persons of various
28generations.
29(v)
end delete
30begin insert(u)end insert “Limited-English-speaking-proficient and
31non-English-speaking-proficient children” means children who
32are
unable to benefit fully from an English-only early learning and
33educational support program as a result of either of the following:
34(1) Having used a language other than English when they first
35began to speak.
36(2) Having a language other than English predominantly or
37exclusively spoken at home.
38(w)
end delete
39begin insert(v)end insert “Parent” means a biological parent, stepparent, adoptive
40parent, foster parent, caretaker relative, or any other adult living
P13 1with a child who has responsibility for the care and
welfare of the
2child.
3(x)
end delete
4begin insert(w)end insert “Program director” means a person who, pursuant to
5Sections 8244 and 8360.1, is qualified to serve as a program
6director.
7(y)
end delete
8begin insert(x)end insert “Proprietary agency” means an organization or facility
9providing early learning and educational support services, which
10is
operated for profit.
11(z)
end delete
12begin insert(y)end insert “Resource and referral programs” means programs that
13provide information to parents, including referrals and coordination
14of community resources for parents and public or private providers
15of care. Services frequently include, but are not limited to: technical
16assistance for providers, toy-lending libraries, equipment-lending
17libraries, toy- and equipment-lending libraries, staff development
18programs, health and nutrition education, and referrals to social
19services.
20(aa)
end delete
21begin insert(z)end insert “Severely disabled children” are children with exceptional
22needs from birth to 21 years of age, inclusive, who require intensive
23instruction and training in programs serving pupils with the
24following profound disabilities: autism, blindness, deafness, severe
25orthopedic impairments, serious emotional disturbances, or severe
26intellectual disabilities. “Severely disabled children” also include
27those individuals who would have been eligible for enrollment in
28a developmental center for handicapped pupils under Chapter 6
29(commencing with Section 56800) of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title
302 as it read on January 1, 1980.
31(ab)
end delete
32begin insert(aa)end insert “Short-term respite child care” means care
services to assist
33families whose children have been identified through written
34referral from a legal, medical, or social service agency, or
35emergency shelter as being neglected, abused, exploited, or
36homeless, or at risk of being neglected, abused, exploited, or
37homeless. Care is provided for less than 24 hours per day in centers,
38treatment centers for abusive parents, family child care homes, or
39in the child’s own home.
40(ac)
end delete
P14 1begin insert(ab)end insert (1) “Site supervisor” means a person who, regardless of
2his or her title, has operational program responsibility for an early
3learning
and educational support program at a single site. A site
4supervisor shall hold a permit or credential issued by the
5Commission on Teacher Credentialing that authorizes supervision
6of an early learning and educational support program operating in
7a single site. The Superintendent may waive the requirements of
8this subdivision if the Superintendent determines that the existence
9of compelling need is appropriately documented.
10(2) For California state preschool programs, a site supervisor
11may qualify under any of the provisions of this subdivision, or
12may qualify by holding an administrative credential or an
13administrative services credential. A person who meets the
14qualifications of a program director under Sections 8244 and
158360.1 is also qualified under this subdivision.
16(ad)
end delete
17begin insert(ac)end insert “Standard reimbursement rate” means that rate established
18by the Superintendent pursuant to Section 8265.
19(ae)
end delete
20begin insert(ad)end insert “Startup costs” means those expenses an agency incurs in
21the process of opening a new or additional facility before the full
22enrollment of children.
23(af)
end delete
24begin insert(ae)end insert “California state preschoolbegin delete program services”end deletebegin insert programend insertbegin insert”end insert
25 means part-day and full-day programs that provide developmentally
26appropriate educational activities and services designed to facilitate
27the transition to kindergarten for low-income or otherwise
28disadvantaged three- and four-year-old children.
29(ag)
end delete
30begin insert(af)end insert “Support services” means those services that, when
31combined with early learning and educational support programs
32help promote the healthy physical, mental, social, and emotional
33growth of children. Support services include, but are not limited
34to: protective services, parent training, provider and staff training,
35transportation, parent and child counseling, resource and referral
36services, and child placement counseling.
37(ah)
end delete
38begin insert(ag)end insert “Teacher” means
a person with the appropriate permit
39issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing who provides
P15 1program supervision and instruction that includes supervision of
2a number of aides, volunteers, and groups of children.
3(ai)
end delete
4begin insert(ah)end insert “Underserved area” means a county or subcounty area,
5including, but not limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP
6Code areas, where the ratio of publicly subsidized early learning
7and educational support services to the need for these services is
8low, as determined by the Superintendent.
9(aj)
end delete
10begin insert(ai)end insert “Workday” means the time that the parent requires
11temporary care for a child for any of the following reasons:
12(1) To undertake training in preparation for a job.
13(2) To undertake or retain a job.
14(3) To undertake other activities that are essential to maintaining
15or improving the social and economic function of the family, are
16beneficial to the community, or are required because of health
17problems in the family.
18(ak)
end delete
19begin insert(aj)end insert “Three-year-old children” means children who will have
20their third birthday on or before the date specified of the fiscal
21year in which they are enrolled in a California state preschool
22program, as follows:
23(1) November 1 of the 2012-13 fiscal year.
24(2) October 1 of the 2013-14 fiscal year.
25(3) September 1 of the 2014-15 fiscal year and each fiscal year
26thereafter.
27(al)
end delete
28begin insert(ak)end insert “Four-year-old children” means children who will have
29their fourth birthday on or before the date specified of the fiscal
30year in which they are enrolled in a California state preschool
31program, as follows:
32(1) November 1 of the 2012-13 fiscal year.
33(2) October 1 of the 2013-14 fiscal year.
34(3) September 1 of the 2014-15 fiscal year and each fiscal year
35thereafter.
36(am)
end delete
37begin insert(al)end insert “Local educational
agency” means a school district, a county
38office of education, a community college district, or a school
39district on behalf of one or more schools within the school district.
Section 8208.1 of the Education Code is amended to
2read:
Care exempt from licensure is a valid parental choice
4of care for all programs provided for under this part, and no
5provision of this part shall be construed to exclude or discourage
6the exercise of that choice.
Section 8208.5 of the Education Code is amended to
8read:
Notwithstanding any other law, early learning and
10educational support programs, as defined in Section 8208, shall
11include, but not be limited to, respite care.
Section 8209 of the Education Code is amended to
13read:
(a) If a state of emergency is declared by the Governor,
15the Superintendent may waive any requirements of this code or
16regulations adopted pursuant to this code relating to early learning
17and educational support programs operated pursuant to this chapter
18only to the extent that enforcement of the regulations or
19requirements would directly impede disaster relief and recovery
20efforts or would disrupt the current level of service in early learning
21and educational support programs.
22(b) If a state of emergency is declared by the Governor, the
23Superintendent may waive any requirements of this code or
24regulations adopted pursuant to this code relating to
child nutrition
25programs in early learning and educational support programs
26
operated pursuant to this chapter only to the extent that enforcement
27of the regulations or requirements would directly impede disaster
28relief and recovery efforts or would disrupt the current level of
29service in early learning and educational support programs.
30(c) A waiver granted pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) shall not
31exceed 45 calendar days.
32(d) For purposes of this section, “state of emergency” includes
33fire, flood, earthquake, or a period of civil unrest.
34(e) If a request for a waiver pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b)
35is for an early learning and educational support program or child
36nutrition program that receives federal funds and the waiver may
37be inconsistent with the state plan or any federal law
or regulations
38governing the program, the Superintendent shall seek and obtain
39approval of the waiver from the appropriate federal agency before
40granting the waiver.
Section 8210 of the Education Code is amended to
2read:
Funds appropriated for the purpose of this chapter may
4be used for resource and referral programs that may be operated
5by public or private nonprofit entities.
Section 8211 of the Education Code is amended to
7read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that one hundred eighty
9thousand dollars ($180,000) be appropriated each fiscal year for
10allocation to resource and referral agencies operated by local
11educational agencies for the purpose of the resources and referral
12program set forth in this article.
Section 8212 of the Education Code is amended to
14read:
For purposes of this article, resource and referral
16programs, established to serve a defined geographic area, shall
17provide the following services:
18(a) Identification of the full range of existing services through
19information provided by all relevant public and private agencies
20in the areas of service, and the development of a resource file of
21those services that shall be maintained and updated at least
22quarterly. These services shall include, but not be limited to, early
23learning and educational support programs, family care homes,
24public and private care programs, full-time and part-time programs,
25and infant, toddler, preschool, and extended care programs.
26The resource file shall include, but not be limited to, the
27following information:
28(1) Type of program.
29(2) Hours of service.
30(3) Ages of children served.
31(4) Fees and eligibility for services.
32(5) Significant program information.
33(b) (1) Establishment of a referral process that responds to
34parental need for information and that is provided with full
35recognition of the confidentiality rights of parents. Resource and
36referral programs shall make referrals to licensed child day
care
37facilities. Referrals shall be made to unlicensed care facilities only
38if there is no requirement that the facility be licensed. The referral
39process shall afford parents maximum access to all referral
40information. This access shall include, but is not limited to,
P18 1 telephone referrals to be made available for at least 30 hours per
2week as part of a full week of operation. Every effort shall be made
3to reach all parents within the defined geographic area, including,
4but not limited to, any of the following:
5(A) Toll-free telephone lines.
6(B) Office space convenient to parents and providers.
7(C) Referrals in languages which are spoken in the community.
8Each resource and
referral program shall publicize its services
9through all available media sources, agencies, and other appropriate
10methods.
11(2) (A) Provision of information to any person who requests a
12referral of his or her right to view the licensing information of a
13licensed child care facility required to be maintained at the facility
14pursuant to Section 1596.859 of the Health and Safety Code and
15to access any public files pertaining to the facility that are
16maintained by the State Department of Social Services Community
17Care Licensing Division.
18(B) A written or oral advisement in substantially the following
19form will comply with the requirements of subparagraph (A):
20“State law requires licensed child care facilities to make
21accessible
to the public a copy of any licensing report pertaining
22to the facility that documents a facility visit or a substantiated
23complaint investigation. In addition, a more complete file regarding
24a child care licensee may be available at an office of the State
25Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing
26Division. You have the right to access any public information in
27these files.”
28(c) Maintenance of ongoing documentation of requests for
29service tabulated through the internal referral process. The
30following documentation of requests for service shall be maintained
31by all resource and referral programs:
32(1) Number of calls and contacts to the care information and
33referral program or component.
34(2) Ages of children served.
35(3) Time category of care request for each child.
36(4) Special time category, such as nights, weekends, and swing
37shift.
38(5) Reason that the care is needed.
39This information shall be maintained in a manner that is easily
40accessible for dissemination purposes.
P19 1(d) Provision of technical assistance to existing and potential
2providers of all types of care services. This assistance shall include,
3but not be limited to:
4(1) Information on all aspects of initiating new care services
5including, but not limited to, licensing, zoning, program and
budget
6development, and assistance in finding this information from other
7sources.
8(2) Information and resources that help existing providers to
9maximize their ability to serve the children and parents of their
10community.
11(3) Dissemination of information on current public issues
12affecting the local and state delivery of services.
13(4) Facilitation of communication between existing child care
14and child-related services providers in the community served.
15Services prescribed by this section shall be provided in order to
16maximize parental choice in the selection of care to facilitate the
17maintenance and development of care services and resources.
18(e) (1) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
19two business days of receiving notice, remove a licensed
facility
20with a revocation or a temporary suspension order, or that is on
21probation from the program’s referral list.
22(2) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
23two business days of receiving notice, notify all entities, operating
24a program under Article 3 (commencing with Section 8220) and
25Article 15.5 (commencing with Section 8350) in the program’s
26jurisdiction, of a licensed facility with a revocation or a temporary
27suspension order, or that is on probation.
Section 8212.3 of the Education Code is amended to
29read:
(a) In addition to the services described in Section
318212, a resource and referral program, established to serve a
32defined geographic area, may provide short-term respite care.
33“Short-term respite care,” for purposes of this article, means
34temporary care services to do any of the following:
35(1) Provide services to families identified and referred by child
36protective agencies.
37(2) Relieve the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, or
38exploitation, or the risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
39(3) Assist parents who, because of
serious illness or injury,
40homelessness, or family crisis, including temporary absence from
P20 1the home because of illness or injury, would be unable without
2assistance to provide the normal care and nurture expected of
3parents.
4(4) Provide temporary relief to parents from the care of children
5with exceptional needs.
6(b) Pursuant to the delivery of short-term respite care services,
7priority shall be given for the provision of services to families
8identified and referred by child protective agencies, to relieve the
9stress caused by child abuse, neglect, or exploitation, or the risks
10thereof, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a).
11Priority shall be given to assist parents and to provide temporary
12relief to parents, as described in paragraphs (3) and (4) of
13
subdivision (a) to the extent that resources are available.
Section 8213 of the Education Code is amended to
15read:
All resource and referral services shall be provided in a
17manner that is responsive to the diverse cultural, linguistic, and
18economic needs of a defined geographic area of service.
Section 8214 of the Education Code is amended to
20read:
(a) Resource and referral services shall be provided to
22all persons requesting services and to all types of eligible providers,
23regardless of income level or other eligibility criteria. In addition
24to the services prescribed by this section, resource and referral
25may provide a wide variety of parent and provider support and
26educational services.
27(b) Information shall be provided to parents in the county of
28service at the time the family is determined eligible for services,
29and at recertification, by one of the following:
30(1) An alternative payment program.
31(2) A resource and referral program.
32(3) A partnership between the alternative payment program and
33the resource and referral program.
34(c) The information provided by the program or partnership
35shall be to assist parents in making informed choices about
36available types of care that would both offer a safe, caring, and
37age-appropriate early learning and educational support environment
38for children, as well as support the parents’ work activities,
39including, but not limited to, information about high-quality early
40learning and educational support options and resources specified
P21 1in this subdivision. The program or partnership may utilize
2resources from a list posted on the department’s Internet Web site
3pursuant to
subdivision (c) of Section 8206 if this list is available.
4If the department does not create a list of resources pursuant to
5subdivision (c) of Section 8206, the program or partnership may
6develop local resources. These resources shall include, but are not
7limited to, the following:
8(1) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
9needs of the parent and child.
10(2) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
11centers and family care homes.
12(3) Trustline requirements for homes and providers exempt from
13licensure.
14(4) A range of possible early learning and educational support
15options from which a parent may choose.
16(5) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
17
requirements.
18(6) Quality indicators, including provider or educator training,
19accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
20environments that support the healthy development of children,
21parent involvement, and communication between the parent and
22provider.
23(7) Information on quality rating and improvement systems,
24where available.
25(d) The program or partnership shall also provide parenting
26information to parents.
Section 8215 of the Education Code is amended to
28read:
(a) There is hereby established a project known as the
30California Child Care Initiative Project. It is the intent of the
31Legislature to promote and foster the project in cooperation with
32private corporations and local governments. The objective of the
33project is to increase the availability of quality programs in the
34state.
35(b) For purposes of this section, the California Child Care
36Initiative Project means a project to expand the role and functions
37of selected resource and referral agencies in activities including
38needs assessment, recruitment and screening of providers, technical
39assistance, and staff development and training, in order to aid
P22 1communities
in increasing their capability in the number of spaces
2available and the quality of services offered.
3(c) The Superintendent shall allocate all state funds appropriated
4for the California Child Care Initiative Project for the purpose of
5making grants to those resource and referral agencies that have
6been selected as pilot sites for the project.
7(d) The project shall ensure that each dollar of state funds
8allocated pursuant to subdivision (c) is matched by two dollars
9($2) from other sources, including private corporations, the federal
10government, or local governments.
11(e) The grants to the sites made available by the project shall
12be comprised of a combination of state funds and other funds
13pursuant to subdivision (d).
14(f) The Superintendent shall develop a database for the project.
Section 8216 of the Education Code is amended to
16read:
When making referrals, every agency operating a
18program providing early learning services or an alternative payment
19program and a resource and referral program shall provide at least
20four referrals, at least one of which shall be a provider over which
21the agency has no fiscal or operational control, as well as
22information to a family on the family’s ability to choose a license
23exempt provider.
Section 8220 of the Education Code is amended to
25read:
Upon the approval of the department, funds appropriated
27for the purposes of this chapter may be used for alternative payment
28programs to allow for maximum parental choice. Various methods
29of reimbursement for parental costs for care may be utilized. All
30payment arrangements shall conform to the eligibility criteria and
31the parent fee schedule established pursuant to Sections 8263 and
328265.
33To provide for maximum parental choice, alternative payment
34programs may include the following:
35(a) A subsidy that follows the family from one provider to
36another within a given alternative payment program.
37(b) Choices, whenever possible, among hours of service
38including before and after school, evenings, weekends, and split
39shifts.
P23 1(c) Early learning and educational support services according
2to parental choice, including use of family care homes, center
3based programs, and other state-funded programs to the extent that
4those programs exist in the general service area and are in
5conformity with the purposes and applicable laws for which those
6programs were established, but excluding California state preschool
7begin delete program servicesend deletebegin insert programsend insert.
Section 8220.1 of the Education Code is amended to
9read:
(a) The department shall contract with local contracting
11agencies for alternative payment programs so that services will be
12provided throughout the state. The department shall expand existing
13alternative payment programs and fund new alternative payment
14programs to the extent that funds are provided by the Legislature.
15(b) Funding for the new programs pursuant to this section shall
16be allocated to programs which meet all of the following
17requirements:
18(1) Applicants shall conform to the requirements of this article.
19(2) Applicants shall demonstrate that an alternative payment
20program is an appropriate method of delivering services within
21the county or service area at the level requested in the application
22by doing either of the following:
23(A) Demonstrating the availability of sufficient licensed or
24license-exempt providers.
25(B) Providing a plan for the development of sufficient licensed
26providers working in cooperation with the local resource and
27referral agency.
28(3) Applicants shall demonstrate the administrative viability of
29the alternative payment agency and its capacity to meet
30performance requirements.
31(4) Existing alternative payment programs receiving
funds for
32expansion into a new service area shall be funded at a documented
33rate appropriate to that community and may contract separately as
34appropriate.
35(c) (1) On and after July 1, 2015, the Superintendent shall
36streamline the delivery of alternative payment programs through
37the consolidation of contracts that serve special populations,
38including, but not limited to, migrant populations. Contractors
39shall continue to serve the same populations specified in their
P24 12014-15
contracts, unless they receive prior approval from the
2department.
3(2) This subdivision shall be operative only to the extent that
4an appropriation for its purposes is included in the annual Budget
5Act and is consolidated into a single budget schedule or
6subschedule.
Section 8220.3 is added to the Education Code, to
8read:
Commencing with the 2015-16 fiscal year and each
10fiscal year thereafter, alternative payment programs serving only
11migrant populations pursuant to a 2014-15 contract shall enroll
12only children of migrant agricultural worker families, as defined
13in subdivision (a) of Section 8231, that move from place to place
14for the purpose of agricultural work.
Section 8220.5 of the Education Code is amended to
17read:
(a) To offer maximum support for parents and
19providers, alternative payment programs shall have access to
20resource and referral services. Funding shall be adequate to
21purchase care at the same rate that a private client is charged for
22the same service as well as to provide locally designed support
23services for parents and providers.
24(b) Alternative payment programs shall provide professional
25and technical assistance and information to providers.
Section 8220.6 is added to the Education Code, to
28read:
(a) Information shall be provided to parents in the
30county of service at the time the family is determined eligible for
31services, and at recertification, by one of the following:
32(1) An alternative payment program.
33(2) A resource and referral program.
34(3) A partnership between the alternative payment program and
35the resource and referral program.
36(b) The information provided by the program or partnership
37shall be to assist parents in making informed choices about
38available types of
care that would both offer a safe, caring, and
39age-appropriate early learning and educational support environment
40for children, as well as support the parents’ work activities,
P25 1including, but not limited to, information about high-quality early
2learning and educational support options and resources specified
3in this subdivision. The program or partnership may utilize
4resources from a list posted on the department’s Internet Web site
5pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8206 if this list is available.
6If the department does not create a list of resources pursuant to
7subdivision (c) of Section 8206, the program or partnership may
8develop local resources. These resources shall include, but are not
9limited to, the following:
10(1) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
11needs of the parent and child.
12(2) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
13
centers and family care homes.
14(3) Trustline requirements for homes and providers exempt from
15licensure.
16(4) A range of possible early learning and educational support
17options from which a parent may choose.
18(5) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
19requirements.
20(6) Quality indicators, including provider or educator training,
21accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
22environments that support the healthy development of children,
23parent involvement, and communication between the parent and
24provider.
25(7) Information on quality
rating and improvement systems,
26where available.
27(c) The program or partnership shall also provide parenting
28information to parents.
Section 8222 of the Education Code is amended to
31read:
(a) Payments made by alternative payment programs
33shall not exceed the applicable market rate ceiling. Alternative
34payment programs may expend more than the standard
35reimbursement rate for a particular child. However, the aggregate
36payments for services purchased by the agency during the contract
37year shall not exceed the assigned reimbursable amount as
38established by the contract for the year. An agency shall not make
39payments in excess of the rate charged to full-cost families. This
40section does not preclude alternative payment programs from using
P26 1the average daily enrollment adjustment factor for children with
2exceptional needs as provided in Section 8265.5.
3(b) Alternative payment programs shall reimburse licensed
4
providers in accordance with a biennial market rate survey pursuant
5to Section 8447, at a rate not to exceed the ceilings established
6pursuant to Section 8357.
