Bill Text: CA AB26 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 26 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Child care and development: child care resource and referral programs: assistance to license-exempt child care providers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2018-01-12 - Stricken from file. [AB26 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB26-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate September 08, 2017

Amended IN Senate July 05, 2017

Amended IN Assembly May 02, 2017

Amended IN Assembly April 17, 2017

Amended IN Assembly March 23, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 26

Introduced by Assembly Member Caballero

December 05, 2016

An act to add and repeal Section 8217 of the Education Code, relating to child care and development.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 26, as amended, Caballero. Child care and development: child care resource and referral programs: assistance to license-exempt child care providers.

Existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the State Department of Education, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer child care and development programs. Existing law authorizes funds appropriated for purposes of the act to be used for child care resource and referral programs, which may be operated by public or private nonprofit entities and are required to provide certain information and services to parents and child care providers relating to child care services in a defined geographic area.

This bill would, until July 1, 2022, require the department to establish and administer a pilot program to provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to license-exempt child care providers through county child care resource and referral programs. The bill would require a county resource and referral program, in counties that opt to participate in the pilot program, to develop a community-based program model to provide training, outreach, and technical assistance to license-exempt child care providers, as provided. The bill would require each county that participates in the pilot program, to provide a report containing specified information to the department and the Legislature on or before January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2022.

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

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

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) License-exempt child care, also known as family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care, is the most common form of nonparental child care in the United States.

(b) Nationally, nearly a quarter of families receiving subsidies use FFN care.

(c) In California, roughly 80 13 percent of young children ages birth to two, and 40 10 percent of children ages birth to five, are cared for by FFN ~~care~~ state-subsidized child care license-exempt providers.

(d) Families may choose FFN care for many reasons, including, but not limited to, convenient and flexible hours, low child-to-adult ratios, shared values and cultural background, and strong attachment relationships with caregivers.

(e) Across California, the vast majority of FFN caregivers are Latinas, many of whom experience low levels of income.

(f) Studies reveal that families with low incomes are more likely to rely on FFN care due to low cost and limited availability of licensed care within their community.

(g) In rural communities where child care options are limited, FFN care fills a critical need for families.

(h) Further research examining FFN care providers is needed to know more about the best practices to support them and in order to help improve the quality of child care in California.

(i) In order to close the achievement gap and address the needs of all children, regardless of setting, it is critical to provide support and training to FFN care providers.

SEC. 2.

Section 8217 is added to the Education Code, to read:

8217.

(a) The department shall establish and administer a pilot program to provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to license-exempt child care providers through county child care resource and referral programs.

(b) For purposes of this section, “license-exempt child care providers” means providers who are exempt from licensure pursuant to Section 1596.792 of the Health and Safety Code.

(c) (1) In a county that opts to participate in this pilot program, a county resource and referral program shall, in collaboration with other local entities, including, but not limited to, the First 5 County Commission, the county child care planning council, and other entities supporting early childhood care and education, develop a community-based program model to provide training, outreach, and technical assistance to license-exempt child care providers.

(2) The program shall prioritize assisting license-exempt child care providers serving children ages 0 to 5, inclusive.

(3) For purposes of the training component, topics shall include, but not be limited to, early childhood development, health and safety, family literacy, and professional development pathways.

(4) The resource and referral program shall take into account county needs and implementation lessons identified from ~~the Informal Care Training Project, also recognized as the Growing, Learning, and Caring Project, other local~~ programs currently in place, and other proven successful initiatives that support license-exempt child care providers.

(5) To the extent possible, the resource and referral program may seek ~~donations~~ grants or partnerships with private foundations or other philanthropic entities for the purpose of expanding the training opportunities for license-exempt child care providers.

(6) (A) On or before January 1, 2020, and on or before January 1, 2022, each county that opts to participate in this pilot program shall provide a report to the department and to the Legislature that contains the following information for each calendar year during which the county operated a pilot program pursuant to this section:

(i) The number of license-exempt child care providers served.

(ii) A description of the trainings offered, the number of trainings provided, and the number of license-exempt child care providers attending each training.

(iii) A description of outreach activities and technical assistance offered.

(iv) Any donations received from, or partnerships formed with, private foundations or other philanthropic entities.

(v) Steps taken to identify and address specific county and child care provider needs.

(B) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this paragraph shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(d) This section does not require a county to participate in the pilot program established by this section.

(e) This section shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2022, and as of January 1, 2023, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before January 1, 2023, deletes or extends that date.