Bill Text: CA AB598 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Family child care home education networks.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From Senate committee without further action. [AB598 Detail]
Download: California-2015-AB598-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 598 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 1, 2016
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 31, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 21, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 14, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 4, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Calderon
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Rendon)
FEBRUARY 24, 2015
An act to amend Sections 8245 and 8246 of, and to add
Section Sections 8248 and 8249
to, and to repeal and add Section 8247 of,
the Education Code, relating to child care.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 598, as amended, Calderon. Child care: family
Family child care home education networks.
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
contract with entities organized to operate family child care home
education networks that support educational objectives for children
in licensed family child care homes that serve families eligible for
subsidized care. Existing law requires the family child care home
education network programs to include certain components, including
an assessment of each family child care home provider to ensure that
services are of high quality and are educationally and
developmentally appropriate.
This bill would require that tools used to make these assessments
be appropriate to family child care home settings and would require a
family child care home education network program to include the
maintenance of a developmental portfolio for each child, as provided.
Existing law imposes various requirements on family child care
home education network contractors, including ensuring that a
developmental profile is completed for each child.
This bill would impose additional requirements on those
contractors, including that the developmental profiles specified
above be completed in accordance with the provider's observations,
conducting site visits, and offering training and technical
assistance, as specified.
This bill would delete a provision specifying that the provisions
relating to family child care home education networks do not impose
any new requirements on a family child care home education network or
require any increase in reimbursement rates.
The bill would also impose various duties on family child care
home education network providers, including requiring those providers
to adopt and use a curriculum and to provide age and developmentally
appropriate educational activities for children.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 8245 of the Education Code is amended to read:
8245. (a) The Superintendent, with funds appropriated for this
purpose, shall contract with authorized entities to operate family
child care home education networks that support educational
objectives for children in licensed family child care homes that
serve families eligible for subsidized child care.
(b) Family child care home education network programs shall
include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Age and developmentally appropriate activities for children.
(2) Care and supervision of children.
(3) Parenting education.
(4) Identification of child and family social or health needs and
referral of the child or the family to the appropriate social or
health services.
(5) Nutrition education and training.
(6) Training and support for the family child care home
education network's family child care home
providers and staff.
(7) Assessment of each family child care home provider to ensure
that services are of high quality and are educationally and
developmentally appropriate. Tools used to make an assessment shall
be appropriate to family child care home settings.
(8) Developmental profiles for children enrolled in the program.
(9) Maintenance of a folder, known as a developmental portfolio,
for each child that includes, among other items, a child's work
product and observations of the child.
(10) Opportunities for parent involvement.
SEC. 2. Section 8246 of the Education Code is amended to read:
8246. (a) A family child care home education network contractor,
in addition to the requirements set forth in subdivision (b) of
Section 8245, shall do all of the following:
(1) Recruit, enroll, and certify eligible families.
(2) Recruit, train, support, and reimburse licensed family
child care home providers.
(3) Ensure collection of family fees in accordance with contract
requirements.
(4) Develop and implement a plan for timely payment to providers.
(4)
(5) Assess, according to standards set by the
department, the educational quality of the program offered in each
family child care home in the network using assessment tools that are
appropriate to family child care home settings.
(5)
(6) Complete a developmental profile for each child
based upon observations of network staff, and in accordance with the
provider's observations, by doing at least both of the following:
(A) In consultation with the provider, completing the
developmental child assessment profile selected by the department.
The contractor's child development specialist shall sign the
developmental profile.
(B) Utilizing the developmental portfolio, as described in
paragraph (9) of subdivision (b) of Section 8245, maintained by the
provider, including provider observations of each child.
(6)
(7) Conduct a parent survey as directed by the
department.
(7)
(8) Ensure that parent conferences are offered to the
parent of each enrolled child. The parent may decline a parent
conference.
(8)
(9) Monitor each family child care home affiliated with
the network to ensure that requirements are met, including, but not
limited to, basic health, nutrition, and quality standards.