7(c) An alternative payment program shall reimburse a licensed
8provider for care of a subsidized child based on the rate charged
9by the provider to nonsubsidized families, if any, for the same
10services, or the rates established by the provider for prospective
11nonsubsidized families. A licensed provider shall submit to the
12alternative payment program a copy of the provider’s rate sheet
13listing the rates charged, and the provider’s discount or scholarship
14policies, if any, along with a statement signed by the provider
15confirming that the rates charged for a subsidized child are equal
16to or less than the rates charged for a nonsubsidized child.
17(d) An alternative payment program shall maintain a copy of
18the rate sheet and the confirmation statement.
19(e) A licensed provider shall submit to the local resource and
20referral agency a copy of the provider’s rate sheet listing rates
21charged, and the provider’s discount or scholarship policies, if
22any, and shall self-certify that the information is correct.
23(f) Each licensed provider may alter rate levels for subsidized
24children once per year and shall provide the alternative payment
25program and resource and referral agency with the updated
26information pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (e), to reflect any
27changes.
28(g) A licensed provider shall post in a
prominent location
29adjacent to the provider’s license at the facility the provider’s rates
30and discounts or scholarship policies, if any.
31(h) An alternative payment program shall verify provider rates
32no less frequently than once a year by randomly selecting 10
33percent of licensed providers serving subsidized families. The
34purpose of this verification process is to confirm that rates reported
35to the alternative payment programs reasonably correspond to
36those reported to the resource and referral agency and the rates
37actually charged to nonsubsidized families for equivalent levels
38of services. It is the intent of the Legislature that the privacy of
39nonsubsidized families shall be protected in implementing this
40subdivision.
P27 1(i) The department shall develop regulations for
addressing
2discrepancies in the provider rate levels identified through the rate
3verification process in subdivision (h).
Section 8223 of the Education Code is amended to
6read:
The reimbursement for alternative payment programs
8shall include the cost of care paid to providers plus the
9administrative and support services costs of the alternative payment
10program. The total cost for administration and support services
11shall not exceed an amount equal to 17.5 percent of the total
12contract amount. The administrative costs shall not exceed the
13costs allowable for administration under federal requirements.
Section 8225 of the Education Code is amended to
16read:
When making referrals, every agency operating a
18program providing early learning services or a resource and referral
19program and an alternative payment program shall provide at least
20four referrals, at least one of which shall be a provider over which
21the agency has no fiscal or operational control, as well as
22information to a family on the family’s ability to choose a license
23exempt provider.
Section 8226 of the Education Code is amended to
26read:
(a) When making referrals, every program operating
28pursuant to this article shall provide information to any person
29who requests a referral of his or her right to view the licensing
30information of a licensed facility required to be maintained at the
31facility pursuant to Section 1596.859 of the Health and Safety
32Code and to access any public files pertaining to the facility that
33are maintained by the State Department of Social Services
34Community Care Licensing Division.
35(b) A written or oral advisement in substantially the following
36form will comply with the requirements of subdivision (a):
37“State law
requires licensed facilities to make accessible to the
38public a copy of any licensing report pertaining to the facility that
39documents a facility visit or a substantiated complaint investigation.
40In addition, a more complete file regarding a child care licensee
P28 1may be available at an office of the State Department of Social
2Services Community Care Licensing Division. You have the right
3to access any public information in these files.”
4(c) Every program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
5two days of receiving notice, remove from the program’s referral
6list the name of any licensed facility with a revocation or a
7temporary suspension order or that is on probation.
8(d) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
9two business days of being notified of a
revocation or a temporary
10suspension order for a licensed facility, do both of the following:
11(1) Terminate payment to the facility.
12(2) Notify each parent and the facility in writing that payment
13has been terminated and the reason for the termination.
14(e) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, upon being
15notified that a licensed facility has been placed on probation,
16provide written notice to each parent utilizing the facility that the
17facility has been placed on probation and that the parent has the
18option of selecting a different care provider or remaining with the
19facility without risk of subsidy payments to the provider being
20terminated. The Legislature urges each agency operating pursuant
21to this
section to provide the written notice required by this
22subdivision in the primary language of the parent, to the extent
23feasible.
Section 8227 of the Education Code is amended to
26read:
(a) To the extent that funding is made available for this
28purpose through the annual Budget Act, the alternative payment
29agency in each county shall design, maintain, and administer a
30system to consolidate local care waiting lists so as to establish a
31countywide centralized eligibility list. In those counties with more
32than one alternative payment agency, the agency that also
33administers the resource and referral program shall have the
34responsibility of developing, maintaining, and administering the
35countywide centralized eligibility list. In those counties with more
36than one alternative payment agency and more than one resource
37and referral program, the department shall establish a process to
38 select the
agency to develop, maintain, and administer the
39countywide centralized eligibility list.
P29 1(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in those counties in which
2a countywide centralized eligibility list exists, as of the date that
3the act adding this section is enacted, the entity administering that
4list may receive funding, instead of the entity specified under
5subdivision (a).
6(c) Each centralized eligibility list shall include all of the
7following:
8(1) Family characteristics, including ZIP Code of residence,
9ZIP Code of employment, monthly income, and size.
10(2) Child characteristics, including birth date and whether the
11child has special needs.
12(3) Service characteristics, including reason for need, whether
13full-time or part-time service is requested, and whether after hours
14or weekend care is requested.
15(d) Information collected for the centralized eligibility list shall
16be reported to the Superintendent on an annual basis on the date
17and in the manner determined by the department.
18(e) (1) To be eligible to enter into an agreement with the
19department to provide subsidized care, a contractor shall participate
20in and use the centralized eligibility list.
21(2) A contractor with a campus early learning and educational
22support program operating pursuant to Section 66060, a program
23operating
on a seasonal basis providing services to a migrant
24population pursuant to Section 8230, or a program serving severely
25disabled children pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 8250 and
26who has a local site waiting list shall submit eligibility list
27information to the centralized eligibility list administrator for any
28parent seeking subsidized services for whom these programs are
29not able to provide early learning and educational support services.
30A contractor or program described in this paragraph may utilize
31any waiting lists developed at its local site to fill vacancies for its
32specific population. Families enrolled from a local site waiting list
33shall be enrolled pursuant to Section 8263.
Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228) is added
36to Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education
37Code, to
read:
(a) The Superintendent shall administer early learning
4and educational support programs through early learning services,
5including, but not limited to,begin delete early learningend deletebegin insert migrant child care and
6development programs pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with
7Section 8230), California state preschool programs pursuant to
8Article 7 (commencing with Section 8235), general child care and
9developmentend insert programs pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with
10Section 8240), family child care home education networks pursuant
11to Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 8245), and services for
12children
pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 8250.
13(b) Contractors providing early learning services pursuant to
14this article shall comply with the administrative requirements set
15forth in Article 10 (commencing with Section 8255).
The Superintendent, with funds appropriated for this
17purpose, shall administer programs through early learning services.
18These programs shall include, but not be limited to, all of the
19following:
20(a) Age and developmentally appropriate activities for children.
21(b) Supervision.
22(c) Parenting education and parent engagement and involvement.
23(d) Developmental and health services.
24(e) Nutrition.
25(f) Family support services that include, but are not limited to,
26assessment of child and family needs and referral to appropriate
27human services organizations.
28(g) Training, professional development, and career advancement
29opportunities, documentation of which shall be provided to the
30department.
The heading of Article 6 (commencing with Section
328230) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 33Education Code is amended to read:
34
Section 8230 of the Education Code is amended to
38read:
Contractors serving migrant populations shall comply
40with the requirements set forth in this article. In addition, the
P31 1Superintendent shall support and encourage the state-level
2coordination of all agencies that offer services to migrant
3populations and state-level coordination of existing health funds
4for migrants.
Section 8231 of the Education Code is amended to
7read:
(a) For the purpose of this article, a “migrant agricultural
9worker family” means a family that has earned at least 50 percent
10of its total gross income from employment in fishing, agriculture,
11or agriculturally related work during the 12-month period
12immediately preceding the date of application for early learning
13and educational support services.
14(b) Children of migrant agricultural worker families shall be
15enrolled in early learning and educational support programs on
16the basis of the following priorities:
17(1) The family moves from place to place.
18(2) The family has qualified under paragraph (1) within the past
19five years and is currently dependent for its income on agricultural
20employment, but is currently settled near agricultural areas.
21(3) The family resides in a rural agricultural area and is
22dependent upon seasonal agricultural work.
23(4) Eligibility and priority for services for the federally funded
24migrant child care and development program shall be in accordance
25with the applicable federal regulations.
26(c) This section shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2015,
27and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
28is enacted before July 1, 2015, deletes or extends that date.
Section 8231 is added to the Education Code, to read:
(a) For the purpose of this chapter, a “migrant
32agricultural worker family” means a family with at least one parent
33that has earned at least 50 percent of his or her income from
34employment in fishing, agriculture, or agriculturally related work
35during the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of
36application for early learning and educational support services.
37(b) For purposes of this article, priority for enrollment shall be
38given to children of migrant agricultural worker families in the
39following priority order:
40(1) The family moves from place to place.
P32 1(2) The family has qualified under paragraph (1) within the past
2five years and is currently dependent for its income on agricultural
3employment, but is currently settled near agricultural areas.
4(3) The family resides in a rural agricultural area and is
5dependent upon seasonal agricultural work.
6(4) Eligibility and priority for services for the federally funded
7migrant child care and development program shall be in accordance
8with the applicable federal regulations.
9(c) (1) If a contractor serving migrant populations, upon
10prioritizing migrant families for enrollment and complying with
11this section, is unable to reach the anticipated level of enrollment
12as provided in the contract for services,
the contractor may use
13any funds remaining to enroll children from otherwise eligible
14families pursuant to the priorities set forth in Section 8263.
15(2) This subdivision shall be operative only to the extent that
16an appropriation for its purposes is included in the annual Budget
17Act and is consolidated into a single budget schedule or
18subschedule.
19(d)
end delete20begin insert(c)end insert This section is operative on July 1, 2015.
Section 8232 of the Education Code is amended to
23read:
The Superintendent shall develop appropriatebegin insert migrant
25child care and development programs,end insert quality indicatorsbegin delete for , including those
26contractors that serve migrant populationsend delete
27prescribed in Section 8203, and the following:
28(a) Social services.
29(1) Bilingual liaison between migrant parents and the center or
30family child care home, or both.
31(2) Liaison between the agency and the relevant
community
32agencies and organizations, including health and social services.
33(3) Identification and documentation of family needs and
34followup referrals as appropriate.
35(b) Staffing.
36(1) Bilingual health personnel shall be available to each program
37site of an agency that serves migrant populations.
38(2) Professional and nonprofessional staff shall reflect the
39linguistic and cultural background of the children being served.
P33 1(3) Whenever possible, migrants shall be recruited, trained, and
2hired in early learningbegin insert and educational
supportend insert programs.
3Documentation of training and career ladder opportunities and of
4recruitment and hiring efforts shall be provided to the department.
5Staff training shall include principles and practices of early learning
6and educational support for the age groups of children being served.
7(c) Developmental and health services inbegin delete agencies that serve begin insert migrant child care and development programsend insert
8migrant populationsend delete
9 shall include health and dental screening and followup treatment.
10Health records for all migrant children shall follow the child.
Section 8233 of the Education Code is amended to
12read:
(a) Cost for migrant population services may exceed
14the standard reimbursement rate established by the Superintendent.
15In no case shall the reimbursement exceed the cost of the services.
16State-funded programs may be eligible for Chapter I federal funds
17to supplement state funding. These funds shall not be contingent
18upon the provision of additional child days or enrollment.
19(b) The Superintendent shall annually reimburse agencies that
20provide services for seasonal migrant populations pursuant to this
21article for approvable startup and closedown costs. Reimbursement
22for both startup and closedown costs shall not exceed 15 percent
23of the agency’s total
contract amount.
24(c) Agencies that provide services for seasonal migrant
25populations shall submit reimbursement claims for startup costs
26with their first monthly reports, and reimbursement claims for
27closedown costs with their final reports.
The heading of Article 7 (commencing with Section
298235) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 30Education Code is amended to read:
31
Section 8235 of the Education Code is amended to
36read:
(a) begin deleteContractors providing end deletebegin insertThe Superintendent shall
38administer all end insertCalifornia state preschoolbegin delete program servicesend delete
39begin insert programsend insert for three-year-old children described in subdivisionbegin delete (ak)end delete
40begin insert (aj)end insert of Section 8208, and four-year-old children, as
described in
P34 1subdivisionbegin delete (al)end deletebegin insert (ak)end insert of Section 8208, shall adhere to the
2requirements set forth in Article 5 (commencing with Section
38228) in educational development, health services, social services,
4nutritional services, parent education and parent participation,
5evaluation, and staff development. These programs shall include,
6but are not limited to, part-day age and developmentally appropriate
7programs designed to facilitate the transition to kindergarten for
8three- and four-year-old children.
9(b) Preschoolbegin delete servicesend deletebegin insert programsend insert
for which federal
10reimbursement is not available shall be funded as prescribed by
11the Legislature in the Budget Act, and unless otherwise specified
12by the Legislature, shall not use federal funds made available
13through Title XX of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
14Sec. 1397).
15(c) Three- and four-year-old children are eligible for part-day
16California state preschoolbegin delete program servicesend deletebegin insert programsend insert if the family
17meets at least one of the criteria specified in paragraph (1) of
18subdivision (a) of Section 8263.
19(d) Notwithstanding any other law, a begin deletecontractor part-day
California state preschool program
20providingend deletebegin delete servicesend delete may
21provide services to children in families whose income is no more
22than 15 percent above the income eligibility threshold, as described
23in Sections 8263 and 8263.1, after all eligible three- and
24four-year-old children have been enrolled. No more than 10 percent
25of children enrolled, calculated throughout the participating
26program’s entire contract, may be filled by children in families
27above the income eligibility threshold.
28(e) A part-day California state preschool program shall operate
29for a minimum of (1) three hours per day, excluding time for
30home-to-school transportation, and (2) a minimum of 175 days
31per year, unless the contract specifies a lower number of days of
32operation.
33(f) Any agency described in subdivision (c) of Section 8208 as
34an “applicant or contracting agency” is eligible to contract to
35operate a California state preschool program.
36(g) Part-day preschool services shall be reimbursed on a per
37capita basis, as determined by the Superintendent, and contingent
38on funding being provided for the part-day preschool services in
39the annual Budget Act.
P35 1(h) Federal Head Start funds used to provide services to families
2receiving California state preschool services shall be deemed
3nonrestricted funds.
Section 8236 of the Education Code is amended to
5read:
(a) (1) Contractors providing California state preschool
7program services pursuant to this article shall give first priority to
8three- or four-year-old neglected or abused children who are
9recipients of child protective services, or who are at risk of being
10neglected, abused, or exploited upon written referral from a legal,
11medical, or social service agency. If an agency is unable to enroll
12a child in this first priority category, the agency shall refer the
13child’s parent or guardian to local resource and referral services
14so that services for the child can be located.
15(2) Notwithstanding Section 8263, after children in the first
16priority category set forth in
paragraph (1) are enrolled, each
17agency funded pursuant to Section 8235 shall give priority to
18eligible four-year-old children before enrolling eligible
19three-year-old children. Each agency shall certify to the
20Superintendent that enrollment priority is being given to eligible
21four-year-old children.
22(b) For contractors that provide part-day preschool services that
23are operating with funding that was initially allocated in a prior
24fiscal year, at least one-half of the children enrolled at a preschool
25site shall be four-year-old children. Any exception to this
26requirement shall be approved by the Superintendent. The
27Superintendent shall inform the Department of Finance of any
28exceptions that have been granted and the reasons for granting the
29exceptions.
30(c) The following
provisions apply to the award of new funding
31for the expansion of the California state preschool program services
32that is appropriated by the Legislature for that purpose in any fiscal
33year:
34(1) In an application for those expansion funds, an agency shall
35furnish the Superintendent with an estimate of the number of
36four-year-old and three-year-old children that it plans to serve in
37the following fiscal year with those expansion funds. The agency
38also shall furnish documentation that indicates the basis of those
39estimates.
P36 1(2) In awarding contracts for expansion pursuant to this
2subdivision, the Superintendent, after taking into account the
3geographic criteria established pursuant to Section 8279.3, and the
4headquarters preferences and eligibility criteria relating to fiscal
5or
programmatic noncompliance established pursuant to Section
68261, shall give priority to applicant agencies that, in expending
7the expansion funds, will be serving the highest percentage of
8four-year-old children.
9(d) This section does not preclude a local educational agency
10from subcontracting with an appropriate public or private agency
11to operate a California state preschool program and to apply for
12funds made available for the purposes of this section. If a school
13district chooses not to operate or subcontract for a California state
14preschool program, the Superintendent shall work with the county
15office of education and other eligible agencies to explore possible
16opportunities in contracting or alternative subcontracting to provide
17a California state preschool program.
18(e) This section does not prevent eligible children who are
19currently receiving services from continuing to receive those
20services in future years pursuant to this chapter.
Section 8236.1 of the Education Code is amended to
23read:
The department shall annually monitor funding used
25inbegin delete early learningend deletebegin insert general child care and developmentend insert programs
26for infants and toddlers, and hours of service provided inbegin insert theend insert
27 California state preschool programbegin delete servicesend delete, and shall annually
28report to the Department of Finance and to the Legislature a
29statewide summary identifying the estimated funding used for
30infants and toddlers, and the number of preschool age children
31
receiving part-day preschool and wraparound services, as defined
32in subdivision (f) of Section 8239. The annual report shall include
33a comparison to the prior year on a county-by-county basis.
Section 8238.4 of the Education Code is amended to
35read:
(a) A family literacy supplemental grant shall be made
37available and distributed to qualifying California state preschool
38classrooms, as determined by the Superintendent, at a rate of two
39thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per class. The
P37 1Superintendent shall distribute the family literacy supplemental
2grant funds according to the following priorities:
3(1) First priority shall be assigned to contractors providing
4California state preschool program services that contract to receive
5this funding before July 1, 2012. These programs shall receive this
6funding until their contract is terminated or the California state
7preschool program no longer provides family literacy services.
8(2) Second priority shall be assigned to contractors providing
9California state preschool program services operating classrooms
10located in the attendance area of elementary schools in deciles 1
11to 3, inclusive, based on the most recently published Academic
12Performance Index pursuant to Section 52056. The Superintendent
13shall use a lottery process in implementing this paragraph.
14(b) A family literacy supplemental grant distributed pursuant
15to this section shall be used for purposes specified in Section 8238.
16(c) Implementation of this section is contingent upon funding
17being provided for family literacy supplemental grants for
18California state preschool program services in the annual Budget
19Act or other
statute.
Section 8239 of the Education Code is amended to
21read:
The Superintendent shall encourage state preschool
23program applicants or contracting agencies to offer full-day
24services through a combination of part-day preschool slots and
25wraparound services. In order to facilitate a full day of services,
26all of the following shall apply:
27(a) Part-day preschool services provided pursuant to this section
28shall operate between 175 and 180 days.
29(b) Wraparound services provided pursuant to this section shall
30operate a minimum of 246 days per year unless the contract
31specified a lower minimum days of operation. Wraparound services
32may operate a full day for the remainder of the year after the
33completion of the
part-day preschool program services. Services
34shall be provided in accordance with Article 1 (commencing with
35Section 8200) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228).
36(c) Part-day preschool services combined with wraparound
37services shall be reimbursed at no more than the full-day standard
38reimbursement rate, with adjustment factors, pursuant to Section
398265 and as determined in the annual Budget Act.
P38 1(d) Three- and four-year-old children are eligible for wraparound
2services to supplement the part-day preschool services if the family
3meets the eligibility criteria specified in paragraph (1) of
4subdivision (a) of Section 8263, and the parents meet at least one
5of the criteria specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of
6Section 8263.
7(e) Fees shall be assessed and collected for families with children
8in part-day preschool programs, or families receiving wraparound
9services, or both, pursuant to Article 11.5 (commencing with
10Section 8273).
11(f) The Superintendent shall annually report to the Department
12of Finance, on or before October 1 of each year, the fees collected
13from families who have children enrolled in the California state
14preschool program. The report shall distinguish between family
15fees collected for part-day preschool programs and fees collected
16for wraparound services.
17(g) For purposes of this section, “wraparound services” means
18early learning services provided with additional funding that would
19extend the part-day California state preschool program services
20provided pursuant
to subdivision (a) to meet families’ needs for
21
care while parents participate in an approved work or work-related
22activity. These services shall be provided consistent with the early
23learning and educational support programs provided pursuant to
24Article 1 (commencing with Section 8200) and Article 5
25(commencing with Section 8228).
begin insertSection 8239 of the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert is amended to
27read:end insert
The Superintendent shall encourage state preschool
29program applicants or contracting agencies to offer full-day
30services through a combination of part-day preschool slots and
31wraparoundbegin delete general child care and development programsend deletebegin insert servicesend insert.
32In order to facilitate abegin delete full-dayend deletebegin insert full dayend insert of services, all of the
33following shall apply:
34(a) Part-day preschool programs provided pursuant to this
35section shall operate
between 175 and 180 days.
36(b) Wraparoundbegin delete general child care and development programsend delete
37begin insert servicesend insert provided pursuant to this sectionbegin delete mayend deletebegin insert shallend insert operate a
38minimum of 246 days per year unless thebegin delete child developmentend delete
39 contract specified a lower minimumbegin insert number ofend insert days of operation.
