Bill Text: CA AB167 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 167 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Childcare and development services: infants and toddlers: state funding.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Failed) 2020-02-03 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB167 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB167-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly April 03, 2019

Amended IN Assembly March 11, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 167

Introduced by Assembly Member Blanca Rubio

January 08, 2019

An act to add ~~Sections~~ Section 8242 ~~and 8243~~ to the Education Code, relating to childcare and development services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 167, as amended, Blanca Rubio. Childcare and development services: infants and toddlers: state funding.

The Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, establishes a system of childcare and development services for 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. Existing law requires the Superintendent to administer general childcare and development programs, as specified.

This bill would create the California Partnership for Infants and Toddlers, and would provide that a state grant to support the partnership shall be made available and distributed, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to qualifying childcare and development programs and family childcare home education networks that serve infants and toddlers from birth to 3 years of age at a ~~base~~ supplemental grant amount of $4,000 annually per ~~child, adjusted as specified.~~ child. The bill would ~~require the Superintendent to determine which~~ provide that a childcare and development ~~programs and~~ program or family childcare home education ~~networks qualify~~ network qualifies for that funding and to establish standards for grantees to ensure high-quality infant and toddler childcare. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the California Children and Families Commission, to convene a workgroup of experts to inform the standards. if it agrees to meet federal Head Start program performance standards and provide full-day, full-year childcare for infants and toddlers from birth to 3 years of age. The bill would impose requirements on a grantee as a condition of receiving a grant. The bill would require the State Department of Education to provide technical assistance to grant applicants and grantees and to adopt regulations to implement these provisions as soon as reasonably ~~possible and~~ possible. The bill would authorize the department to implement and administer the provisions through the issuance of guidance or other written directives until regulations are adopted.

The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to address the childcare crisis by appropriating sufficient funding in the annual Budget Act or another statute to childcare and development programs and family childcare home education networks to serve an additional 20,000 infants and toddlers from birth to 3 years of age with high-quality childcare. The bill would require the Superintendent, in allocating funding that is appropriated by the Legislature for that purpose in any fiscal year, to prioritize the allocation of funds to high-need communities, based on specified factors. The bill would require, in an application for the award of that funding, an applicant to submit to the Superintendent a plan for meeting the standards established by the Superintendent.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Partnership for Infants and Toddlers Act.

SEC. 2.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The first three years of life are uniquely important for a child’s growth and development, and set the foundation for lifelong health, well-being, and success. Young children’s experiences and interactions with parents, caregivers, and teachers shape the architecture of the brain and strengthen their cognitive, social, and emotional development.

(b) From birth, children experience wide disparities by income and race in access to opportunities for learning and development. These disparities grow into gaps before children even reach preschool or kindergarten. Two-year-old children from low-income families are already six months behind in language development compared to children from higher income families.

(c) Research shows that high-quality early learning experiences and critical support services have tremendous potential to improve young children’s cognitive and social-emotional development, particularly for children living in poverty.

(d) Only about 1 out of 10 of California’s low-income infants and toddlers are enrolled in subsidized childcare. Even fewer families have access to the quality early learning programs with comprehensive family support services that have the greatest positive impact on low-income infants and toddlers.

(e) Rigorous research shows infant and toddler early learning programs with high-quality standards and a two-generation approach demonstrate significant benefits to both children and parents. High-quality programs for infants and toddlers that combine skilled educators with health and family support services, including the federal Early Head Start program, the Infant Health and Development Program, and the Abecedarian Project, improve childrens’ cognitive, language, and social-emotional development, increase kindergarten readiness, and strengthen parenting skills.

(f) A stronger state commitment to fostering the healthy growth and development of low-income infants and toddlers and to supporting families will help close the school readiness gap and prepare children for later success in school and in life.

SEC. 3.

Section 8242 is added to the Education Code, to read:

8242.

(a) ~~The~~ It is the intent of the Legislature to address the childcare crisis by appropriating sufficient funding in the annual Budget Act or another statute for purposes of this section to childcare and development programs and family childcare home education networks to serve an additional 20,000 infants and toddlers from birth to three years of age with high-quality, comprehensive, family-centered childcare that adheres to the federal Head Start program performance standards.