(9)
(10) Provide data and reporting in accordance with
contract requirements.
(10)
(11) Conduct no less than six site visits to each
affiliated provider in a program year for purposes of conducting
assessments and providing technical assistance, training, and
support.
(11)
(12) Support the affiliated providers in meeting the
standards for program quality by reviewing, observing, and assessing
the providers' program components, and providing technical
assistance, training, and coaching.
(12)
(13) Offer providers at least 12 hours annually of
training and technical assistance in group or individual settings.
Training may include, but is not limited to, the following:
(A) Age and developmentally appropriate educational practices and
activities for children.
(B) Appropriate care and supervision of children.
(C) Engaging parents in the program and providing parenting
information on age-appropriate child development and activities.
(D) Menu planning and nutrition information.
(E) Provider and family communication.
(F) Understanding the developmental measures of the developmental
profile child assessment instrument.
(G) Individualizing the provider's program to meet the needs of
each child in the provider's care by using the results of the
developmental profile.
(13)
(14) Employ at least one child development specialist
who has educational qualifications equivalent to a child development
teacher permit, to provide training, technical assistance, and
coaching to providers. Notwithstanding any other law, family child
care home education network providers shall not be required to employ
individuals with child development teacher permits.
(14)
(15) Maintain a signed, written agreement with each
affiliated provider and an authorized representative of the family
child care home education network. The agreement shall include, but
not be limited to, all of the following:
(A) The provider's status as an independent contractor with the
family child care home education network.
(B) The provider's nondiscrimination policy.
(C) The established reimbursement rates.
(b) A family child care home education network contractor is not
required to maintain a parent advisory committee.
SEC. 3. Section 8247 of the Education Code is
repealed.
SEC. 4. SEC. 3. Section
8247 8248 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
8247. 8248. (a) A provider in a
family child care home education network shall adopt and use a
curriculum or curricula, of the provider's choosing, appropriate for
the age range of children in the home.
(b) In order to ensure educational quality for children, the
contractor may adopt a policy limiting the curricula acceptable
within its network. The policy shall include not less than three
curricula, and the contractor may approve provider-developed
curricula if they are educational and appropriate for the age ranges
of children in the homes.
SEC. 5. SEC. 4. Section 8248
8249 is added to the Education Code, to read:
8248. 8249. (a) A provider
in a family child care home education netwrok shall
do all of the following:
(1) Provide age and developmentally appropriate educational
activities for children.
(2) Provide care and supervision of children.
(3) Provide parenting education to parents. Parenting education
may include, but is not limited to, general program information and
formal or informal parent conferences and exchange of information
about the development, needs, and skills of the parents' child or
children.
(4) Identify child and family social service or health needs, and
share those needs with the contractor.
(5) Provide nutrition that is consistent with standards of the
Child and Adult Care Food Program of the United States Department of
Agriculture.
(6) Work in consultation with the contractor to complete the
developmental profile for each child, including doing all of the
following:
(A) In consultation with the contractor, complete the
developmental profile child assessment instrument.
(B) Maintain a developmental portfolio, as described in paragraph
(9) of subdivision (b) of Section 8245, for each child that includes
items produced by the child. A copy of this portfolio shall be shared
with the family child care home education network contractor for
purposes of department review.
(C) Maintain observations and other documentation of the child's
skills.
(D) Conduct or participate in parent conferences per contractor
policies.
(7) Provide the contractor with copies of all citations issued to
the provider by the Community Care Licensing Division of the State
Department of Social Services within five calendar days of the
issuing date of the citation.
(8) Obtain no less than 12 hours of professional training per
year, and maintain documentation of the training for three years.
Training may include group or individual training provided by the
contractor, or training provided by other qualified individuals or
organizations.
(b) A provider may, but is not required to, encourage parent
involvement in the provider's family child care home education
network program.
(c) A provider is not required to maintain a parent advisory
committee.