40begin delete Part-day general child care and development programsend deletebegin insert
Wraparound
P39 1servicesend insert may operate abegin delete full-dayend deletebegin insert full dayend insert for the remainder of the
2year after the completion of thebegin delete preschool programend deletebegin insert part-day
3preschool program. Services shall be provided in accordance with
4Article 1 (commencing with Section 8200) and Article 5
5(commencing with Section 8228)end insert.
6(c) Part-day preschool services combined with wraparoundbegin delete child services shall be reimbursed at no more than the full-day
7careend delete
8standard reimbursementbegin delete rate for general child care programsend deletebegin insert
rate,end insert
9 with adjustment factors, pursuant to Section 8265 and as
10determined in the annual Budget Act.
11(d) Three- and four-year-old children are eligible for wraparound
12begin delete child careend delete services to supplement the part-day California state
13preschool program if the family meetsbegin delete at least one ofend delete thebegin insert eligibilityend insert
14 criteria specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section
158263, and the parents meet at least one of the criteria specified in
16paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 8263.
17(e) For purposes of this section, “wraparoundbegin delete child care
18services” and “wraparound general child care and
development
19programs” mean services provided for the remaining portion of
20the day or remainder of the year following the completion of
21part-day preschool services that are necessary to meet the child
22care needs of parents eligibleend delete
23services provided with additional funding that would extend the
24part-day California state preschool program services providedend insert
25 pursuant to subdivision (a)begin delete of Section 8263end deletebegin insert to meet families’ needs
26for care while parents participate in an approved work or
27work-related activityend insert. These services shall be provided consistent
28with thebegin delete general child care and developmentend deletebegin insert
early learning and
29educational supportend insert programs provided pursuant to Articlebegin delete 8end deletebegin insert 1end insert
30 (commencing with Section begin delete8240)end deletebegin insert 8200) and Article 5 (commencing
31with Section 8228)end insert.
The heading of Article 8 (commencing with Section
338240) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 34Education Code is amended to read:
35
Section 8240 of the Education Code is amended to
40read:
begin delete(a)end deletebegin delete end deleteThe Superintendent, with funds appropriated for this
2purpose, shall administer generalbegin delete early learning and educational begin insert child care and developmentend insert programs.
3supportend delete
4Generalbegin delete early learning and educational supportend deletebegin insert child care and
5developmentend insert programs shall include:
6(1)
end delete7begin insert(a)end insert Age and developmentally appropriate activities for children.
8(2)
end delete9begin insert(b)end insert Supervision.
10(3)
end delete11begin insert(c)end insert Parenting education and parent involvement and engagement.
12(4)
end delete
13begin insert(d)end insert Social services that include, but are not limited to,
14identification of child and family needs and referral to appropriate
15agencies.
16(5)
end delete17begin insert(e)end insert Health services.
18(6)
end delete19begin insert(f)end insert Nutrition.
20(7)
end delete
21begin insert(g)end insert Training and career ladder opportunities, documentation of
22which shall be provided to the department.
23(b) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2015, and,
24as of January 1, 2016, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
25that is enacted before January 1, 2016, deletes or extends the dates
26on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.
Section 8240 is added to the Education Code, to read:
(a) Early learning programs shall serve children from
29birth to 13 years of age, including, but not limited to, services
30pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228) for all of
31the following:
32(1) Infants and toddlers.
33(2) Preschool age children.
34(3) Schoolage children.
35(4) Migrant children.
36(b) The Superintendent shall streamline the delivery of early
37learning programs through the consolidation of contracts that
serve
38children described in subdivision (a). This shall include, but is not
39limited to, services for both of the following special populations:
40(1) Preschool age children.
P41 1(2) Migrant children.
2(c) Contractors shall continue to serve the same populations
3specified in their 2014-15 contracts, unless they receive prior
4approval from the department.
5(d) Contractors that provide services to migrant populations
6shall comply with Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230).
7(e) Contractors that provide services to California state preschool
8program populations shall comply with Article 7 (commencing
9with
Section 8235).
10(f) Subdivisions (b) and (c) shall be operative only to the extent
11that an appropriation for its purposes is included in the annual
12Budget Act and is consolidated into a single budget schedule or
13subschedule.
14(g) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2015.
Section 8244 of the Education Code is amended to
17read:
(a) (1) Any entity operating programs funded pursuant
19to this chapter that provide early learning services to children at
20two or more sites, including through more than one contract or
21subcontract funded pursuant to this chapter, shall employ a program
22director.
23(2) Programs providing direct services to children, for the
24purposes of this section, are early learning services pursuant to
25Article 5 (commencing with Section 8228), migrantbegin delete servicesend deletebegin insert
child
26care and developmentend insert pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with
27Section 8230), California state preschool programs pursuant to
28Article 7 (commencing with Section 8235),begin insert general child care and
29development programs pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with
30Section 8240),end insert early learning services for children pursuant to
31subdivision (d) of Section 8250, infant care and development
32services programs pursuant to Article 17 (commencing with Section
338390), and any of these programs operated through family child
34care homes.
35(b) (1) For purposes of this section, the following definitions
36shall apply:
37(A) “Administrative responsibility”
means awareness of the
38financial and business circumstances of the program, and, in
39appropriate cases, supervision of administrative and support
40personnel and the knowledge and authority to direct or modify
P42 1administrative practices and procedures to ensure compliance to
2administrative and financial standards imposed by law.
3(B) “Program director” means a person who, regardless of his
4or her title, has programmatic and administrative responsibility
5for an early learning and educational support program that provides
6direct services to children at two or more sites.
7(C) “Programmatic responsibility” means overall supervision
8of curriculum and instructional staff, including instructional aides,
9and the knowledge and authority to direct or modify program
10practices and procedures to
ensure compliance to applicable quality
11and health and safety standards imposed by law.
12(2) Administrative and programmatic responsibility also includes
13the responsibility to act as the representative for the early learning
14and educational support program to the department. With respect
15to programs operated through family care homes, administrative
16and programmatic responsibility includes ensuring that quality
17services are provided in the family care homes.
18(c) The program director also may serve as the site supervisor
19at one of the sites, provided that he or she both fulfills the duties
20of a child care center director, as set forth in Section 101215.1 of
21Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, and meets the
22qualifications for a site supervisor as set forth in subdivisionbegin delete
(ac)end delete
23begin insert (ab)end insert of Section 8208.
24(d) The Superintendent may waive the qualifications for program
25director described in Sections 8360.1 and 8360.3 upon a finding
26of one of the following circumstances:
27(1) The applicant is making satisfactory progress toward
28securing a permit issued by the Commission on Teacher
29Credentialing authorizing supervision of an early learning and
30educational support program operating in two or more sites or
31fulfilling the qualifications for program directors in programs
32serving severely disabled children, as specified in Section 8360.3.
33(2) The place of employment is so remote from institutions
34offering
the necessary coursework as to make continuing education
35impracticable and the contractor has made a diligent search but
36has been unable to hire a more qualified applicant.
37(e) The Superintendent, upon good cause, may by rule identify
38and apply grounds in addition to those specified in subdivision (d)
39for granting a waiver of the qualifications for program director.
The heading of Article 9 (commencing with Section
38250) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 4Education
Code is amended to read:
5
Section 8250 of the Education Code is amended to
10read:
(a) The Superintendent shall ensure that eligible children
12with exceptional needs are given equal access to all early learning
13and educational support programs. Available federal and state
14funds for children with exceptional needs above the standard
15reimbursement amount shall be used to assist agencies in
16developing and supporting appropriate programs for these children.
17(b) To provide children with exceptional needs with additional
18access to early learning and educational support programs, the
19Superintendent shall establish alternate appropriate placements,
20such as self-contained programs and innovative programs using
21the least restrictive
environment. These programs shall be started
22as expansion funds become available and shall be expanded
23throughout the implementation of the plan. The Superintendent
24shall utilize existing program models and input from program
25specialists to develop new program criteria and guidelines for
26programs serving children with exceptional needs. These programs
27may serve children with exceptional needs up to 21 years of age.
28(c) Any child with exceptional needs served in early learning
29and educational support programs shall be afforded all rights and
30protections guaranteed in state and federal laws and regulations
31for individuals with exceptional needs.
32(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the
33Superintendent may develop unique reimbursement rates for, and
34make
reimbursements to, early learning and educational support
35programs that received state funding for the 1980-81 fiscal year
36and serve severely disabled children, as defined in subdivisionbegin delete
(aa)end delete
37begin insert (z)end insert of Section 8208, when all of the following conditions exist:
38(1) Eligibility for enrollment of a severely disabled child in the
39program is the sole basis of the child’s need for service.
P44 1(2) Services are provided to severely disabled children from
2birth to 21 years of age.
3(3) No fees are charged to the parents of the severely disabled
4children receiving the services.
5(e) The Superintendent shall include providers in all personnel
6development for persons providing services for children with
7exceptional needs.
Section 8250.5 of the Education Code is amended to
10read:
A contractor providing services pursuant to an early
12learning services contract or an alternative payment contract is
13subject to the requirements of the federal Americans with
14Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.).
Section 8251 of the Education Code is amended to
17read:
(a) All contractors administering early learning services
19shall include plans or programs, or both, for the care of the children
20when they are sick. These plans shall be age appropriate and
21parents shall be included in the planning and evaluation. The
22Superintendent shall disseminate information regarding effective
23sick child care models to all early learning and educational support
24programs.
25(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to allow the
26practice of medicine without a license.
Section 8252 of the Education Code is amended to
29read:
(a) The department and the local county welfare
31department shall enter into contracts that establish the procedures
32for serving and referring a child in need of care as part of the
33provision of protective services pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing
34with Section 16500) of Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
35Institutions Code. The department, in consultation with the State
36Department of Social Services, may contract with another
37appropriate community agency that provides services or referrals,
38or both, for the prevention or intervention of child abuse or neglect
39if no such contract for care services exists between the department
40and the county welfare department.
P45 1(b) The contracts shall specify the resource and referral program
2or operating agency or agencies providing early learning and
3educational support pursuant to this chapter in the county that the
4local contracting agency shall contact to secure care for a child
5needing protective services. If an operating agency is unable to
6enroll the child, the local contracting agency described in
7subdivision (a) with the assistance of the providers of local
8resources and referral services shall locate services for the family.
9Payments for these located services in the absence of other funds
10shall be made by the local contracting agency.
11(c) The need for services funded pursuant to this section shall
12be reviewed by the local contracting agency no less than every
13three months.
Section 8255 of the Education Code is amended to
16read:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the
18effectiveness of early learning and educational support programs
19can be increased through improved state administration, technical
20assistance to provider agencies, and monitoring.
21(b) It is the intent of the Legislature:
22(1) That the department develop clear, consistent, and
23appropriate regulations for early learning and educational support
24programs to replace policy guidelines that are not subject to the
25public hearing process, often inconsistent, and without the force
26of law.
27(2) That the department make better use of staff with direct field
28
experience in early learning and educational support programs.
29(3) That better criteria be developed for the awarding,
30evaluating, and renewal of early learning and educational support
31contracts.
32(4) That improvements be made in the method of reimbursing
33providers.
34(5) That increased effort be made to provide program operators
35with technical assistance in meeting their contractual obligations.
Section 8257 of the Education Code is amended to
38read:
The department shall do all of the following in
40administering the provisions of this chapter:
P46 1(a) Apply sanctions against contracting agencies that have
2serious licensing violations, as defined and reported by the State
3Department of Social Services pursuant to Section 1597.11 of the
4Health and Safety Code.
5(b) Except in the case of immediate terminations taken pursuant
6tobegin delete Sectionsend deletebegin insert Sectionend insert 8406.7 or 8406.9, provide 90 days’ written
7notification to any contractor whose
agreement is being terminated.
8Notwithstanding Article 18 (commencing with Section 8400), the
9department shall establish procedures for placing a contractor
10whose agreement is being terminated into receivership. Action to
11initiate receivership shall be at the discretion of the department,
12and may be taken against a contractor whose agreement is being
13terminated either immediately or within 90 days. The receiver shall
14not be a department employee. The receiver shall have sufficient
15experience in the administration of early learning and educational
16support programs to ensure compliance with the terms of the
17receivership.
Section 8258 of the Education Code is amended to
20read:
(a) A person employed by the department in a
22policymaking position in the area of early learning and educational
23support programs shall not serve as a member of the board of
24directors, advisory council, or advisory committee for any agency
25receiving funds pursuant to this chapter.
26(b) A retired, dismissed, separated, or formerly employed person
27of the department employed under the State Civil Service Act or
28otherwise appointed to serve in the department shall not enter into
29a contract pursuant to Section 8262 in which he or she engaged in
30any of the negotiations, transactions, planning, arrangements, or
31any part of the decisionmaking process relevant
to the contract
32while employed in any capacity by the department. The prohibition
33contained in this subdivision shall apply to the person only during
34the two-year period beginning on the date the person left state
35employment.
36(c) For a period of 12 months following the date of his or her
37retirement, dismissal, or separation from state service, a person
38employed under state civil service or otherwise appointed to serve
39in the department shall not enter into a contract pursuant to Section
408262 if he or she was employed by the department in a
P47 1policymaking position in the area of early learning and educational
2support programs within the 12-month period before his or her
3retirement, dismissal, or separation.
4(d) For a period of 12 months following the date of his or her
5retirement,
dismissal, or separation from state service, a person
6employed under state civil service or otherwise appointed to serve
7in the department shall not be employed by a contractor pursuant
8to Section 8262 if he or she engaged in any of the negotiations,
9transactions, planning, arrangements, or any part of the
10decisionmaking process relevant to the contract while employed
11in any capacity by the department.
Section 8261 of the Education Code is amended to
13read:
(a) The Superintendent shall adopt rules and regulations
15pursuant to this chapter. The rules and regulations shall include,
16but not be limited to, provisions which do all of the following:
17(1) Provide clear guidelines for the selection of agencies when
18early learning and educational support contracts are let.
19(2) Provide for a contract monitoring system to ensure that
20agencies expend funds received pursuant to this chapter in
21accordance with the provisions of their contracts.
22(3) Specify adequate standards of agency performance.
23(4) Establish reporting requirements for service reports,
24including provisions for varying the frequency with which these
25reports are to be submitted on the basis of agency performance.
26(5) Specify standards for withholding payments to agencies that
27fail to submit required fiscal reports.
28(6) Set forth standards for department site visits to contracting
29agencies, including, but not limited to, specification as to the
30purpose of the visits, the personnel that will perform these visits,
31and the frequency of these visits that shall be as frequently as staff
32and budget resources permit. By September 1 of each year, the
33department shall report to the Senate Education, Senate Health
34and Human Services, Assembly Education, and Assembly
Human
35Services Committees on the number of visits conducted during
36the previous fiscal year pursuant to this paragraph.
37(b) The Superintendent shall consult with the State Department
38of Social Services with respect to rules and regulations adopted
39relative to the disbursal of federal funds under Title XX of the
40federal Social Security Act.
P48 1(c) For purposes of expediting the implementation of state or
2federal legislation to expand early learning and educational support
3services, the Superintendent may waive (1) the regulations
4regarding the point qualifications for, and the process and scoring
5of, interviews of contract applicants pursuant to Section 18002 of
6Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, or (2) the time
7limitations for scheduling and notification of appeal
hearings and
8their results pursuant to Section 18003 of Title 5 of the California
9Code of Regulations. The Superintendent shall ensure that the
10appeal hearings provided for in Section 18003 of Title 5 of the
11California Code of Regulations are conducted in a timely manner.
12(d) (1) Early learning and educational support programs
13operated under contract from funds made available pursuant to the
14federal Child Care and Development Fund, shall be administered
15according to Division 19 (commencing with Section 17906) of
16Chapter 1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, unless
17provisions of these regulations conflict with federal regulations.
18If state and federal regulations conflict, the federal regulations
19shall apply unless a waiver of federal regulations is authorized.
20(2) For purposes of this section, “Child Care and Development
21Fund” has the same meaning as in Section 98.2 of Title 45 of the
22Code of Federal Regulations.
begin insertSection 8261 of the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert is amended to
24read:end insert
(a) The Superintendent shall adopt rules and regulations
26pursuant to this chapter. The rules and regulations shall include,
27but not be limited to, provisions which do all of the following:
28(1) Provide clear guidelines for the selection of agencies when
29begin delete child development contracts are let, including, but not limited to, begin insert
early learning and educational support contracts are
30specification that any agency headquartered in the proposed service
31area on January 1, 1985, will be given priority for a new contract
32in that area, unless the department makes a written determination
33that (A) the agency is not able to deliver the level of services
34specified in the request for proposal, or (B) the department has
35notified the agency that it is not in compliance with the terms of
36its contractend delete
37letend insert.
38(2) Provide for a contract monitoring system to ensure that
39agencies expend funds received pursuant to this chapter in
40accordance with the provisions of their contracts.
P49 1(3) Specify adequate standards of agency performance.
2(4) Establish reporting requirements for service reports,
3including provisions for varying the frequency with which these
4reports are to be submitted on the basis of agency performance.
5(5) Specify standards for withholding payments to agencies that
6fail to submit required fiscal reports.
7(6) Set forth standards for department site visits to contracting
8agencies,
including, but not limited to, specification as to the
9purpose of the visits, the personnel that will perform these visits,
10and the frequency of thesebegin delete visitsend deletebegin insert visits,end insert which shall be asbegin delete frequentlyend delete
11begin insert frequentend insert as staff and budget resources permit. By September 1 of
12each year, the department shall report to the Senate Education,
13Senate Health and Human Services, Assembly Education, and
14Assembly Human Services Committees on the number of visits
15conducted during the previous fiscal year pursuant to this
16paragraph.
17(7) Authorize the department to develop a process that requires
18
every contracting agency to recompete for continued funding no
19less frequently than every five years.
20(b) The Superintendent shall consult with the State Department
21of Social Services with respect to rules and regulations adopted
22relative to the disbursal of federal funds under Title XX of the
23federal Social Security Act.
24(c) For purposes of expediting the implementation of state or
25federal legislation to expandbegin delete child careend deletebegin insert early learning and
26educational supportend insert services, the Superintendent may waive (1)
27the regulations regarding the point qualifications for, and the
28process and scoring of, interviews of contract applicants pursuant
29to Section 18002 of Title 5 of the California Code of
Regulations,
30or (2) the time limitations for scheduling and notification of appeal
31hearings and their results pursuant to Section 18003 of Title 5 of
32the California Code of Regulations. The Superintendent shall
33ensure that the appeal hearings provided for in Section 18003 of
34Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations are conducted in a
35timely manner.
36(d) (1) begin deleteChild care and development end deletebegin insertEarly learning and
37educational supportend insert programs operated under contract from funds
38made available pursuant to the federal Child Care and Development
39Fund, shall be administered according to Division 19 (commencing
40with Section 17906) of Chapter 1 of Title 5 of the California Code
P50 1of Regulations, unless provisions of these regulations conflict with
2
federal regulations. If state and federal regulations conflict, the
3federal regulations shall apply unless a waiver of federal regulations
4is authorized.
5(2) For purposes of this section, “Child Care and Development
6Fund” has the same meaning as in Section 98.2 of Title 45 of the
7Code of Federal Regulations.
Section 8261.5 of the Education Code is amended to
10read:
For purposes of meeting state and federal reporting
12requirements and for the effective administration of early learning
13and educational support programs, the Superintendent is authorized
14to require the collection and submission of social security numbers
15of heads of households, and other information as required, from
16public and private agencies contracting with the department
17pursuant to this chapter, including local educational agencies.
Section 8262 of the Education Code is amended to
20read:
Notwithstanding Sections 14616 and 14780 of the
22Government Code, the Superintendent may enter into and execute
23local contractual agreements with any public or private entity or
24agency for the delivery of early learning and educational support
25services or the furnishing of property, facilities, personnel, supplies,
26equipment, and administrative services related to the delivery of
27early learning and educational support services. Before entering
28into or executing a local agreement, the department shall obtain
29annual approval from the Department of General Services and the
30Department of Finance as to the form and general content thereof.
31The agreements may only be made for the delivery of early learning
32and educational support
services, or the furnishing of property,
33facilities, personnel, supplies, equipment, or administrative services
34related thereto, which conform with the provisions of this chapter.
Section 8263 of the Education Code is amended to
37read:
(a) The Superintendent shall adopt rules and regulations
39on eligibility, enrollment, and priority of services needed to
40implement this chapter. In order to be eligible for federal and state
P51 1subsidized early learning and educational support services, families
2shall meet at least one requirement in each of the following areas:
3(1) A family is (A) a current aid recipient, (B) income eligible,
4(C) homeless, or (D) one whose children are recipients of protective
5services, or whose children have been identified as being abused,
6neglected, or exploited, or at risk of being abused, neglected, or
7exploited.
8(2) A family needs the
care services (A) because the child is
9identified by a legal, medical, or social services agency, or
10emergency shelter as (i) a recipient of protective services or (ii)
11being neglected, abused, or exploited, or at risk of neglect, abuse,
12or exploitation, or (B) because the parents are (i) engaged in
13vocational training leading directly to a recognized trade,
14paraprofession, or profession, (ii) employed or seeking
15employment, (iii) seeking permanent housing for family stability,
16or (iv) incapacitated.
17(b) Except as provided in Article 15.5 (commencing with Section
188350), priority for federal and state subsidized early learning and
19educational support services is as follows:
20(1) (A) First priority shall be given to neglected or abused
21children who are recipients of
child protective services, or children
22who are at risk of being neglected or abused, upon written referral
23from a legal, medical, or social services agency. If an agency is
24unable to enroll a child in the first priority category, the agency
25shall refer the family to local resource and referral services to
26locate services for the child.