(b) The California Partnership for Infants and Toddlers is hereby created. A state grant to support the California Partnership for Infants and Toddlers shall be made available and distributed, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute, to qualifying childcare and development programs and family childcare home education networks that serve infants and toddlers from birth to three years of age at a ~~base~~ supplemental grant amount of four thousand dollars ($4,000) annually per child. ~~The Superintendent may adjust the base grant amount depending on the length of the program year and the hours of service.~~

(b)The Superintendent shall determine which childcare and development programs and family childcare home education networks qualify for funding pursuant to this section. The Superintendent may develop a process to allow an applicant to qualify for funding pursuant to this section if the applicant demonstrates it is on a path to meet the standards established pursuant to subdivision (c) within a set timeline.
(c)The Superintendent shall establish standards for grantees to ensure high-quality infant and toddler childcare, informed by the federal Early Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships program models, and other evidence-based services provided to infants and toddlers. The standards shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
~~(1)Family engagement activities, including, but not limited to, family service workers with appropriate caseloads and home visits.~~
~~(2)Support from family childcare home education networks to providers, including, but not limited to, site visits, training, coaching, and assessment.~~
~~(3)Developmental, health, dental, and vision screenings and referrals.~~
~~(4)Early childhood mental health consultation.~~
~~(5)Social services that include, but are not limited to, identification of child and family needs and referral to appropriate agencies.~~
~~(6)Continuity of care and assignment of primary caregivers.~~
~~(7)Qualifications, training, and compensation of staff, including teachers, directors, and family childcare home education network staff.~~
~~(8)Research-based coaching and professional development for staff.~~
~~(9)Maximum group size.~~
~~(10)Full-day, full-year childcare.~~
(d)The Superintendent shall, in consultation with the California Children and Families Commission, convene a workgroup of experts, including researchers, early care and education providers and educators, parents and guardians, higher education educators in early child development, and advocates to inform the standards established pursuant to subdivision (c).
(c) (1) Childcare and development programs and family childcare home education networks that agree to meet the federal Head Start program performance standards pursuant to subdivision (d) and provide full-day, full-year childcare for infants and toddlers from birth to three years of age shall qualify for funding pursuant to this section.
(2) For purposes of awarding funding pursuant to this section, the department may waive an element of the federal Head Start program performance standards to allow a childcare and development program or family childcare home education network to better meet the unique needs of its community if it can demonstrate that it will still be able to effectively support appropriate development and progress in the early learning outcomes of children. The department shall evaluate the continued need for this waiver on an annual basis.
(3) The following childcare and development program and family childcare home education network providers shall be eligible for the grants provided pursuant to this section:
(A) An existing provider, upon contract renewal.
(B) An applicant for any new childcare and development program or family childcare home education network slots serving infants and toddlers from birth to three years of age that are made available through an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
(d) (1) As a condition of receiving funding pursuant to this section, a grantee shall develop and implement a plan to improve quality and provide comprehensive education, health, development, and family support services to achieve the federal Head Start program performance standards.
(2) (A) A childcare and development program or family childcare home education network receiving funding pursuant to this section shall annually demonstrate incremental progress toward implementing its plan to meet the federal Head Start program performance standards, and shall meet those standards in full within four years of the initial grant.
(B) A grantee that is granted a waiver for an element of the federal Head Start program performance standards pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) is not required to demonstrate annual progress toward or compliance with the federal Head Start program performance standards for that element.
(e) The department shall provide technical assistance to a childcare and development program or family childcare home education network applying for or receiving funding pursuant to this section to help develop and implement a plan to improve quality and provide comprehensive education, health, development, and family support services to achieve the federal Head Start program performance standards.
(f) The department shall, in awarding funding pursuant to this section, give priority to childcare and development programs and family childcare home education networks that serve a high proportion of children who are homeless, living in poverty, or have been, or are at risk of being, neglected or abused.
~~(e)The funding received pursuant to this section shall be used to meet the standards established pursuant to subdivision (c). Notwithstanding~~

(g) Notwithstanding any other law, a family childcare home education network that receives funding pursuant to this section may reimburse providers at a rate above the regional market rate to meet the ~~standards established pursuant to subdivision (c).~~ federal Head Start program performance standards.

~~(f)~~

(h) The department shall adopt regulations to implement this section as soon as reasonably possible. Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the department may implement and administer this section through the issuance of guidance or other written directives until regulations are adopted.

SEC. 4.Section 8243 is added to the Education Code, to read:
8243.
(a)It is the intent of the Legislature to address the childcare crisis by appropriating sufficient funding in the annual Budget Act or another statute to childcare and development programs and family childcare home education networks to serve an additional 20,000 infants and toddlers from birth to three years of age with high-quality childcare that adheres to the standards established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8242.
(b)In allocating funding for the expansion of childcare and development programs and family childcare home education networks serving infants and toddlers from birth to three years of age that is appropriated by the Legislature for that purpose in any fiscal year, the Superintendent shall prioritize the allocation of funds to high-need communities, which shall be determined based on factors that include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
~~(1)The concentration of poverty, taking into account the local cost of living.~~
~~(2)Factors of community risk, including, but not limited to, neighborhood violence, isolation, and lack of community resources.~~
~~(3)Gaps in the availability of publicly subsidized childcare and development program services for infants and toddlers relative to the need.~~
(c)In an application for the award of funding for the expansion of a childcare and development program or family childcare home education network serving infants and toddlers from birth to three years of age, an applicant shall submit to the Superintendent a plan for meeting the standards established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8242.