27(B) A familybegin delete whoend deletebegin insert thatend insert is receiving care on the basis ofbegin delete beingend delete a
28child at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, as defined in
29subdivision (j) of Section 8208, is eligible to receive services
30pursuant to subparagraph (A) for up to three months, unless the
31family
becomes eligible pursuant to subparagraph (C).
32(C) A family may receive care services for up to 12 months on
33the basis of a certification by the county child welfare agency that
34child care services continue to be necessary or, if the child is
35receiving child protective services during that period of time, and
36the family requires care and remains otherwise eligible. This time
37limit does not apply if the family’s care referral is recertified by
38the county child welfare agency.
39(2) Second priority shall be given equally to eligible families,
40regardless of the number of parents in the home, who are income
P52 1eligible. Within this priority, families with the lowest gross monthly
2income in relation to family size, as determined by a schedule
3adopted by the Superintendent, shall be admitted
first. If two or
4more families are in the same priority in relation to income, the
5family that has a child with exceptional needs shall be admitted
6first. If there is no family of the same priority with a child with
7exceptional needs, the same priority family that has been on the
8waiting list for the longest time shall be admitted first. For purposes
9of determining order of admission, the grants of public assistance
10recipients shall be counted as income.
11(3) The Superintendent shall set criteria for, and may grant
12specific waivers of, the priorities established in this subdivision
13for agencies that wish to serve specific populations, including
14children with exceptional needs or children of prisoners. These
15new waivers shall not include proposals to avoid appropriate fee
16schedules or admit ineligible families, but may include proposals
17to
accept members of special populations in other than strict income
18order, as long as appropriate fees are paid.
19(c) Notwithstanding any other law, in order to promote
20continuity of services, a family enrolled in a state or federally
21funded early learning and educational support program whose
22services would otherwise be terminated because the family no
23longer meets the program income, eligibility, or need criteria may
24continue to receive services in another state or federally funded
25early learning and educational support program if the contractor
26is able to transfer the family’s enrollment to another program for
27which the family is eligible before the date of termination of
28services or to exchange the family’s existing enrollment with the
29enrollment of a family in another program, provided that both
30families satisfy the eligibility requirements
for the program in
31which they are being enrolled. The transfer of enrollment may be
32to another program within the same administrative agency or to
33another agency that administers state or federally funded early
34learning and educational support programs.
35(d) In order to promote continuity of services, the Superintendent
36may extend the 60-working-day period specified in subdivision
37(a) of Section 18086.5 of Title 5 of the California Code of
38Regulations for an additional 60 working days if he or she
39determines that opportunities for employment have diminished to
40the degree that one or both parents cannot reasonably be expected
P53 1to find employment within 60 working days and granting the
2extension is in the public interest. The scope of extensions granted
3pursuant to this subdivision shall be limited to the necessary
4geographic areas and
affected persons, which shall be described
5in the Superintendent’s order granting the extension. It is the intent
6of the Legislature that extensions granted pursuant to this
7subdivision improve services in areas with high unemployment
8rates and areas with disproportionately high numbers of seasonal
9agricultural jobs.
10(e) A physical examination and evaluation, including
11age-appropriate immunization, shall be required before, or within
12six weeks of, enrollment. A standard, rule, or regulation shall not
13require medical examination or immunization for admission to an
14early learning and educational support program of a child whose
15parent or guardian files a letter with the governing board of the
16program stating that the medical examination or immunization is
17contrary to his or her religious beliefs, or provide for the exclusion
18of a child
from the program because of a parent or guardian having
19filed the letter. However, if there is good cause to believe that a
20child is suffering from a recognized contagious or infectious
21disease, the child shall be temporarily excluded from the program
22until the governing board of the program is satisfied that the child
23is not suffering from that contagious or infectious disease.
24(f) Regulations formulated and promulgated pursuant to this
25section shall include the recommendations of the State Department
26of Health Care Services relative to health care screening and the
27provision of health care services. The Superintendent shall seek
28the advice and assistance of these health authorities in situations
29where service under this chapter includes or requires care of
30children who are ill or children with exceptional needs.
31(g) The Superintendent shall establish guidelines for the
32collection of employer-sponsored care benefit payments from a
33parent whose child receives subsidized early learning and
34educational support services. These guidelines shall provide for
35the collection of the full amount of the benefit payment, but not
36to exceed the actual cost of early learning and educational support
37services provided, notwithstanding the applicable fee based on the
38fee schedule.
39(h) The Superintendent shall establish guidelines according to
40which the director or a duly authorized representative of the early
P54 1learning and educational support program will certify children as
2eligible for state reimbursement pursuant to this section.
3(i) Public
funds shall not be paid directly or indirectly to an
4agency that does not pay at least the minimum wage to each of its
5employees.
Section 8263.2 of the Education Code is amended to
8read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, effective July 1,
102011, the department shall reduce the maximum reimbursable
11amounts of the contracts for the Preschool Education Program, the
12General Child Care Program, the Migrant Day Care Program, the
13Alternative Payment Program, the CalWORKs Stage 3 Program,
14and the Allowance for Handicapped Program by 11 percent or by
15whatever proportion is necessary to ensure that expenditures for
16these programs do not exceed the amounts appropriated for them,
17including any reductions made subsequent to the adoption of the
18annual Budget Act. The department may consider the contractor’s
19performance or whether the contractor serves children in an
20underserved area, as defined in subdivisionbegin delete (ai)end deletebegin insert
(ah)end insert of Section
218208, when determining contract reductions, provided that the
22aggregate reduction to each program specified in this subdivision
23is 11 percent or by whatever proportion is necessary to ensure that
24expenditures for these programs do not exceed the amounts
25appropriated for them, including any reductions made subsequent
26to the adoption of the annual Budget Act.
27(b) Notwithstanding any other law, effective July 1, 2011,
28families shall be disenrolled from subsidized services, consistent
29with the priorities for services specified in subdivision (b) of
30Section 8263. Families shall be disenrolled in the following order:
31(1) Families whose income exceeds 70 percent of the state
32median income (SMI) adjusted for family size, except for
families
33whose children are receiving child protective services or are at
34risk of being neglected or abused.
35(2) Families with the highest income below 70 percent of the
36SMI, in relation to family size.
37(3) Families that have the same income and have been enrolled
38in services the longest.
39(4) Families that have the same income and have a child with
40exceptional needs.
P55 1(5) Families whose children are receiving child protective
2services or are at risk of being neglected or abused, regardless of
3family income.
Section 8263.3 of the Education Code is amended to
6read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, and in addition to
8any reductions applied pursuant to Section 8263.2, effective July
91, 2012, the department shall reduce the maximum reimbursable
10amounts of the contracts for the General Child Care Program, the
11Migrant Day Care Program, the Alternative Payment Program, the
12CalWORKs Stage 3 Program, and the Allowance for Handicapped
13Program by 8.7 percent or by whatever proportion is necessary to
14ensure that expenditures for these programs do not exceed the
15amounts appropriated for them, as adjusted for any reductions in
16appropriations made subsequent to the adoption of the annual
17Budget Act. The department may consider the contractor’s
18performance or whether the contractor serves children in an
19underserved
area, as defined in subdivisionbegin delete (ai)end deletebegin insert (ah)end insert of Section
208208, when determining contract reductions, provided that the
21aggregate reduction to each program specified in this subdivision
22is 8.7 percent or whatever proportion is necessary to ensure that
23expenditures for these programs do not exceed the amounts
24appropriated for them, as adjusted for any reductions in
25appropriations made subsequent to the adoption of the annual
26Budget Act.
27(b) Notwithstanding any other law, effective July 1, 2012,
28families shall be disenrolled from subsidized services, consistent
29with the priorities for services specified in subdivision (b) of
30Section 8263. Families shall be disenrolled in
the following order:
31(1) Families with the highest income in relation to family size.
32(2) Families that have the same income and have been enrolled
33in services the longest.
34(3) Families that have the same income and have a child with
35exceptional needs.
36(4) Families whose children are receiving child protective
37services or are at risk of being neglected or abused, regardless of
38family income.
Section 8263.4 of the Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) The preferred placement for children who are 11
5or 12 years of age and who are otherwise eligible for subsidized
6early learning and educational support services shall be in a before
7or after school program.
8(b) Children who are 11 or 12 years of age shall be eligible for
9subsidized early learning and educational support services only
10for the portion of care needed that is not available in a before or
11after school program provided pursuant to Article 22.5
12(commencing with Section 8482) or Article 22.6 (commencing
13with Section 8484.7). Contractors shall provide each family of an
14eligible 11- or 12-year-old child with the option of combining care
15provided in a before or after
school program with subsidized care
16in another setting, for those hours within a day when the before or
17after school program does not operate, in order to meet the needs
18of the family.
19(c) Children who are 11 or 12 years of age, who are eligible for
20and who are receiving subsidized early learning and educational
21support services, and for whom a before or after school program
22is not available, shall continue to receive subsidized early learning
23and educational support services.
24(d) A before or after school program shall be considered not
25available when a parent certifies in writing, on a form provided
26by the department that is translated into the parent’s primary
27language pursuant to Sections 7295.4 and 7296.2 of the
28Government Code, the reason or reasons why the program would
29not
meet the needs of the family. The reasons why a before or after
30school program shall be considered not available shall include,
31but not be limited to, any of the following:
32(1) The program does not provide services when needed during
33the year, such as during the summer, school breaks, or intersession.
34(2) The program does not provide services when needed during
35the day, such as in the early morning, evening, or weekend hours.
36(3) The program is too geographically distant from the child’s
37school of attendance.
38(4) The program is too geographically distant from the parents’
39residence.
P57 1(5) Use of the
program would create substantial transportation
2 obstacles for the family.
3(6) Any other reason that makes the use of before or after school
4care inappropriate for the child or burdensome on the family.
5(e) If an 11- or 12-year-old child who is enrolled in a subsidized
6early learning and educational support program becomes ineligible
7for subsidized early learning and educational support programs
8under subdivision (b) and is disenrolled from the before or after
9school program, or if the before or after school program no longer
10meets the needs of the family, the child shall be given priority to
11return to the subsidized early learning and educational support
12program upon the parent’s notification of the contractor of the
13need for care.
14(f) This section does not apply to an 11- or 12-year-old child
15with a disability, including a child with exceptional needs who has
16an individualized education program as required by the federal
17Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400
18et seq.), Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
19U.S.C. Sec. 794), or Part 30 (commencing with Section 56000) of
20Division 4 of Title 2.
21(g) The savings generated each contract year by the
22
implementation of the changes made to this section by Chapter 78
23of the Statutes of 2005 shall remain with each early learning and
24educational support program contractor for the provision of
25services, except for care provided by programs pursuant to Article
2615.5 (commencing with Section 8350). Each contractor shall report
27annually to the department the amount of savings resulting from
28this implementation, and the department shall report annually to
29the Legislature the amount of savings statewide resulting from that
30implementation.
Section 8264 of the Education Code is amended to
33read:
By July 1, 1981, and annually thereafter, the State
35Department of Health Care Services shall provide a mechanism
36for the delivery of health screening and followup services for
37children enrolled in early learning and educational support
38programs for whom there are no appropriate health services
39accessible by referral.
Section 8264.5 of the Education Code is amended to
3read:
The Superintendent may waive or modify requirements
5in order to enable contractors administering early learning services
6to serve combinations of eligible children in areas of low
7population. The programs for which the Superintendent may grant
8waivers shall include, but need not be limited to, California state
9preschool full-daybegin delete program servicesend deletebegin insert programsend insert, services provided
10by the California School Age Families Education Program (Article
117.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of Chapter 9 of Part 29 of
12Division 4 of Title 2), infant and toddler services, migrantbegin delete servicesend delete
13begin insert
child care and development programs (Article 6 (commencing
14with Section 8230))end insert, andbegin delete early learningend deletebegin insert general child care and
15developmentend insert programs operating pursuant to Article 8
16(commencing with Section 8240).
Section 8264.6 of the Education Code is amended to
19read:
The Superintendent may provide outreach services and
21technical assistance to new applicants or contracting agencies and
22to those providing services during nontraditional times, in
23underserved geographic areas, and for children with specific service
24needs, including infants and toddlers under three years of age.
Section 8264.7 of the Education Code is amended to
27read:
(a) The Superintendent shall establish rules and
29regulations for the staffing of all early learning services under
30contract with the department.
31(b) Priority shall be given by the department to the employment
32of persons in early learning services with ethnic backgrounds that
33are similar to those of the child for whom services are provided.
34(c) For purposes of staffing early learning services, the role of
35a teacher in child supervision means direct supervision of the
36children as well as supervision of aides and groups of children.
37(d) Family child care homes shall operate pursuant to
38adult-to-child ratios prescribed in Chapter 7 (commencing with
39Section 86001) of Division 6 of Title 22 of the California Code of
40Regulations.
P59 1(e) Approval by the Superintendent of any ongoing or new
2programs seeking to operate under the ratios and standards
3established by the Superintendent under this chapter shall be based
4upon the following considerations:
5(1) The type of facility in which care is being or is to be
6provided.
7(2) The ability of the Superintendent to implement a funding
8source change.
9(3) The proportion of nonsubsidized children enrolled or to be
10enrolled by the
agency.
11(4) The most cost-effective ratios possible for the type of
12services provided or to be provided by the agency.
13(f) The Superintendent shall apply for waivers of federal
14requirements as are necessary to carry out this section.
Section 8264.8 of the Education Code is repealed.
Section 8264.8 is added to the Education Code, to
19read:
(a) Early learning and educational support programs
21shall maintain at least the following minimum ratios in all early
22learning services except for family child care home education
23networks operating pursuant to Article 8.5 (commencing with
24Section 8245):
25(1) Infants, birth to 18 months old--1:3 adult-to-child ratio,
261:18 teacher-to-child ratio.
27(2) Toddlers, 18 months up to their third birthday--1:4
28adult-to-child ratio, 1:16 teacher-to-child ratio.
29(3) Preschool, at least 30 months to kindergarten eligibility--1:8
30adult-to-child ratio, 1:24
teacher-to-child ratio.
31(4) Schoolage, enrolled in kindergarten to their 13th
32birthday--1:14 adult-to-child ratio, 1:28 teacher-to-child ratio.
33(b) Compliance with the ratios established by subdivision (a)
34shall be determined based on actual attendance.
Section 8265 of the Education Code is amended to
36read:
(a) The Superintendent shall implement a plan that
38establishes reasonable standards and assigned reimbursement rates,
39which vary with the length of the program year and the hours of
40service.
P60 1(1) Parent fees shall be used to pay reasonable and necessary
2costs for providing additional services.
3(2) When establishing standards and assigned reimbursement
4rates, the Superintendent shall confer with applicant agencies.
5(3) The reimbursement system, including standards and rates,
6shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget
Committee.
7(4) The Superintendent may establish any regulations he or she
8deems advisable concerning conditions of service and hours of
9enrollment for children in the programs.
10(b) The standard reimbursement rate shall be three thousand
11five hundred twenty-three dollars ($3,523) per unit of average
12daily enrollment for a 250-day year, increased by the cost-of-living
13adjustment granted by the Legislature beginning July 1, 1980.
14(c) The plan shall require agencies having an assigned
15reimbursement rate above the current year standard reimbursement
16rate to reduce costs on an incremental basis to achieve the standard
17reimbursement rate.
18(d) The plan shall
provide for adjusting reimbursement on a
19case-by-case basis, in order to maintain service levels for agencies
20currently at a rate less than the standard reimbursement rate.
21Assigned reimbursement rates shall be increased only on the basis
22of one or more of the following:
23(1) Loss of program resources from other sources.
24(2) Need of an agency to pay the same rates as those prevailing
25in the local community.
26(3) Increased costs directly attributable to new or different
27regulations.
28(4) Documented increased costs necessary to maintain the prior
29year’s level of service and ensure the continuation of threatened
30programs. Agencies funded at the lowest rates shall be given
first
31priority for increases.
32(e) The plan shall provide for expansion of early learning
33services at no more than the standard reimbursement rate for that
34fiscal year.
35(f) The Superintendent may reduce the percentage of reduction
36for a public agency that satisfies any of the following:
37(1) Serves more than 400 children.
38(2) Has in effect a collective bargaining agreement.
39(3) Has other extenuating circumstances that apply, as
40determined by the Superintendent.
begin insertSection 8265 of the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert is amended to
2read:end insert
(a) The Superintendent shall implement a plan that
4establishes reasonable standards and assigned reimbursement rates,
5which vary with the length of the program year and the hours of
6service.
7(1) Parent fees shall be used to pay reasonable and necessary
8costs for providing additional services.
9(2) When establishing standards and assigned reimbursement
10rates, the Superintendent shall confer with applicant agencies.
11(3) The reimbursement system, including standards and rates,
12shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
13(4) The Superintendent may establish
any regulations he or she
14deems advisable concerning conditions of service and hours of
15enrollment for children in the programs.
16(b) The standard reimbursement rate shall be nine thousand
17twenty-four dollars and seventy-five cents ($9,024.75) per unit of
18average daily enrollment for a 250-day year, and commencing
19with the 2015-16 fiscal year, shall be increased by the
20cost-of-living adjustment granted by the Legislature annually
21pursuant to Section 42238.15.
22(c) The plan shall require agencies having an assigned
23reimbursement rate above the current year standard reimbursement
24rate to reduce costs on an incremental basis to achieve the standard
25reimbursement rate.
26(d) The plan shall provide for adjusting reimbursement on a
27case-by-case basis, in order to maintain service levels for agencies
28currently at a rate less
than the standard reimbursement rate.
29Assigned reimbursement rates shall be increased only on the basis
30of one or more of the following:
31(1) Loss of program resources from other sources.
32(2) Need of an agency to pay the samebegin delete child careend delete rates as those
33prevailing in the local community.
34(3) Increased costs directly attributable to new or different
35regulations.
36(4) Documented increased costs necessary to maintain the prior
37year’s level of service and ensure the continuation of threatened
38programs.begin insert Agencies funded at the lowest rates shall be given first
39priority for increases.end insert
P62 1Child care agencies funded at the lowest rates shall be given first
2priority for increases.
3(e) The plan shall provide for expansion ofbegin delete child development
4
programsend delete
5reimbursement rate for that fiscal year.
6(f) The Superintendent may reduce the percentage of reduction
7 for a public agency that satisfies any of the following:
8(1) Serves more than 400 children.
9(2) Has in effect a collective bargaining agreement.
10(3) Has other extenuating circumstances that apply, as
11determined by the Superintendent.
Section 8266 of the Education Code is amended to
14read:
(a) Notwithstanding Section 8265, the assigned
16reimbursement rate ofbegin delete an early learning programend deletebegin insert a center-based
17contracting agencyend insert (1) contracting with the department, (2)
18operating under licensing standards for facilities specified in
19Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1500) of Division 2 of the
20Health and Safety Code and by Title 22 of the California Code of
21Regulations, and (3) with less than a majority of subsidized
22children enrolled in the facility, shall be equivalent to the fee paid
23for the same service by families of nonsubsidized
children.
24(b) It is not the intent of the Legislature to preclude an agency
25with a contract with the department from adjusting the fees charged
26to nonsubsidized children during the contract year. In no event
27shall the assigned reimbursement rate exceed the standard
28reimbursement rate established pursuant to Section 8265.
29(c) An agency subject to this section shall provide
30documentation to the department that subsidized children, as
31necessary and appropriate, shall receive supportive services through
32county welfare departments, resource and referral programs, or
33other existing community resources, or all of them.
Section 8266.1 of the Education Code is amended to
36read:
Commencing with the 1995-96 fiscal year and each
38fiscal year thereafter, for the purposes of this chapter,
39reimbursement rates shall be adjusted by the following
40reimbursement factors for early learning services with a standard
P63 1reimbursement rate, but shall not apply to the resource and referral
2programs set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 8210),
3the alternative payment programs set forth in Article 3
4(commencing with Section 8220), or the part-day California state
5preschool programs set forth in Article 7 (commencing with
6Section 8235).
7(a) For early learning services serving children for less than
8four hours per day, the reimbursement factor is 55
percent of the
9standard reimbursement rate.
10(b) For early learning services serving children for not less than
11four hours per day, and less than six and one-half hours per day,
12the reimbursement factor is 75 percent of the standard
13reimbursement rate.
14(c) For early learning services serving children for not less than
15six and one-half hours per day, and less than 101⁄2 hours per day,
16the reimbursement factor is 100 percent of the standard
17reimbursement rate.
18(d) For early learning services serving children for 101⁄2 hours
19or more per
day, the reimbursement factor is 118 percent of the
20standard reimbursement rate.
Section 8272 of the Education Code is amended to
23read:
(a) The rules, regulations, and guidelines adopted by
25the Superintendent pursuant to Sections 8261 and 8269 shall permit
26reimbursement for interest paid by contractors on private sector
27debt financing for the purchase, lease-purchase, repair, or
28renovation of early learning and educational support facilities
29owned or leased by contractors providing early learning and
30educational support services.
31(b) The Superintendent shall adopt regulations requiring
32contractors to demonstrate that the amount of interest paid in a
33year on private sector debt financing for the purposes identified
34in subdivision (a) does not exceed the value obtained by the state
35
in the use of the facilities during the year for the early learning
36and educational support services program. The regulations shall
37include, but not be limited to, the following methods of making
38this demonstration:
39(1) Amortization of a loan or lease-purchase contract on a
40straight-line basis for the purchase price of a portable building,
P64 1including any transportation charges, installation charges, loan
2fees, taxes, points, or other fees associated with the purchase, over
3a period of 15 years or more.
4(2) Amortization of a loan or lease-purchase contract on a
5straight-line basis for the purchase price of a permanent building
6and real estate, including any loan fees, taxes, points, or other fees
7associated with the purchase, over a period of 15 years or more.
8(3) Evidence acceptable to the Superintendent that loan
9payments for the purchase of a portable building or permanent
10building and real estate, including principal and interest, do not
11exceed the fair market rental cost that the contractor would have
12paid if the property was not purchased.
13(c) Loans or lease-purchase agreements amortized over the
14number of years designated in subdivision (b), but due in a fewer
15number of years, shall not be disallowed because of the shorter
16due date.
Section 8275 of the Education Code is amended to
19read:
(a) The Superintendent may reimburse approvable
21startup costs of agencies or facilities in an amount not to exceed
2215 percent of the expansion or increase of each agency’s total
23contract amount. Under no circumstances shall reimbursement for
24startup costs result in an increase in the agency’s total contract
25amount. These funds shall be available for all of the following:
26(1) The employment and orientation of necessary staff.
27(2) The setting up of the program and facility.
28(3) The finalization of rental agreements and the making of
29necessary
deposits.
30(4) The purchase of a reasonable inventory of materials and
31supplies.
32(5) The purchase of an initial premium for insurance.
33(b) Agencies shall submit claims for startup costs with their first
34quarterly reports.
35(c) The Legislature recognizes that allowances for startup costs
36are necessary for the establishment and stability of new early
37learning and educational support programs.
Section 8276.7 of the Education Code is amended to
40read:
Unless specifically exempted by the Legislature, the
2administrative cost for all state-funded early learning and
3educational support programs and all federal programs
4administered by the state shall not exceed 15 percent of the funds
5provided for those programs. Eighty-five percent of these funds
6shall be used to provide direct services in accordance with rules
7and regulations, or contractual funding terms and conditions
8prescribed by the Superintendent.
Section 8277 of the Education Code is amended to
11read:
(a) The Superintendent shall establish regulations for
13the allocation of capital outlay funds provided pursuant to Sections
148277.1 to 8277.4, inclusive, to benefit children most needing early
15learning and educational support programs. The first priority for
16all capital outlay shall be given to facilities located in geographic
17areas with no other available enrollment slots in existing subsidized
18and nonsubsidized facilities. This capital outlay funding shall be
19used solely for purposes of renovation and repair of existing
20buildings.
21(b) The Superintendent shall establish qualifications for
22determining the eligibility of contracting agencies and care homes
23
to apply for capital outlay funds.
Section 8277.8 of the Education Code is amended to
26read:
(a) In the event that a school district elects to
28discontinue its contract for early learning and educational support
29services, the facilities owned by the school district and constructed
30through the provisions of the local tax override for early learning
31and educational support program purposes shall be made available
32to the local contractor whose bid is accepted for continuation of
33the services.
34(b) The rent for the facilities shall not exceed the prevailing
35rental rate for such facilities.
Section 8278.3 of the Education Code is amended to
37read:
(a) (1) The Child Care Facilities Revolving Fund is
39hereby established in the State Treasury to provide funding for the
40renovation, repair, or improvement of an existing building to make
P66 1the building suitable for licensure for early learning and educational
2support services and for the purchase of new relocatable facilities
3for lease to school districts and contracting agencies that provide
4early learning and educational support services pursuant to this
5chapter. The Superintendent may transfer state funds appropriated
6for facilities into this fund for allocation to school districts and
7contracting agencies, as specified, for the purchase, transportation,
8and installation of facilities for replacement and expansion of
9capacity.
School districts and contracting agencies using facilities
10made available by the use of these funds shall be charged a leasing
11fee, either at a fair market value for those facilities or at an amount
12sufficient to amortize the cost of purchase and relocation,
13whichever amount is lower, over a 10-year period. Upon full
14repayment of the purchase and relocation costs, title shall transfer
15from the State of California to the school district or contracting
16agency. The Superintendent shall deposit all revenue derived from
17the lease payments into the Child Care Facilities Revolving Fund.
18(2) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code,
19all moneys in the fund, including moneys deposited from lease
20payments, are continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal
21years, to the Superintendent for expenditure pursuant to this article.
22(b) On or before August 1 of each fiscal year, the Superintendent
23shall submit to the Department of Finance and the Legislative
24Analyst’s Office a report detailing the number of funding requests
25received and their purpose, the types of agencies that received
26funding from the Child Care Facilities Revolving Fund, the
27increased capacity that these facilities generated, a description of
28the manner in which the facilities are being used, and a projection
29of the lease payments collected and the funds available for future
30use.
31(c) A school district or county office of education that provides
32services pursuant to the California School Age Families Education
33Program (Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of Chapter
349 of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2) is eligible to apply for
and
35receive funding pursuant to this section.
begin insertSection 8278.3 of the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert is amended to
37read:end insert
(a) (1) The Child Care Facilities Revolving Fund is
39hereby established in the State Treasury to provide funding for the
40renovation, repair, or improvement of an existing building to make
P67 1the building suitable for licensure forbegin delete child care and developmentend delete
2begin insert early learning and educational supportend insert services and for the
3purchase of new relocatablebegin delete child careend delete facilities for lease to local
4educational agencies and contracting agencies that providebegin delete child begin insert
early learning and educational supportend insert
5care and developmentend delete
6 services, pursuant to this chapter. The Superintendent may transfer
7state funds appropriated forbegin delete child careend delete facilities into this fund for
8allocation to local educational agencies and contracting agencies,
9as specified, for the purchase, transportation, and installation of
10facilities for replacement and expansion of capacity. Local
11educational agencies and contracting agencies using facilities made
12available by the use of these funds shall be charged a leasing fee,
13either at a fair market value for those facilities or at an amount
14sufficient to amortize the cost of purchase and relocation,
15whichever amount is lower, over a 10-year period. Upon full
16repayment of the purchase and relocation costs, title shall transfer
17from the State of California to the local educational agency or
18contracting agency. The Superintendent shall deposit all revenue
19
derived from the lease payments into the Child Care Facilities
20Revolving Fund.
21(2) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code,
22all moneys in the fund, including moneys deposited from lease
23payments, are continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal
24years, to the Superintendent for expenditure pursuant to this article.
25(3) Augmentations to the Child Care Facilities Revolving Fund
26made in the Budget Act of 2014 shall be used for renovation or
27repair of existing local educational agency facilities or new
28relocatable child care facilities for lease to local educational
29agencies that provide California state preschool program services
30pursuant to this chapter.
31(b) On or before August 1 of each fiscal year, the Superintendent
32shall submit to the Department of Finance and the Legislative
33Analyst’s Office a
report detailing the number of funding requests
34received and their purpose, the types of agencies that received
35funding from the Child Care Facilities Revolving Fund, the
36increased capacity that these facilities generated, a description of
37the manner in which the facilities are being used, and a projection
38of the lease payments collected and the funds available for future
39use.
P68 1(c) A local educational agency that provides child care pursuant
2to the California School Age Families Education Program (Article
37.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of Chapter 9 of Part 29 of
4Division 4 of Title 2) is eligible to apply for and receive funding
5pursuant to this section.
Section 8279.1 of the Education Code is amended to
8read:
(a) The Legislature recognizes that early learning and
10educational support programs have made valuable contributions
11towards ensuring that public assistance recipients will be able to
12accept and maintain employment or employment-related training.
13Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that the Superintendent
14ensure that counties comply with the requirements of Section 8279.
15(b) The Superintendent shall ensure each county’s compliance
16with Section 8279 by not issuing funds to a local contractor within
17a county until the Superintendent has received written certification
18from that county that the level of expenditure for services provided
19by the
county has been maintained at the 1970-71 fiscal year level
20pursuant to Section 8279. Funding provided by a county to a local
21contractor shall not adversely affect the reimbursement received
22by the agency from the Superintendent pursuant to Section 8265,
238265.5, or 8266.
Section 8279.3 of the Education Code is amended to
26read:
(a) The department shall disburse augmentations to
28the base allocation for the expansion of early learning and
29educational support programs to promote equal access to these
30services across the state.
31(b) The Superintendent shall use the formula developed pursuant
32to subdivision (c) and the priorities identified by local planning
33councils, unless those priorities do not meet the requirements of
34state or federal law, as a guide in disbursing augmentations
35pursuant to subdivision (a).
36(c) The Superintendent shall develop a formula for prioritizing
37the disbursement of augmentations
pursuant to this section. The
38formula shall give priority to allocating funds to underserved areas.
39The Superintendent shall develop the formula by using the
40definition of “underserved area” in subdivisionbegin delete (ai)end deletebegin insert (ah)end insert of Section
P69 18208 and direct impact indicators of need for early learning and
2educational support services in the county or subcounty areas. For
3purposes of this section, “subcounty areas” include, but are not
4limited to, school districts, census tracts, or ZIP Code areas that
5are deemed by the Superintendent to be most appropriate to the
6type of program receiving an augmentation. Direct impact
7indicators of need may include, but are not limited to, the teenage
8pregnancy rate, the unemployment rate, area household
income,
9or the number or percentage of families receiving public assistance,
10eligible for Medi-Cal, or eligible for free or reduced-price school
11meals, and any unique characteristics of the population served by
12the type of program receiving an augmentation.
13(d) To promote equal access to services, the Superintendent
14shall include in guidelines developed for use by local planning
15councils pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 8499.5 guidance
16on identifying underserved areas and populations within counties.
17This guidance shall include reference to the direct impact indicators
18of need described in subdivision (c).
Section 8279.4 of the Education Code is amended to
21read:
The Legislature finds and declares the following:
23(a) There is a serious shortage of quality facilities throughout
24the state.
25(b) It is in the interest of the state’s children and families, and
26the state’s economic growth, to encourage the expansion of existing
27facilities by assisting communities and interested government and
28private entities to finance facilities.
29(c) In addition to regional resource centers described in
30Provision 7(d) of Item 6110-196-0001 of the Budget Act of 1999,
31which focus on developing care capacity in underserved areas of
32the
state, there is a need to access capital for facilities on a
33systematic basis, especially to use limited public sector funds to
34leverage a greater private sector role in financing facilities. The
35Legislature finds and declares that a financial intermediary could
36fill this role and support the regional resource centers and other
37local entities that work with potential providers by functioning as
38a centralized repository of training, best practices, and expertise
39on facilities financing.
Section 8279.5 of the Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) The Superintendent shall contract with a nonprofit
5organization to serve as a financial intermediary. The nonprofit
6organization shall have staff who have expertise in financing and
7capital expansion, are knowledgeable about the early learning and
8educational support field, and have the ability to develop and
9implement a plan to increase the availability of financing to
10renovate, expand, and construct facilities, both in centers and
11family care homes.
12(b) The financial intermediary selected by the Superintendent
13shall undertake activities designed to increase funds available from
14the private and public sectors for the financing of
facilities. These
15activities shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
16(1) Soliciting capital grants and program-related investments
17from foundations and corporations.
18(2) Building partnerships with foundations and corporations.
19(3) Developing lending commitments, linked deposits, and other
20financing programs with conventional financial institutions.
21(4) Coordinating private sources of capital with existing public
22sector sources of financing for facilities, including, but not limited
23to, the Department of Housing and Community Development and
24the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank.
25(5) Coordinating financing efforts with the technical assistance
26provided by the regional resource centers described in Provision
277(d) of Item 6110-196-0001 of the Budget Act of 1999, and other
28local entities that work with potential providers.
29(c) This section shall only be implemented to the extent that
30funds are appropriated for this purpose in the annual Budget Act.
Section 8279.7 of the Education Code is amended to
33read:
(a) The Legislature recognizes the importance of
35providing high-quality early learning and educational support
36services. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to assist
37counties in improving the retention and professional growth of
38qualified instructional employees who work directly with children
39who receive state-subsidized early learning services.
P71 1(b) It is further the intent of the Legislature, in amending this
2section during the 2009-10 Regular Session, to address the unique
3challenges of the County of Los Angeles, in which an estimated
460,000 low-income children receive subsidized care in
5nonstate-funded care settings and an additional 50,000 eligible
6children are
waiting for subsidized services.
7(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the funds
8appropriated for the purposes of this section by paragraph (11) of
9Schedule (b) of Item 6110-196-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget
10Act of 2000 (Chapter 52 of the Statutes of 2000), and that are
11described in subdivision (i) of Provision 7 of that item, and any
12other funds appropriated for purposes of this section, shall be
13allocated to local planning councils based on the percentage of
14state-subsidized, early learning services funds received in that
15county, and shall be used to address the retention of qualified
16instructional employees in state-subsidized centers.
17(2) Of the funds identified in paragraph (1), funds qualified
18pursuant to subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, may
also be used
19to address the retention and professional growth of qualified
20persons working in licensed facilities providing early learning
21services and that serve a majority of children who receive
22subsidized early learning services pursuant to this chapter,
23including, but not limited to, family care homes as defined in
24Section 1596.78 of the Health and Safety Code. To qualify for use
25pursuant to this paragraph, the funds shall meet all of the following
26requirements:
27(A) The funds are allocated for use in the County of Los
28Angeles.
29(B) The funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act.
30(C) The funds are unexpended after addressing the retention of
31qualified employees in state-subsidized centers and family child
32care
home education networks.
33(d) The department shall develop guidelines for use by local
34planning councils in developing county plans for the expenditure
35of funds allocated pursuant to this section. These guidelines shall
36be consistent with the department’s assessment of the current needs
37of the subsidized workforce, and shall be subject to the approval
38of the Department of Finance. Any county plan developed pursuant
39to these guidelines shall be approved by the department before the
40allocation of funds to the local planning council.
P72 1(e) Funds provided to a county for the purposes of this section
2shall be used in accordance with the plan approved pursuant to
3subdivision (d). A county with an approved plan may retain up to
41 percent of the county’s total allocation made pursuant to this
5section
for reimbursement of administrative expenses associated
6with the planning process.
7(f) The Superintendent shall provide an annual report, no later
8than April 10 of each year, to the Legislature, the Department of
9Finance, and the Governor that includes, but is not limited to, a
10summary of the distribution of the funds by county and a
11description of the use of the funds.
Section 8282 of the Education Code is amended to
14read:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the state
16makes a substantial, annual investment in preschool, infant and
17toddler, and schoolage early learning services for eligible families.
18It is in the best interests of children and their families, and the
19taxpayers of California, to have information about the development
20and learning abilities of children developed in these settings, health
21and other information transferred to, or otherwise available to, the
22pupil’s elementary school.
23(b) When a child in a state-funded preschool or infant and
24toddler program will be transferring to a local public school, the
25preschool or infant and toddler
program shall provide the parent
26or guardian with information from the previous year deemed
27beneficial to the pupil and the public school teacher, including,
28but not limited to, development issues, social interaction abilities,
29health background, and diagnostic assessments, if any. The
30preschool or infant and toddler program may, with the permission
31of the parent or guardian, transfer this information to the pupil’s
32elementary school.
33(c) Any child who has participated in a state subsidized
34preschool program that maintains results-based standards, including
35the desired results accountability system, may have the
36performance information transferred to any subsequent or
37concurrent public school setting. Any transferred information shall
38be in summary form and only accomplished with the permission
39of the parent or
guardian.
Section 8320 of the Education Code is amended to
3read:
The governing board of any school district or a county
5superintendent of schools with the approval of the county board
6of education is authorized to establish and maintain early learning
7and educational support programs upon the approval of, and subject
8to the regulations of the Superintendent.
Section 8321 of the Education Code is amended to
11read:
(a) The county superintendent of schools in each county,
13with the approval of the county board of education and the
14Superintendent, shall have the authority to establish and maintain
15early learning services in the same manner and to the same extent
16as governing boards of school or community college districts,
17except that nothing in this section shall be construed as vesting in
18the county superintendents of schools any authority to alone effect
19the levy and collection of any county, school, or other local taxes
20for the support of any early learning services.
21(b) The establishment and maintenance of any early learning
22services by the county superintendent of
schools shall be
23undertaken, subject to the prior approval of both the county board
24of education and the Superintendent, upon the application of one
25or more school districts under his or her jurisdiction.
Section 8324 of the Education Code is amended to
28read:
The employees of school districts or community college
30districts, or county superintendents of schools in early learning
31services under this division shall have the same rights and
32privileges as are granted to employees of the same agencies in
33children’s centers.
Section 8327 of the Education Code is amended to
36read:
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the
38governing board of a school district or community college district,
39county superintendent of schools, or other unit of local general
40purpose government may enter into agreements with any city, city
P74 1and county, or other public agency, or with a private foundation,
2nonprofit corporation, or proprietary agency for the furnishing to,
3or use by, the governing board, county superintendent of schools,
4or other unit of local general purpose government in carrying out
5the provisions of this chapter, of property, facilities, personnel,
6supplies, equipment, and other necessary items and such city,
7county, city and county, other public agency, or private foundation
8or nonprofit
corporation, is authorized to enter into the agreements.
Section 8328 of the Education Code is amended to
11read:
(a) The governing board of any school district or the
13county superintendent of schools shall establish in the county
14treasury a fund to be known as the “child development fund” into
15which shall be paid all funds received by the district or the county
16for, or from the operation of, early learning and educational support
17services under this chapter. The costs incurred in the maintenance
18and operation of services shall be paid from the fund, with
19accounting to reflect specific funding sources.
20(b) Funds of a district derived from the receipt of district taxes
21or derived from moneys apportioned to the district for the support
22of schools of the district,
in addition to state moneys appropriated
23for the support of services, fees, and federal funds, may be
24expended for, or in connection with these services.
Section 8329 of the Education Code is amended to
27read:
The governing board of any school district maintaining
29an early learning and educational support program may include in
30its budget the amount necessary to initiate, operate, and maintain
31a program pursuant to this chapter and the board of supervisors
32shall levy a school district tax necessary to raise that amount. The
33tax shall be in addition to any other school district tax authorized
34by law to be levied.
The heading of Article 15.2 (commencing with
37Section 8335) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 38Education
Code is amended to read:
Section 8335.1 of the Education Code is amended to
6read:
Before implementing the local subsidy plan, the City
8and County of San Francisco, in consultation with the department,
9shall develop an individualized county care subsidy plan for the
10city and county that includes the following four elements:
11(a) An assessment to identify the city and county’s goal for its
12subsidized care system. The assessment shall examine whether
13the current structure of subsidized care funding adequately supports
14working families in the city and county and whether the city and
15county’s care goals coincide with the state’s requirements for
16funding, eligibility, priority, and reimbursement. The assessment
17shall also identify barriers in the state’s care subsidy system that
18inhibit
the city and county from meeting its care goals. In
19conducting the assessment, the city and county shall consider all
20of the following:
21(1) The general demographics of families who are in need of
22care, including employment, income, language, ethnic, and family
23composition.
24(2) The current supply of available subsidized care.
25(3) The level of need for various types of subsidized care
26including, but not limited to, infant and toddler care, after-hours
27care, and care for children with exceptional needs.
28(4) The city and county’s self-sufficiency income level.
29(5) Income eligibility levels for subsidized care.
30(6) Family fees.
31(7) The cost of providing care.
32(8) The regional market rates, as established by the department,
33for different types of care.
34(9) The standard reimbursement rate or state per diem for centers
35operating under contracts with the department.
36(10) Trends in the county’s unemployment rate and housing
37affordability index.
38(b) Development of a local policy to eliminate state-imposed
39regulatory barriers to the city and county’s achievement of its
40desired outcomes for subsidized care.
P76 1(1) The local policy shall do all of the following:
2(A) Prioritize lowest income families first.
3(B) Follow the family fee schedule established pursuant to
4subdivision (f) of Section 8263 for those families that are income
5eligible, as defined by Section 8263.1.
6(C) Meet local goals that are consistent with the state’s care
7goals.
8(D) Identify existing policies that would be affected by the city
9and county’s care subsidy plan.
10(E) (i) Authorize any agency that provides early learning and
11educational support services in the
city and county through a
12contract with the department to apply to the department to amend
13existing contracts in order to benefit from the local policy once it
14is adopted.
15(ii) The department shall approve an application to amend an
16existing contract if the care subsidy plan is approved pursuant to
17subdivision (b) of Section 8335.3, or modified pursuant to
18subdivision (c) of Section 8335.3.
19(iii) The contract of a department contractor who does not elect
20to request an amendment to its contract remains operative and
21enforceable.
22(2) (A) The city and county shall, by the end of the first fiscal
23year of operation under the approved care subsidy plan,
24demonstrate an increase in the aggregate child days of
enrollment
25in the county as compared to the enrollment in the final quarter of
26the 2004-05 fiscal year.
27(B) The amount of the increase shall be at least equal to the
28aggregate child days of enrollment in the final quarter of the
292004-05 fiscal year for all contracts amended as provided in
30subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1), under which the contractor
31receives an increase in its reimbursement rate, multiplied by 2
32percent.
33(C) The amount of the increase shall also be proportional to the
34total contract maximum reimbursable amount to reflect the changes
35in the budget allocation for each fiscal year of the pilot project.
36(3) The local policy may supersede state law concerning care
37subsidy programs with regard only to
the following factors:
38(A) Eligibility criteria including, but not limited to, age, family
39size, time limits, income level, inclusion of former and current
40CalWORKs participants, and special needs considerations, except
P77 1that the local policy may not deny or reduce eligibility of a family
2that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8353. Under the local
3policy, a family that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8354
4shall be treated for purposes of eligibility and fees in the same
5manner as a family that qualifies for subsidized care on another
6basis pursuant to the local policy.
7(B) Fees including, but not limited to, family fees, sliding scale
8fees, and copayments for those families that are not income eligible,
9as defined by Section 8263.1.
10(C) Reimbursement rates.
11(D) Methods of maximizing the efficient use of subsidy funds,
12including, but not limited to, multiyear contracting with the
13department for early learning services, and interagency agreements
14that allow for flexible and temporary transfer of funds among
15agencies.
16(c) Recognition that all funding sources utilized by direct service
17contractors that provide early learning and educational support
18services in the city and county are eligible to be included in the
19care subsidy plan of the city and county.
20(d) Establishment of measurable outcomes to evaluate the
21success of the plan to achieve the city and county’s care goals and
22to overcome any barriers identified in the state’s care subsidy
23
system. The State Department of Social Services shall have an
24opportunity to review and comment on the proposed measurable
25outcomes before they are submitted to the local
planning council
26for approval pursuant to Section 8335.3.
Section 8335.5 of the Education Code is amended to
29read:
The City and County of San Francisco may implement
31an individualized county care subsidy plan as a pilot project
32pursuant to this article until July 1, 2016, at which date the city
33and county shall terminate the plan. From July 1, 2016, to July 1,
342018, inclusive, the city and county shall phase out the
35individualized county care subsidy plan and, beginning July 1,
362018, shall implement the state’s requirements for care subsidies.
37A child enrolling for the first time for subsidized care in the city
38and county on and after July 1, 2016, shall not be enrolled in the
39pilot project established pursuant to this article, and is subject to
40existing state laws and regulations regarding eligibility and priority.
The heading of Article 15.4 (commencing with
3Section 8347) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 4Education
Code is amended to read:
5
Section 8347 of the Education Code is amended to
10read:
On and after July 1, 2014, the individualized county care
12subsidy plan for the County of San Mateo that was developed as
13a pilot project pursuant to Article 15.3 (commencing with Section
148340), as that article read on January 1, 2013, may continue in
15existence and may be implemented in accordance with the
16provisions of this article. The plan shall ensure that care subsidies
17received by the County of San Mateo are used to address local
18needs, conditions, and priorities of working families in those
19communities.
Section 8347.2 of the Education Code is amended to
22read:
For purposes of this article, “plan” means an
24individualized county care subsidy plan developed and approved
25under the pilot project described in Section 8347, which includes
26all of the following:
27(a) An assessment to identify the county’s goal for its subsidized
28care system. The assessment shall examine whether the current
29structure of subsidized care funding adequately supports working
30families in the county and whether the county’s
care goals coincide
31with the state’s requirements for funding, eligibility, priority, and
32reimbursement. The assessment shall also identify barriers in the
33state’s care subsidy system that inhibit the county from meeting
34its care goals. In conducting the assessment, the county shall
35consider all of the following:
36(1) The general demographics of families who are in need of
37care, including employment, income, language, ethnic, and family
38composition.
39(2) The current supply of available subsidized care.
P79 1(3) The level of need for various types of subsidized care
2services, including, but not limited to, infant care, after-hours care,
3and care for children with exceptional needs.
4(4) The county’s self-sufficiency income level.
5(5) Income eligibility levels for subsidized care.
6(6) Family fees.
7(7) The cost of providing care.
8(8) The regional market rates, as established by the department,
9for different types of care.
10(9) The standard reimbursement rate or state per diem for centers
11operating under contracts with the department.
12(10) Trends in the county’s unemployment rate and housing
13affordability index.
14(b) (1) Development of a local policy to eliminate state-imposed
15regulatory barriers to the county’s achievement of its desired
16outcomes for subsidized care.
17(2) The local policy shall do all of the following:
18(A) Prioritize lowest income families first.
19(B) Follow the family fee schedule established pursuant to
20subdivision (g) of Section 8263 for those families that are income
21eligible, as defined by Section 8263.1.
22(C) Meet local goals that are consistent with the state’s care
23goals.
24(D) Identify existing policies that would be affected by the
25county’s plan.
26(E) (i) Authorize any agency that provides early learning and
27educational support services in the county through a contract with
28the department to apply to the department to amend existing
29contracts in order to benefit from the local policy.
30(ii) The department shall approve an application to amend an
31existing contract if the plan is modified pursuant to Section 8347.3.
32(iii) The contract of a department contractor who does not elect
33to request an amendment to its contract remains operative and
34enforceable.
35(3) The local policy may supersede state law concerning care
36subsidy programs with regard only to the following factors:
37(A) Eligibility criteria, including, but not limited to, age, family
38size, time limits, income level, inclusion of former and current
39CalWORKs participants, and special needs considerations, except
40that the local policy may not deny or reduce eligibility of a family
P80 1that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8353. Under the local
2policy, a family that qualifies for care pursuant to Section 8354
3shall be treated for purposes of eligibility and fees in the same
4manner as a family that qualifies for subsidized care on another
5basis pursuant to the local policy.
6(B) Fees, including, but not limited to, family fees, sliding scale
7fees, and copayments for those families that are not income eligible,
8as defined by Section 8263.1.
9(C) Reimbursement rates.
10(D) Methods of maximizing the efficient use of subsidy funds,
11including, but not limited to, multiyear contracting with the
12department for early learning services, and interagency agreements
13that allow for flexible and temporary transfer of funds among
14agencies.
15(c) Recognition that all funding sources utilized by direct service
16contractors that provide early learning and educational support
17services in the county are eligible to be included in the county’s
18plan.
19(d) Establishment of measurable outcomes to evaluate the
20success of the plan to achieve the county’s care goals, and to
21overcome any barriers identified in the state’s care subsidy system.
Section 8347.3 of the Education Code is amended to
24read:
(a) Within 30 days of receiving any modification to
26the plan, the Early Education and Support Division shall review
27and either approve or disapprove that modification to the plan.
28(b) The Early Education and Support Division may disapprove
29only those portions of modifications to the plan that are not in
30conformance with this article or that are in
conflict with federal
31law.
Section 8347.4 of the Education Code is amended to
34read:
(a) The county shall annually prepare and submit to
36the Legislature, the State Department of Social Services, and the
37department a report that summarizes the success of the county’s
38plan, and the county’s ability to maximize the use of funds and to
39improve and stabilize care in the county.
P81 1(b) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under
2subdivision (a) is inoperative on January 1, 2018, pursuant to
3Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
4(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall
5be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
6
Code.
The heading of Article 15.5 (commencing with
9Section 8350) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 10Education
Code is amended to read:
11
Section 8350 of the Education Code is amended to
16read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
18article to ensure that recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing
19with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
20Institutions Code, or any successor program, and former recipients
21who have left aid for employment, are connected as soon as
22possible to local resources, make stable arrangements for services,
23and continue to receive subsidized care after they no longer receive
24aid as long as they require those services and meet the eligibility
25requirements set forth in Sections 8263 and 8263.1.
26(b) This article establishes three stages of care services through
27which a recipient
of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section
2811200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
29or any successor program, will pass. Further, as families’ needs
30are met by county welfare departments and later by other local
31early learning and educational support contractors, it is the intent
32of the Legislature that families experience no break in their services
33due to a transition between the three stages of care services.
Section 8352 of the Education Code is amended to
36read:
(a) As soon as appropriate, a county welfare department
38shall refer families needing services to the local resource and
39referral program funded pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with
40Section 8210). Resource and referral program staff shall colocate
P82 1with a county welfare department’s case management office for
2aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3
3of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor
4program, or arrange other means of swift communication with
5parents and case managers of this aid. The local resource and
6referral program shall assist families to establish stable
7arrangements as soon as possible. These arrangements may include
8licensed and license-exempt
care.
9(b) Information shall be provided to parents in the county of
10service at the time the family is determined eligible for services,
11and at recertification, by one of the following:
12(1) An alternative payment program.
13(2) A resource and referral program.
14(3) A partnership between the alternative payment program and
15the resource and referral program.
16(c) The information provided by the program or partnership
17shall be to assist parents in making informed choices about
18available types of care that would both offer a safe, caring, and
19age-appropriate early learning and educational support environment
20for
children, as well as support the parents’ work activities,
21including, but not limited to, information about high-quality early
22learning and educational support options and resources specified
23in this subdivision. The program or partnership may utilize
24resources from a list posted on the department’s Internet Web site
25pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8206 if this list is available.
26If the department does not create a list of resources pursuant to
27subdivision (c) of Section 8206, the program or partnership may
28develop local resources. These resources shall include, but are not
29limited to, the following:
30(1) Information regarding how to select services that meet the
31needs of the parent and child.
32(2) Information on licensing requirements and procedures for
33
centers and family care homes.
34(3) Trustline requirements for homes and providers exempt from
35licensure.
36(4) A range of possible early learning and educational support
37options from which a parent may choose.
38(5) Information on available care subsidies and eligibility
39requirements.
P83 1(6) Quality indicators, including provider or educator training,
2accreditation, staff stability, group size, ratio of children to staff,
3environments that support the healthy development of children,
4parent involvement, and communication between the parent and
5provider.
6(7) Information on quality rating
and improvement systems,
7where available.
8(d) The program or partnership shall also provide parenting
9information to parents.
10(e) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, within
11two business days of being notified of a revocation or a temporary
12suspension order for a licensed facility, do both of the following:
13(1) Terminate payment to the facility.
14(2) Notify each parent and the facility in writing that payment
15has been terminated and the reason for the termination.
16(f) A program operating pursuant to this article shall, upon being
17notified that a licensed facility has been placed on
probation,
18provide written notice to each parent utilizing the facility that the
19facility has been placed on probation and that the parent has the
20option of selecting a different provider or remaining with the
21facility without risk of subsidy payments to the provider being
22terminated. The Legislature urges each agency operating pursuant
23to this section to provide the written notice required by this
24subdivision in the primary language of the parent, to the extent
25feasible.
Section 8353 of the Education Code is amended to
28read:
(a) The second stage of care begins when the county
30determines that the recipient’s work or approved work activity is
31stable or when a recipient is transitioning off of aid and care is
32available through a local stage two program. Second stage care
33may be provided to a family who elects to receive a lump-sum
34diversion payment or diversion services under Section 11266.5 of
35the Welfare and Institutions Code when a funded space is not
36immediately available for the family in third stage. The local stage
37two agency shall assist in moving families to stage three as quickly
38as feasible. Former CalWORKs recipients are eligible to receive
39services in stage one and stage two for up to a total of no more
40than 24 months
after they leave cash aid, or until they are otherwise
P84 1ineligible within that 24-month period. Family size and income
2for purposes of determining eligibility and calculating the family
3fee shall be determined pursuant to Sections 8263 and 8263.1. A
4family leaving cash aid under the CalWORKs program shall
5receive up to two years of care, if otherwise eligible, as needed to
6continue the family’s employment. The provision of the two-year
7time limit is not intended to limit eligibility for care under Section
88354.
9(b) The second stage shall be administered by agencies
10contracting with the department. These contractors may be either
11agencies that have an alternative payment contract pursuant to
12Section 8220.1 or county welfare departments that choose to
13administer this stage in order to continue to provide services for
14recipients or former
recipients of aid. If the county chooses to
15contract with the department to provide alternative payment
16services, this contract shall not displace, or result in the reduction
17of an existing contract of, a current alternative payment program.
Section 8354 of the Education Code is amended to
20read:
(a) The third stage of care begins when a funded space
22is available. CalWORKs recipients are eligible for the third stage
23of care. Persons who received a lump-sum diversion payment or
24diversion services and former CalWORKs participants are eligible
25if they have an income that does not exceed 70 percent of the state
26median income pursuant to Section 8263.1. The third stage shall
27be administered by programs contracting with the department.
28Parents’ eligibility for services will be governed by Section 8263
29and regulations adopted by the department.
30(b) In order to move welfare recipients and former recipients
31from their relationship with county welfare departments to
32relationships
with institutions providing services to working
33families, it is the intent of the Legislature that families that are
34former recipients of aid, or are transitioning off aid, receive their
35assistance in the same fashion as other low-income working
36families. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that families
37no longer rely on county welfare departments to obtain subsidies
38beyond the time they are receiving other services from the welfare
39department.
P85 1(c) A county welfare department shall not administer the third
2stage of care for CalWORKs recipients except to the extent to
3which it delivered those services to families receiving, or within
4one year of having received, Aid to Families with Dependent
5Children before the enactment of this section.
6(d) This article does not
preclude county welfare departments
7from operating an alternative payment program under contract
8with the department to serve families referred by child protective
9services.
Section 8355 of the Education Code is amended to
12read:
Care during the third stage may be funded with moneys
14dedicated to current and former recipients of aid under Chapter 2
15(commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the
16Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program, including
17the federal funds appropriated to alternative payment program
18contractors in the 1996-97 fiscal year using the Budget Act’s
19Section 28 process as described in subdivision (b). Nothing shall
20prevent services provided under stage three from being funded
21with moneys from other federal or state sources. Nothing in this
22article shall preclude current and former recipients
of aid under
23Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division
249 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program,
25from receiving services pursuant to other provisions of this chapter.
Section 8356 of the Education Code is amended to
28read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that the department
30work with Head Start and California state preschool programs to
31generate extended-day and evening care for recipients of aid under
32Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division
339 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program,
34through recruiting and training parents to be licensed and
35license-exempt care providers and shall facilitate connections
36between Head Start and California state preschool program
37contractors and child care certificate administrators, including
38counties and other alternative payment programs, so that funds
39available for Sections 8351, 8353, and 8354 cover the cost of this
40
care.
Section 8357 of the Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) The cost of care services provided under this article
5shall be governed by regional market rates. Recipients of care
6services provided pursuant to this article shall be allowed to choose
7the care services of licensed providers or providers who are, by
8law, not required to be licensed, and the cost of that care shall be
9reimbursed by counties or agencies that contract with the
10department if the cost is within the regional market rate. For
11purposes of this section, “regional market rate” means care costing
12no more than 1.5 market standard deviations above the mean cost
13of care for that region. The regional market rate ceilings shall be
14established at the 85th percentile of the 2005 regional market rate
15survey for that region.
16(b) Reimbursement to license-exempt providers shall not exceed
1760 percent of the family child care home rate established pursuant
18to subdivision (a), effective July 1, 2011.
19(c) Reimbursement to providers shall not exceed the fee charged
20to private clients for the same service.
21(d) Reimbursement shall not be made for care services if care
22is provided by parents, legal guardians, or members of the
23assistance unit.
24(e) A provider located on an Indian reservation or rancheria and
25exempted from state licensing requirements shall meet applicable
26tribal standards.
27(f) For purposes of this section,
“reimbursement” means a direct
28payment to the provider of care services, including license-exempt
29providers. If care is provided in the home of the recipient, payment
30may be made to the parent as the employer, and the parent shall
31be informed of his or her concomitant legal and financial reporting
32requirements. To allow time for the development of the
33administrative systems necessary to issue direct payments to
34providers, for a period not to exceed six months from the effective
35date of this article, a county or an alternative payment agency
36contracting with the department may reimburse the cost of services
37through a direct payment to a recipient of aid rather than to the
38
provider.
39(g) Counties and alternative payment programs shall not be
40bound by the rate limits described in subdivision (a) if there are,
P87 1in the region, no more than two providers of the type needed by
2the recipient of services provided under this article.
3(h) Notwithstanding any other law, reimbursements to providers
4based upon a daily rate may only be authorized under either of the
5following circumstances:
6(1) A family has an unscheduled but documented need of six
7hours or more per occurrence, such as the parent’s need to work
8on a regularly scheduled day off, that exceeds the certified need
9for care.
10(2) A family has a documented need of
six hours or more per
11day that exceeds no more than 14 days per month. In no event shall
12reimbursements to a provider based on the daily rate over one
13month’s time exceed the provider’s equivalent full-time monthly
14rate or applicable monthly ceiling.
15(3) This subdivision shall not limit providers from being
16reimbursed for services using a weekly or monthly rate, pursuant
17to subdivision (c) of Section 8222.
Section 8358 of the Education Code is amended to
20read:
(a) The department and the State Department of Social
22Services shall design a form for license-exempt providers to use
23for certifying health and safety requirements to the extent required
24by federal law. Until the form is adopted, the information required
25pursuant to Section 11324 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
26shall continue to be maintained by the county welfare department
27or contractor, as appropriate.
28(b) The department and the State Department of Social Services
29shall do both of the following:
30(1) Design a standard process for complaints by parents about
31the provision of care
that is exempt from licensure.
32(2) Design, in consultation with local planning councils, a single
33application for all early learning and educational support programs
34and all families.
35(c) (1) County welfare departments and alternative payment
36programs shall encourage all providers who are licensed or who
37are exempt from licensure and who are providing care under
38Section 8351, 8353, or 8354, to secure training and education in
39basic child development.
P88 1(2) Provider job training provided to CalWORKs recipients that
2is funded by either the department or the State Department of
3Social Services shall include information on becoming a licensed
4provider.
5(d) The department shall increase consumer education and
6consumer awareness activities so that parents will have the
7
information needed to seek high-quality services. High-quality
8services shall include both licensed and license-exempt care.
Section 8358.5 of the Education Code is amended to
11read:
Notwithstanding any other confidentiality requirement,
13the government or private agency administering subsidized care
14services shall share information necessary for the administration
15of the programs pursuant to this article and the CalWORKs
16program pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200)
17of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for
18the time period for which the person receives services.
Section 8359.1 of the Education Code is amended
21to read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
23article to provide sufficient funding through an appropriation in
24the annual Budget Act to fund the estimated cost of providing care
25for all individuals who are anticipated to need care to participate
26in the welfare-to-work programs and to transition to work.
27(b) Funding for purposes of implementing this article shall be
28appropriated in the annual Budget Act.
The heading of Article 16 (commencing with Section
318360) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 32Education
Code is amended to read:
33
Section 8360 of the Education Code is amended to
39read:
(a) Early learning and educational support programs
2shall include a career ladder for instructional staff. The governing
3board of each contracting agency shall be encouraged to provide
4instructional staff and aides with salary increases for the successful
5completion of early childhood education or child development
6unit-based coursework and degrees.
7(b) Any person who meets the following criteria is eligible to
8serve in an instructional capacity in an early learning and
9educational support program:
10(1) Any person serving as a teacher in an early learning and
11educational support program
providing early learning services
12shall possess a permit or credential issued by the Commission on
13Teacher Credentialing, including, but not limited to, one of the
14following:
15(A) An associate teacher permit, or higher, authorizing service
16in the care, development, and instruction of children in early
17learning and educational support programs.
18(B) A multiple subject credential with an authorization to teach
19prekindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, in a self-contained
20classroom.
21(C) An elementary credential.
22(D) A single subject credential in home economics.
23(2) Any teacher qualifying under
subparagraph (B), (C), or (D)
24of paragraph (1) must also have completed 12 semester units in
25early childhood education or child development, or both, or have
26two years’ experience in early childhood education or an early
27learning and educational support program.
28(3) Persons who are 18 years of age and older may be employed
29as aides and may be eligible for salary increases upon the
30completion of additional semester units in early childhood
31education or child development.
Section 8360.1 of the Education Code is repealed.
Section 8360.1 is added to the Education Code, to
36read:
Except as waived under Section 8244, any entity
38operating early learning and educational support programs
39providing early learning services to children, pursuant to Article
405 (commencing with Section 8228), at two or more sites, shall
P90 1employ a program director who possesses a permit or credential
2issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorizing
3supervision of an early learning and educational support program,
4including, but not limited to:
5(a) An administrative credential.
6(b) A children’s center supervision permit.
7(c) A program director permit.
8(d) A waiver issued by the Superintendent pursuant to Section
98244.
Section 8360.2 of the Education Code is amended
12to read:
Not later than 95 days after the governing board of a
14public agency sets the date a person employed by that board shall
15begin service in a position requiring a permit or credential, that
16person shall file, on or before that date, with the county
17superintendent of schools a valid permit issued on or before that
18date, authorizing him or her to serve in a position for which he or
19she was employed. Upon renewal of that permit, that person shall
20file that renewal with the county superintendent of schools no later
21than 95 days after the renewal.
Section 8400 of the Education Code is amended to
24read:
It has come to the attention of the Legislature that:
26(a) Existing law does not provide for an administrative appeal
27procedure to review and resolve disputes between the department
28and the over 750 local contracting agencies that contract with the
29department to provide early learning and educational support
30services to low-income families in California.
31(b) All disputes are currently resolved in the already
32overburdened California courts resulting in a time-consuming and
33costly process for both the contract agency and the department.
34Extensive funds have been expended by the department for those
35purposes.
36(c) The presence of public and private agencies, small as well
37as large, in the subsidized early learning and educational support
38delivery system provides client families with a range of desirable
39services, and cost-effective service mechanisms.
P91 1(d) The presence of an efficient administrative appeal procedure
2will ensure program stability and encourage retention in the
3delivery system of a range of service-providing agencies.
Section 8401 of the Education Code is amended to
6read:
It is the intent of the Legislature to authorize an appeal
8process for the resolution of disputes between the department and
9local agencies that contract with the department pursuant to Section
108262 to provide early learning and educational support services
11or to furnish property, facilities, personnel, supplies, equipment,
12and administrative services.
Section 8402 of the Education Code is amended to
15read:
(a) The department shall provide an independent appeal
17procedure to each contracting agency providing early learning and
18educational support services pursuant to Section 8262 that shall
19be conducted by the Office of Administrative Hearings and shall
20be provided upon an appeal petition of the contracting agency in
21any of the following circumstances:
22(1) Termination of a contracting agency’s contract.
23(2) Denial of more than 4 percent or twenty-five thousand dollars
24($25,000), whichever is less, of a local contracting agency’s
25contracted payment for services schedule.
26(3) Demand for remittance of an overpayment of more than 4
27percent or twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), whichever is
28less, of a local contracting agency’s annual contract.
29(b) Before filing an appeal petition for an action taken pursuant
30to paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (a), the contracting agency
31shall have submitted all previously required standard monthly or
32quarterly reporting forms to the department.
Section 8406.7 of the Education Code is amended
35to read:
(a) A contracting agency that evidences any of the
37following acts or omissions may have its contract or contracts
38immediately terminated if there is documented evidence of the
39acts or omissions, and upon review and recommendation of the
40general counsel of the department:
P92 1(1) Fraud, or conspiracy to defraud.
2(2) Misuse or misappropriation of state or federal funds,
3including a violation of Section 8406.9.
4(3) Embezzlement.
5(4) Threats of bodily or other harm to a state official.
6(5) Bribery or attempted bribery of a state official.
7(6) Unsafe or unhealthy physical environment or facility.
8(7) Substantiated abuse or molestation of children.
9(8) Failure to report suspected child abuse or molestation.
10(9) Theft of supplies, equipment, or food.
11(10) Cessation of operations without the permission of the
12department, or acts or omissions evidencing abandonment of the
13contract or contracts.
14(11) Failure of a program operating pursuant to Article 3
15(commencing with
Section 8220) or Article 15.5 (commencing
16with Section 8350) to fully reimburse a significant number of
17approved care providers, as determined by the department, within
1815 calendar days after the date set in the plan for timely payments
19to care providers adopted by the contracting agency pursuant to
20Section 18226 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations,
21unless the failure is attributable to a delay in receiving
22apportionments from the state.
23(12) Failure of a program operating pursuant to this chapter to
24pay salaries owed to employees, pay federal payroll tax, or fully
25reimburse a significant number of care providers, as determined
26by the department, affiliated with a contracting agency pursuant
27to Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 8245) for more than 15
28days after the employee salaries, federal payroll taxes, or
29reimbursement
payments were due, unless the failure is attributable
30to a delay in receiving apportionments from the state.
31(b) An agency whose contract is immediately terminated
32pursuant to this section retains appeal rights in accordance with
33Section 8402.
34(c) Notwithstanding any service provision in the Administrative
35Procedure Act (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of
36Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), a notice
37of immediate termination shall be served on the contracting agency
38by personal service or at the last address on file with the
39department, by overnight mail or certified mail. Service may be
P93 1proved in the manner authorized in a civil action. Service by mail
2is complete at the time of deposit.
3(d) The department shall advise
contractors of the provisions
4of this section within 30 working days of the effective date of the
5act amending this section during the 2013-14 Regular Session of
6the Legislature.
Section 8447 of the Education Code is amended to
8read:
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that greater
10efficiencies may be achieved in the execution of state subsidized
11early learning and educational support program contracts with
12public and private agencies by the timely approval of contract
13provisions by the Department of Finance, the Department of
14General Services, and the State Department of Education and by
15authorizing the State Department of Education to establish a
16multiyear application, contract expenditure, and service review as
17may be necessary to provide timely service while preserving audit
18and oversight functions to protect the public welfare.
19(b) (1) The Department of Finance and the Department of
20General
Services shall approve or disapprove annual contract
21funding terms and conditions, including both family fee schedules
22and regional market rate schedules that are required to be adhered
23to by contract, and contract face sheets submitted by the State
24Department of Education not more than 30 working days from the
25date of submission, unless unresolved conflicts remain between
26the Department of Finance, the State Department of Education,
27and the Department of General Services. The State Department of
28Education shall resolve conflicts within an additional 30 working
29day time period. Contracts and funding terms and conditions shall
30be issued to contractors no later than June 1. Applications for new
31early learning and educational support funding shall be issued not
32more than 45 working days after the effective date of authorized
33new allocations of these moneys.
34(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the State Department of
35Education shall implement the regional market rate schedules
36based upon the county aggregates, as determined by the regional
37market rate survey conducted in 2005.
38(3) It is the intent of the Legislature to fully fund the third stage
39of care for former CalWORKs recipients.
P94 1(c) With respect to subdivision (b), it is the intent of the
2Legislature that the Department of Finance annually review
3contract funding terms and conditions for the primary purpose of
4ensuring consistency between early learning and educational
5support contracts and the early learning and educational support
6budget. This review shall include evaluating any proposed changes
7to contract language or other fiscal documents to which the
8contractor
is required to adhere, including those changes to terms
9or conditions that authorize higher reimbursement rates, that
10modify related adjustment factors, that modify administrative or
11other service allowances, or that diminish fee revenues otherwise
12available for services, to determine if the change is necessary or
13has the potential effect of reducing the number of full-time
14equivalent children that may be served.
15(d) Alternative payment programs, as set forth in Article 3
16(commencing with Section 8220), shall be subject to the rates
17established in the Regional Market Rate Survey of California Child
18Care Providers for provider payments. The State Department of
19Education shall contract to conduct and complete a regional market
20rate survey no more frequently than once every two years,
21consistent with federal regulations, with a goal of
completion by
22March 1.
23(e) By March 1 of each year, the Department of Finance shall
24provide to the State Department of Education the state median
25income amount for a four-person household in California based
26on the best available data. The State Department of Education shall
27adjust its fee schedule for care providers to reflect this updated
28state median income; however, no changes based on revisions to
29the state median income amount shall be implemented midyear.
30(f) Notwithstanding the June 1 date specified in subdivision (b),
31changes to the regional market rate schedules and fee schedules
32may be made at any other time to reflect the availability of accurate
33data necessary for their completion, provided these documents
34receive the approval of the Department of Finance. The
Department
35of Finance shall review the changes within 30 working days of
36submission and the State Department of Education shall resolve
37conflicts within an additional 30 working day period. Contractors
38shall be given adequate notice before the effective date of the
39approved schedules. It is the intent of the Legislature that contracts
P95 1for services not be delayed by the timing of the availability of
2accurate data needed to update these schedules.
begin insertSection 8447 of the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert is amended to
4read:end insert
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that greater
6efficiencies may be achieved in the execution of state subsidized
7begin delete child care and developmentend deletebegin insert early learning and educational supportend insert
8 program contracts with public and private agencies by the timely
9approval of contract provisions by the Department of Finance, the
10Department of General Services, and the State Department of
11Education and by authorizing the State Department of Education
12to establish a multiyear application, contract expenditure, and
13service review as may be necessary to provide timely service while
14preserving audit and oversight functions to protect the public
15
welfare.
16(b) (1) The Department of Finance and the Department of
17General Services shall approve or disapprove annual contract
18funding terms and conditions, including both family fee schedules
19and regional market rate schedules that are required to be adhered
20to by contract, and contract face sheets submitted by the State
21Department of Education not more than 30 working days from the
22date of submission, unless unresolved conflicts remain between
23the Department of Finance, the State Department of Education,
24and the Department of General Services. The State Department of
25Education shall resolve conflicts within an additional 30 working
26day time period. Contracts and funding terms and conditions shall
27be issued tobegin delete child careend delete contractors no later than June 1. Applications
28for newbegin delete child careend deletebegin insert
early learning and educational supportend insert funding
29shall be issued not more than 45 working days after the effective
30date of authorized new allocations ofbegin delete child careend deletebegin insert theseend insert moneys.
31(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), until January 1, 2015, the
32State Department of Education shall implement the regional market
33rate schedules based upon the county aggregates, as determined
34by the Regional Market survey conducted in 2005. Commencing
35January 1, 2015, the State Department of Education shall
36implement the regional market rate schedules based upon the 85th
37percentile of county aggregates, as determined by the Regional
38Market survey conducted in 2009. Commencing January 1, 2015,
39the regional market rate schedule developed
pursuant to this
40paragraph shall be reduced by 13 percent. If a ceiling for a county
P96 1is less than the ceiling provided for that county before January 1,
22015, the State Department of Education shall use the ceiling from
3the Regional Market survey conducted in 2005.
4(3) It is the intent of the Legislature to fully fund the third stage
5ofbegin delete childend delete care for former CalWORKs recipients.
6(c) With respect to subdivision (b), it is the intent of the
7Legislature that the Department of Finance annually review
8contract funding terms and conditions for the primary purpose of
9ensuring consistency betweenbegin delete child careend deletebegin insert early learning and
10educational
supportend insert
contracts and thebegin delete child careend deletebegin insert early learning
11and educational supportend insert budget. This review shall include
12evaluating any proposed changes to contract language or other
13fiscal documents to which the contractor is required to adhere,
14including those changes to terms or conditions that authorize higher
15reimbursement rates, that modify related adjustment factors, that
16modify administrative or other service allowances, or that diminish
17fee revenues otherwise available for services, to determine if the
18change is necessary or has the potential effect of reducing the
19number of full-time equivalent children that may be served.
20(d) Alternative paymentbegin delete child care systemsend deletebegin insert
programsend insert, as set
21forth in Article 3 (commencing with Section 8220), shall be subject
22to the rates established in the Regional Market Rate Survey of
23California Child Care Providers for provider payments. The State
24Department of Education shall contract to conduct and complete
25abegin delete Regional Market Rate Surveyend deletebegin insert regional market rate surveyend insert no
26more frequently than once every two years, consistent with federal
27regulations, with a goal of completion by March 1.
28(e) By March 1 of each year, the Department of Finance shall
29provide to the State Department of Education the state median
30income amount for a four-person household in California based
31on the best available data. The State Department of Education shall
32adjust its fee
schedule forbegin delete childend delete
care providers to reflect this
33updated state median income; however, no changes based on
34revisions to the state median income amount shall be implemented
35midyear.
36(f) Notwithstanding the June 1 date specified in subdivision (b),
37changes to the regional market rate schedules and fee schedules
38may be made at any other time to reflect the availability of accurate
39data necessary for their completion, provided these documents
40receive the approval of the Department of Finance. The Department
P97 1of Finance shall review the changes within 30 working days of
2submission and the State Department of Education shall resolve
3conflicts within an additional 30 working day period. Contractors
4shall be given adequate notice before the effective date of the
5approved schedules. It is the intent of the Legislature that contracts
6for services not be delayed by the timing of the availability of
7accurate data needed to update these
schedules.
Section 8448 of the Education Code is amended to
10read:
As used in this article:
12(a) “Financial and compliance audit” means a systematic review
13or appraisal to determine each of the following:
14(1) Whether the financial statements of an audited organization
15fairly present the financial position and the results of financial
16operations in accordance with generally accepted accounting
17principles.
18(2) Whether the organization has complied with laws and
19regulations that may have a material effect upon the financial
20statements.
21(b) “Public
accountants” means certified public accountants, or
22state licensed public accountants.
23(c) “Independent auditors” means public accountants who have
24no direct or indirect relationship with the functions or activities
25being audited or with the business conducted by any of the officials
26or contractors being audited.
27(d) “Generally accepted auditing standards” means the auditing
28standards set forth in the financial and compliance element of the
29“Government Auditing Standards” issued by the Comptroller
30General of the United States and incorporating the audit standards
31of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
32(e) “Direct service contract” means any contract with any public
33or private entity for early
learning and educational support
34programs, resource and referral programs, and programs contracting
35to provide support services, as defined in Section 8208.
36(f) “Nonprofit organization” means an organization described
37in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 which
38is exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of that code, or any
39nonprofit, scientific, or educational organization qualified under
40Section 23701d of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
P98 1(g) (1) Annually, there shall be a single independent financial
2and compliance audit of organizations that contract with the state
3under a direct service contract. Any such audit shall include an
4evaluation of the accounting and control systems of the direct
5service contractor and of the activities by the
contractor to comply
6with the financial requirements of direct service contracts received
7by the contractor from the state agency. The financial and
8compliance requirements to be reviewed during the audit shall be
9those developed and published by the department in consultation
10with the Department of Finance. Audits carried out pursuant to
11this section shall be audits of the contractor rather than audits of
12individual contracts or programs. In the case of any contractor that
13receives less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per year
14from any state agency, the audit required by this section shall be
15conducted biennially, unless there is evidence of fraud or other
16violation of state law in connection with the direct service contract.
17The cost of the audit may be included in direct service contracts.
18(2) The organization receiving funds
from the state shall be
19responsible for obtaining the required financial and compliance
20audits of the organization and any subcontractors, except for direct
21service subcontracts and other subcontracts exempt from
22department review, as agreed to by the Departments of Finance
23and General Services. The audits shall be made by independent
24auditors in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
25The audit shall be completed by the 15th day of the fifth month
26following the end of the contractor’s fiscal year. A copy of the
27required audit shall be filed with the department upon its
28completion. In the event an audit is not filed, the department shall
29notify the organization of the contract violation. The audit report
30filed shall be an integral part of the direct service contract file.
31(h) (1) Nothing in this
article limits the authority of the
32department to make audits of direct service contracts. However,
33if independent audits arranged for by direct service contractors
34meet generally accepted auditing standards, the department shall
35rely on those audits and any additional audit work shall build upon
36the work already done.
37(2) Nothing in this article precludes the state from conducting,
38or contracting for the conduct of, contract performance audits
39which are not financial and compliance audits.
P99 1(3) Nothing in this article limits the state’s responsibility or
2authority to enforce state law or regulations, procedures, or
3reporting requirements arising pursuant thereto.
4(4) Nothing in this article limits the responsibility of the
5department
to provide an independent appeal procedure according
6to the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 5
7(commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title
82) of the Government Code.
Section 8450 of the Education Code is amended to
10read:
(a) All early learning and educational support contractors
12are encouraged to develop and maintain a reserve within the child
13development fund, derived from earned but unexpended funds.
14Contractors may retain all earned funds. For the purpose of this
15section, “earned funds” are those for which the required number
16of eligible service units have been provided.
17(b) (1) Earned funds shall not be expended for any activities
18proscribed by Section 8406.7. Earned but unexpended funds shall
19remain in the contractor’s reserve account within the child
20development fund and shall be expended only by early learning
21services contractors that are funded under contract with the
22department.
23(2) Commencing July 1, 2011, a contractor may retain a reserve
24fund balance, separate from the reserve fund retained pursuant to
25subdivision (c) or (d), equal to 5 percent of the sum of the
26maximum reimbursable amounts of all contracts to which the
27contractor is a party, or two thousand dollars ($2,000), whichever
28is greater. This paragraph applies to early learning services
29contractors that are funded under contract with the department.
30(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a contractor may
31retain a reserve fund balance for a resource and referral program,
32separate from the balance retained pursuant to subdivision (b) or
33(d), not to exceed 3 percent of the contract amount. Funds from
34this reserve account may be expended only by resource and referral
35programs that are
funded under contract with the department.
36(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a contractor may
37retain a reserve fund balance for alternative payment model and
38certificate contracts, separate from the reserve fund retained
39pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c). Funds from this reserve
40account may be expended only by alternative payment model and
P100 1certificate programs that are funded under contract with the
2department. The reserve amount allowed by this section may not
3exceed either of the following, whichever is greater:
4(1) Two percent of the sum of the parts of each contract to which
5that contractor is a party that is allowed for administration pursuant
6to Section 8276.7 and that is allowed for supportive services
7pursuant to the provisions of the contract.
8(2) One thousand dollars ($1,000).
9(e) Each contractor’s audit shall identify any funds earned by
10the contractor for each contract through the provision of contracted
11services in excess of funds expended.
12(f) Any interest earned on reserve funds shall be included in the
13fund balance of the reserve. This reserve fund shall be maintained
14in an interest-bearing account.
15(g) Moneys in a contractor’s reserve fund may be used only for
16expenses that are reasonable and necessary costs as defined in
17subdivision (m) of Section 8208.
18(h) Any reserve fund balance in excess of the amount authorized
19pursuant to
subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) shall be returned to the
20department pursuant to procedures established by the department.
21(i) Upon termination of all early learning and educational
22support contracts between a contractor and the department, all
23moneys in a contractor’s reserve fund shall be returned to the
24department pursuant to procedures established by the department.
25(j) Expenditures from, additions to, and balances in, the reserve
26fund shall be included in the agency’s annual financial statements
27and audit.
begin insertSection 8450 of the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert is amended to
29read:end insert
(a) Allbegin delete child developmentend deletebegin insert early learning and educational
31supportend insert contractors are encouraged to develop and maintain a
32reserve within the child development fund, derived from earned
33but unexpended funds.begin delete Child development contractorsend deletebegin insert Contractorsend insert
34 may retain all earned funds. For purposes of this section, “earned
35funds” are those for which the required number of eligible service
36units have been provided.
37(b) (1) Earned funds shall not be expended for any activities
38proscribed by Section 8406.7. Earned but unexpended funds shall
39remain in the contractor’s reserve account within the child
40development fund and shall be expended only bybegin delete direct service begin insert early learning services contractorsend insert
P101 1child development programsend delete
2 that are funded under contract with the department.
3(2) (A) Commencing July 1, 2011, a contractor may retain a
4reserve fund balance, separate from the reserve fund retained
5pursuant to subdivision (c) or (d), equal to 5 percent of the sum of
6the maximum reimbursable amounts of all contracts to which the
7contractor is a party, or two thousand dollars
($2,000), whichever
8is greater. This paragraph applies tobegin delete direct service child begin insert early learning services contractorsend insert that
9development programsend delete
10are funded under contract with the department.
11(B) A California state preschool program contracting agency
12may retain in the reserve fund an additional 10 percent of the sum
13of the maximum reimbursable amounts of all preschool contracts
14to which the contracting agency is a party for purposes of
15professional development for California state preschool program
16instructional staff.
17(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a contractor may
18retain a reserve fund balance for a resource and referral program,
19separate from the balance retained pursuant to
subdivision (b) or
20(d), not to exceed 3 percent of the contract amount. Funds from
21this reserve account may be expended only by resource and referral
22programs that are funded under contract with the department.
23(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a contractor may
24retain a reserve fund balance for alternative payment model and
25certificatebegin delete child careend delete contracts, separate from the reserve fund
26retained pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c). Funds from this
27reserve account may be expended only by alternative payment
28model and certificatebegin delete child careend delete programs that are funded under
29contract with the department. The reserve amount allowed by this
30section may not exceed either of the following, whichever is
31greater:
32(1) Two percent of the sum of the parts of each contract to which
33that contractor is a party that is allowed for administration pursuant
34to Section 8276.7 and that is allowed for supportive services
35pursuant to the provisions of the contract.
36(2) One thousand dollars ($1,000).
37(e) Each contractor’s audit shall identify any funds earned by
38the contractor for each contract through the provision of contracted
39services in excess of funds expended.
P102 1(f) Any interest earned on reserve funds shall be included in the
2fund balance of the reserve. This reserve fund shall be maintained
3in an interest-bearing account.
4(g) Moneys in a contractor’s reserve fund may be used only for
5expenses that are reasonable and necessary costs as defined in
6subdivisionbegin delete (n)end deletebegin insert
(m)end insert of Section 8208.
7(h) Any reserve fund balance in excess of the amount authorized
8pursuant to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) shall be returned to the
9department pursuant to procedures established by the department.
10(i) Upon termination of allbegin delete child developmentend deletebegin insert early learning
11and educational supportend insert
contracts between a contractor and the
12department, all moneys in a contractor’s reserve fund shall be
13returned to the department pursuant to procedures established by
14the department.
15(j) Expenditures from, additions to, and balances in, the reserve
16fund shall be included in the agency’s annual financial statements
17and audit.
Section 8493 of the Education Code is amended to
20read:
It is the intent of the Legislature that funds be
22appropriated for capital outlay for purposes of providing facilities
23for services provided pursuant to this chapter, including, but not
24limited to, all of the following purposes:
25(a) For the purchase of relocatable facilities by the state for lease
26to qualifying contracting agencies in areas with no available
27economically practical or feasible early learning and educational
28support facilities.
29(b) For renovation and repair of early learning and educational
30support facilities in order to comply with state and local health
31and safety standards and licensing
requirements, without
32unnecessarily increasing the value of the facility.
Section 8494 of the Education Code is amended to
35read:
(a) All of the following programs, other than those
37providing extended care services, shall be eligible to receive a loan
38for the renovation and repair of facilities used for the program or
39to lease relocatable facilities to be used for the program:
P103 1(1) Private nonprofit programs currently, or soon to be, under
2contract with the department pursuant to Section 8262.
3(2) Early learning and educational support programs conducted
4pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 8225).
5(3) Early learning and educational support programs operated
6
by, or in a facility owned by, a public entity.
7(4) Early learning and educational support programs conducted
8pursuant to Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of
9Chapter 9 of Part 29.
10(b) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall document
11that the renovated facility shall comply with all laws and
12regulations applicable to child care facilities provided for pursuant
13to Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 1596.70) and Chapter
143.5 (commencing with Section 1596.90) of Division 2 of the Health
15and Safety Code.
16(c) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall ensure
17the board that the renovated facility shall be used for purposes of
18the program for the entire loan period, which shall be
determined
19by the board as follows:
20(1) For loans equal to or less than thirty thousand dollars
21
($30,000), not less than three years.
22(2) For loans exceeding thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), the
23loan period shall increase one year for each additional ten thousand
24dollars ($10,000) or part thereof, to a maximum of fifty thousand
25dollars ($50,000).
26(d) Interest on the loan principal shall be charged at a rate equal
27to the average of the interest rate applied to the last three bond
28sales pursuant to Chapter 21.6 (commencing with Section 17695)
29of Part 10.
30(e) In the event that a recipient ceases to use the renovated
31facility for purposes of the program before the expiration of the
32loan period, the board shall collect the entire outstanding balance
33of the loan, plus interest, notwithstanding the loan
period originally
34set pursuant to subdivision (c), unless the board deems it
35appropriate to waive repayment at that time.
36(f) If the renovated facility has been continuously used for
37purposes of the program for the entire loan period, the board shall
38waive repayment of the amount of the loan principal, plus interest,
39at the end of the loan period.
Section 8495 of the Education Code is amended to
3read:
(a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury the
5State Child Care Capital Outlay Fund. Notwithstanding Section
613340 of the Government Code, all moneys in the State Child Care
7Capital Outlay Fund, including moneys deposited in that fund from
8any source whatsoever, shall be continuously appropriated without
9regard to fiscal year for expenditure pursuant to this article. The
10fund shall be administered by the State Allocation Board, which
11may authorize the expenditure of any moneys in the fund for capital
12outlay projects pursuant to Section 8277.7 or this article. Funds in
13the State Child Care Facilities Fund set aside for the purposes of
14providing extended day care facilities pursuant to Section 8477
15shall
be transferred to the State Child Care Capital Outlay Fund
16upon the effective date of the act amending this section in the
171997-98 Regular Session.
18(b) The Superintendent shall establish the qualifications to
19determine the eligibility of agencies, including those that provide
20preschool and extended care services, to lease relocatable facilities
21under this section.
22(c) Although primary use of relocatable facilities shall be for
23early learning and educational support programs, including
24preschool and extended care programs, those facilities may be
25used for other purposes if the following conditions are met:
26(1) The alternative use of the facility does not infringe upon the
27accessibility of early learning and educational
support programs
28including preschool or extended care programs.
29(2) The Superintendent authorizes alternative use as being
30compatible with early learning and educational support programs,
31including preschool or extended care programs.
32(d) The State Allocation Board, with the advice of the
33Superintendent, may do all of the following:
34(1) Establish any procedures and policies in connection with
35the administration of this section that it deems necessary.
36(2) Adopt any rules and regulations for the administration of
37this section requiring those procedures, forms, and information
38that it deems necessary.
39(3) Have constructed, furnished, equipped, or otherwise require
40whatever work is necessary to place relocatable facilities for early
P105 1learning and educational support services, including preschool and
2extended day care services where needed.
3(e) The board shall lease relocatable facilities to qualifying
4agencies providing early learning and educational support services,
5including preschool or extended day care services, and shall charge
6rent of one dollar ($1) per year. The board shall require lessees to
7undertake all necessary maintenance, repairs, renewal, and
8replacement to ensure that a project is at all times kept in good
9repair, working order, and condition. All costs incurred for this
10purpose shall be borne by the lessee. Neither the board nor the
11state shall assume any responsibility for utility services costs other
12than
initial installation costs reimbursed under this article, and the
13agency shall provide adequate safeguards to protect the state’s
14interest in this regard.
15(f) The board shall require lessees to insure at their own expense
16for the benefit of the state, any leased relocatable facility that is
17the property of the state, against any risks, including liability from
18the use thereof, in the amounts the board deems necessary to protect
19the interests of the state. Neither the board nor the state shall
20assume any responsibility for utility services costs other than initial
21installation costs reimbursed under this article, and the agency
22shall provide adequate safeguards to protect the state’s interest in
23this regard.
24(g) Relocatable facilities shall not be made available to an
25agency
unless the agency furnishes evidence, satisfactory to the
26board, that the agency has no other facility available for rental,
27lease, or purchase in the geographic service area that is
28economically or otherwise feasible.
29(h) The board shall have prepared for its use, performance
30specifications for relocatable facilities and bids for their
31construction that can be solicited from more than one responsible
32bidder. The board shall from time to time solicit bids from, and
33award to, the lowest responsible competitive bidder, contracts for
34the construction or purchase of relocatable facilities that have been
35approved for lease to eligible agencies that provide early learning
36and educational support services, including preschool or extended
37care services.
38(i) If at any time the board
determines that a lessee’s need for
39particular relocatable facilities that were made available to the
40lessee pursuant to this article has ceased, the board may take
P106 1
possession of the relocatable facilities and may lease them to other
2eligible contracting agencies, or, if there is no longer a need for
3the relocatable facilities, the board may dispose of them to public
4or private parties in the manner it deems to be in the best interests
5of the state.
6(j) If a lessee uses a particular relocatable facility for only a
7portion of the year, the board may enter into a second lease with
8a public or private party for the use of that facility for the portion
9of the year during which the facility would otherwise be unused,
10in the manner it deems to be in the best interests of the state. The
11lessee shall be subject to subdivisions (d) and (f).
Section 8495.1 of the Education Code is amended
14to read:
(a) The State Allocation Board shall establish
16regulations for the allocation of funds for capital outlay and for
17the reimbursement of initial utility installation costs for purposes
18of this chapter. The Superintendent shall establish qualifications
19for determining the eligibility of agencies providing early learning
20and educational support services, including preschool and extended
21care service, to apply for these funds.
22(b) Notwithstanding any other law, except for Section 8477,
23priority in funding of capital outlay grants or relocatables from
24funds administered pursuant to Section 8277.7 and under this
25article, shall be determined in the
following order:
26(1) Programs experiencing emergencies as defined by the
27Superintendent and the State Allocation Board.
28(2) Facilities lost due to the Class Size Reduction Program
29(Chapter 6.10 (commencing with Section 52120) of Part 28).
30(3) Expansion of early learning and educational support services.
Section 8498 of the Education Code is amended to
33read:
(a) The State Allocation Board may use up to 5 percent
35of any appropriation for purposes of this article to provide loans
36to private nonsectarian early learning and educational support
37programs not under contract with the department for renovation
38and repair of existing program facilities, in accordance with this
39section.
P107 1(b) The Superintendent shall establish qualifications to determine
2the eligibility of agencies for loans pursuant to this section.
3(c) The board, with any necessary assistance from the
4Superintendent, may do any of the following:
5(1) Establish procedures and policies in connection with the
6administration of this section it deems necessary.
7(2) Adopt rules and regulations for the administration of this
8section requiring procedure, forms, and information it deems
9necessary.
10(d) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall do all of
11the following:
12(1) Document that the renovated facility shall comply with all
13laws and regulations applicable to child care facilities provided
14for pursuant to Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 1596.70)
15and Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 1596.90) of Division
162 of the Health and Safety Code.
17(2) Demonstrate to the
satisfaction of the board that it will have
18sufficient revenues to pay the principal and interest on the loan
19and to maintain the operation of the facility.
20(e) A recipient of a loan pursuant to this section shall ensure
21the board that the renovated facility shall be used for purposes of
22the program for the following periods:
23(1) For loans equal to or less than thirty thousand dollars
24($30,000), not less than three years from the beginning of the loan
25period.
26(2) For loans exceeding thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), the
27fixed period of time shall increase one year for each additional ten
28thousand dollars ($10,000) or part thereof, to a maximum of fifty
29thousand dollars ($50,000).
30(f) The board shall set the period of the loan for each recipient,
31up to a maximum of 10 years, based upon the amount of the loan,
32the recipient’s ability to repay the loan, and the length of time the
33recipient has committed to use the renovated facility for purposes
34of the program.
35(g) Interest on the loan principal shall be charged at a rate equal
36to the average of the interest rate applied to the last three bond
37sales pursuant to Chapter 21.6 (commencing with Section 17695)
38of Part 10.
39(h) In the event that a recipient ceases to use the renovated
40facility for purposes of the program before the expiration of the
P108 1period specified pursuant to subdivision (e), the board shall collect
2the entire outstanding balance of the loan, plus interest,
3notwithstanding the loan
period originally set pursuant to
4subdivision (f).
Section 8499 of the Education Code is amended to
7read:
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions
9shall apply:
10(a) “Block grant” means the block grant contained in Title VI
11of the Child Care and Development Fund, as established by the
12federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
13Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193).
14(b) “Child care” or “care” means services provided by all
15licensed or license-exempt providers, including, but not limited
16to, private for-profit programs, nonprofit programs, and publicly
17funded programs, for all children from birth to 13 years of age,
18including children with exceptional needs and children from all
19linguistic and
cultural backgrounds.
20(c) “Child care provider” means a person who provides child
21care services or represents persons who provide child care services.
22(d) “Community representative” means a person who represents
23an agency or business that provides private funding for care
24services, or who advocates for care services through participation
25in civic or community-based organizations but is not a care
26provider and does not represent an agency that contracts with the
27State Department of Education to provide early learning and
28educational support services.
29(e) “Consumer” means a parent or person who receives, or who
30has received within the past 36 months, child care services.
31(f) “Department” means the State Department of Education.
32(g) “Local planning council” means a local early learning and
33educational support planning council as described in Section
348499.3.
35(h) “Public agency representative” means a person who
36represents a city, county, city and county, or local educational
37agency.
The heading of Article 2 (commencing with Section
38499.3) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the 4Education
Code is amended to read:
5
Section 8499.3 of the Education Code is amended
10to read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that local planning
12councils shall provide a forum for the identification of local
13priorities for early learning and educational support and the
14development of policies to meet the needs identified within those
15priorities.
16(b) The county board of supervisors and the county
17superintendent of schools shall do both of the following:
18(1) Select the members of the local planning council. Before
19making selections pursuant to this subdivision, the county board
20of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools shall
21publicize their intention
to select the members and shall invite
22local organizations to submit nominations. In counties in which
23the county superintendent is appointed by the county board of
24education, the county board of education may make the
25appointment or may delegate that responsibility to the
26superintendent.
27(2) Establish the term of appointment for the members of the
28local planning council.
29(c) (1) The local planning council shall be comprised as follows:
30(A) Twenty percent of the membership shall be consumers.
31(B) Twenty percent of the membership shall be providers,
32reflective of the range of providers in the county.
33(C) Twenty percent of the membership shall be public agency
34representatives.
35(D) Twenty percent of the membership shall be community
36representatives, who shall not be providers or agencies that contract
37with the department to provide services.
38(E) The remaining 20 percent shall be appointed at the discretion
39of the appointing agencies.
P110 1(2) The county board of supervisors and the county
2superintendent of schools shall each appoint one-half of the
3members. In the case of uneven membership, both appointing
4entities shall agree on the odd-numbered appointee.
5(d) Every effort shall be made to ensure that the ethnic, racial,
6and geographic composition
of the local planning council is
7reflective of the ethnic, racial, and geographic distribution of the
8population of the county.
9(e) The county board of supervisors and county superintendent
10of schools may designate an existing planning council or
11coordinated child and family services council as the local planning
12council, as long as it has or can achieve the representation set forth
13in this section.
14(f) Upon establishment of a local planning council, the local
15planning council shall elect a chair and select a staff.
16(g) Each local planning council shall develop and implement a
17training plan to provide increased efficiency, productivity, and
18facilitation of local planning council meetings. This may include
19developing
a training manual, hiring facilitators, and identifying
20strategies to meet the objectives of the council.
21(h) A member of a local planning council shall not participate
22in a vote if he or she has a proprietary interest in the outcome of
23the matter being voted upon.
Section 8499.5 of the Education Code is amended
25to read:
(a) The department shall allocate funding pursuant to
27Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8200) based on the amount
28of state and federal funding that is available.
29(b) By May 30 of each year, upon approval by the county board
30of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, a local
31planning council shall submit to the department the local priorities
32it has identified that reflect all child care needs in the county. To
33accomplish this, a local planning council shall do all of the
34following:
35(1) Conduct an assessment of care needs in the county no less
36than once every five years. The department shall define and
37prescribe
data elements to be included in the needs assessment and
38shall specify the format for the data reporting. The needs
39assessment shall also include all factors deemed appropriate by
40the local planning council in order to obtain an accurate picture of
P111 1the comprehensive care needs in the county. The factors include,
2but are not limited to, all of the following:
3(A) The needs of families eligible for subsidized care.
4(B) The needs of families not eligible for subsidized care.
5(C) The waiting lists for programs funded by the department
6and the State Department of Social Services.
7(D) The need for care for children determined by the child
8protective services agency to be
neglected, abused, or exploited,
9or at risk of being neglected, abused, or exploited.
10(E) The number of children in families receiving public
11assistance, including CalFresh benefits, housing support, and
12Medi-Cal, and assistance from the Healthy Families Program and
13the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
14(F) Family income among families with preschool or schoolage
15children.
16(G) The number of children in migrant agricultural families
17who move from place to place for work or who are currently
18dependent for their income on agricultural employment in
19accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 8231.
20(H) The number of children who have
been determined by a
21regional center to require services pursuant to an individualized
22
family service plan, or by a local educational agency to require
23services pursuant to an individualized education program or an
24individualized family service plan.
25(I) The number of children in the county by primary language
26spoken pursuant to the department’s language survey.
27(J) Special needs based on geographic considerations, including
28rural areas.
29(K) The number of children needing services by age cohort.
30(2) Document information gathered during the needs assessment
31that shall include, but need not be limited to, data on supply,
32demand, cost, and market rates for each category of child care in
33the county.
34(3) Develop a draft of local priorities for early learning and
35educational support program funding that includes the needs
36assessment in paragraph (1) and that considers the resources
37currently available in attendance areas of elementary schools
38ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the Academic Performance
39Index pursuant to Section 52056.
P112 1(4) Encourage public input in the development of the priorities.
2Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public
3hearing during which members of the public can comment on the
4proposed priorities.
5(5) Prepare a comprehensive countywide care plan designed to
6mobilize public and private resources to address identified needs.
7(6) Conduct a periodic
review of early learning and educational
8support programs funded by the department and the State
9
Department of Social Services to determine if identified priorities
10are being met.
11(7) Collaborate with subsidized and nonsubsidized providers,
12county welfare departments, human service agencies, regional
13centers, job training programs, employers, integrated child and
14family service councils, local and state children and families
15commissions, parent organizations, early start family resource
16centers, family empowerment centers on disability, local resource
17and referral programs, and other interested parties to foster
18partnerships designed to meet local child care needs.
19(8) Design a system to consolidate local care waiting lists, if a
20centralized eligibility list is not already in existence.
21(9) Coordinate part-day programs, including California state
22preschool and Head Start, with other early learning and educational
23support services to provide full-day care.
24(10) Submit the results of the needs assessment and the local
25priorities identified by the local planning council to the county
26board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools for
27approval before submitting them to the department.
28(11) Identify at least one, but not more than two, members to
29serve as part of the department team that reviews and scores
30proposals for the provision of services funded through contracts
31with the department. Local planning council representatives may
32not review and score proposals from the geographic area covered
33by their own local planning council. The department
shall notify
34each local planning council whenever this opportunity is available.
35(c) The department shall, in conjunction with the State
36Department of Social Services and all appropriate statewide
37agencies and associations, develop guidelines for use by local
38planning councils to assist them in conducting needs assessments
39that are reliable and accurate. The guidelines shall include
P113 1acceptable sources of demographic and care data, and
2methodologies for assessing care supply and demand.
3(d) The department shall allocate funding within each county
4in accordance with the priorities identified by the local planning
5council of that county and submitted to the department pursuant
6to this section, unless the priorities do not meet the requirements
7of state or federal law.
8(e) When additional funds for early learning services are
9appropriated by the Legislature, the department shall allocate
10funding within each county in accordance with the priorities that
11include the review of resources in the attendance areas of
12elementary schools ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the
13Academic Performance Index pursuant to Section 52056, as
14identified by the local planning council of that county and
15submitted to the department pursuant to paragraph (3) of
16subdivision (b), unless the priorities do not meet the requirements
17of state or federal law.
begin insertSection 8499.5 of the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert is amended
19to read:end insert
(a) The department shall allocatebegin delete child careend delete funding
21pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8200) based on
22the amount of state and federal funding that is available.
23(b) By May 30 of each year, upon approval by the county board
24of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools, a local
25planning council shall submit to the department the local priorities
26it has identified that reflect all child care needs in the county. To
27accomplish this, a local planning council shall do all of the
28following:
29(1) Conduct an assessment ofbegin delete childend delete
care needs in the county no
30lessbegin delete frequentlyend delete than once every five years. The department shall
31define and prescribe data elements to be included in the needs
32assessment and shall specify the format for the data reporting. The
33needs assessment shall also include all factors deemed appropriate
34by the local planning council in order to obtain an accurate picture
35of the comprehensivebegin delete childend delete care needs in the county. The factors
36include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
37(A) The needs of families eligible for subsidizedbegin delete childend delete care.
38(B) The needs of families not eligible for subsidizedbegin delete childend delete
care.
39(C) The waiting lists for programs funded by the department
40and the State Department of Social Services.
P114 1(D) The need forbegin delete childend delete care for children determined by the child
2protective services agency to be neglected, abused, or exploited,
3or at risk of being neglected, abused, or exploited.
4(E) The number of children in families receiving public
5assistance, including CalFresh benefits, housing support, and
6Medi-Cal, and assistance from the Healthy Families Program and
7the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
8(F) Family income among families with preschool or schoolage
9children.
10(G) The number of children in migrant agricultural families
11who move from place to place for work or who are currently
12dependent for their income on agricultural employment in
13accordance with subdivision (a)begin delete of, and paragraphs (1) and (2) of begin insert ofend insert Section 8231.
14subdivision (b) of,end delete
15(H) The number of children who have been determined by a
16regional center to require services pursuant to an individualized
17family service plan, or by a local educational agency to require
18services pursuant to an individualized education program or an
19individualized family service plan.
20(I) The number of children in the county by primary language
21spoken pursuant to the department’s language survey.
22(J) Special needs based on geographic considerations, including
23rural areas.
24(K) The number of children needingbegin delete child careend delete services by age
25cohort.
26(2) Document information gathered during the needsbegin delete assessmentend delete
27begin insert assessment,end insert which shall include, but need not be limited to, data
28on supply, demand, cost, and market rates for each category of
29child care in the county.
30(3) Develop a draft of local priorities for
early learning and
31educational support program funding that includes the needs
32assessment in paragraph (1) and that considers the resources
33currently available in attendance areas of elementary schools
34ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the Academic Performance
35Index pursuant to Chapter 6.1 (commencing with Section 52050)
36of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2.
37(3)
end delete
38begin insert(4)end insert Encourage public input in the development of the priorities.
39Opportunities for public input shall include at least one public
P115 1hearing during which members of the public can comment on the
2proposed priorities.
3(4)
end delete
4begin insert(5)end insert Prepare a comprehensive countywidebegin delete childend delete care plan
5designed to mobilize public and private resources to address
6identified needs.
7(5)
end delete
8begin insert(6)end insert Conduct a periodic review ofbegin delete child careend deletebegin insert early learning and
9educational supportend insert programs funded
by the department and the
10State Department of Social Services to determine if identified
11priorities are being met.
12(6)
end delete
13begin insert(7)end insert Collaborate with subsidized and nonsubsidizedbegin delete child careend delete
14 providers, county welfare departments, human service agencies,
15regional centers, job training programs, employers, integrated child
16and family service councils, local and state children and families
17commissions, parent organizations, early start family resource
18centers, family empowerment centers on disability, localbegin delete child careend delete
19
resource and referral programs, and other interested parties to
20foster partnerships designed to meet local child care needs.
21(7)
end delete
22begin insert(8)end insert Design a system to consolidate localbegin delete childend delete
care waiting lists,
23if a centralized eligibility list is not already in existence.
24(8)
end delete
25begin insert(9)end insert Coordinate part-day programs, includingbegin insert Californiaend insert state
26preschool and Head Start, with otherbegin delete child care and developmentend delete
27begin insert early learning and educational supportend insert services to provide full-day
28begin delete childend delete
care.
29(9)
end delete
30begin insert(10)end insert Submit the results of the needs assessment and the local
31priorities identified by the local planning council to thebegin insert countyend insert
32 board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools for
33approval before submitting them to the department.
34(10)
end delete
35begin insert(11)end insert Identify at least one, but not more than two, members to
36serve as part of the department team that reviews and scores
37proposals for the provision of services funded through contracts
38with the department. Local planning council representatives may
39not review and score proposals from the geographic area covered
P116 1by their own local planning council. The department shall notify
2each local planning council whenever this opportunity is available.
3(c) The department shall, in conjunction with the State
4Department of Social Services and all appropriate statewide
5agencies and associations, develop guidelines for use by local
6planning councils to assist them in conducting needs assessments
7that are reliable and accurate. The guidelines shall include
8acceptable sources of demographic andbegin delete childend delete care data, and
9methodologies for assessingbegin delete childend delete
care supply and demand.
10(d) The department shall allocate funding within each county
11in accordance with the priorities identified by the local planning
12council of that county and submitted to the department pursuant
13to this section, unless the priorities do not meet the requirements
14of state or federal law.
15(d)
end delete
16begin insert(e)end insert Except as otherwise required by subdivision (c) of Section
178236, the department shall allocate funding within each county in
18accordance with the priorities identified by the
local planning
19council of that county and submitted to the department pursuant
20to this section, unless the priorities do not meet the requirements
21of state or federal law.
O
91