Bill Text: CA SB1123 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Child care and development services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2014-08-14 - Set, second hearing. Held under submission. [SB1123 Detail]
Download: California-2013-SB1123-Amended.html
Bill Title: Child care and development services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2014-08-14 - Set, second hearing. Held under submission. [SB1123 Detail]
Download: California-2013-SB1123-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 1123 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 27, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 3, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 26, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Senator Liu
FEBRUARY 19, 2014
An act to amend Sections 8203, 8236, 8239,
8263, 8263.1, 8265.5, and 8273 and 8263.1
of, to add Sections 8242, 8264.9, and 8264.10 to, and to amend
and repeal Section 8264.8 of, the Education Code, relating to child
care and development.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1123, as amended, Liu. Child care and development services.
Under existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act is
enacted for, among other purposes, the purpose of providing a
comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective system of child care
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 of Public Instruction to administer
all California state preschool programs. Existing law requires those
programs to include, but not be limited to, part-day age and
developmentally appropriate programs designed to facilitate the
transition to kindergarten for 3- and 4-year-old children in
educational development, health services, social services,
nutritional services, parent education and parent participation,
evaluation, and staff development.
Existing law requires fees to be assessed and collected for
families with children in part-day preschool programs and requires
the Superintendent to establish a fee schedule for families using
preschool and child care and development services pursuant to the
act.
This bill would eliminate the requirement for families to be
assessed these fees for part-day preschool programs and for the
Superintendent to establish a fee schedule for families using the
part-day preschool program and would make a conforming change.
Existing law requires the Superintendent to develop standards for
the implementation of quality programs with indicators of quality
required to include certain things, including parent education.
This bill would also include parent education and support and
continuity of care and the assignment of primary caregivers for
infants and toddlers as part of quality indicators.
Existing law requires each applicant or contracting agency of a
California state preschool program to give first priority to 3- or
4-year-old neglected or abused children, as provided, with
second 2nd priority required to go to eligible
4-year-old children before enrolling eligible 3-year-old children.
This bill would instead give second 2nd
priority to 4-year-old children who are not enrolled in a
state-funded transitional kindergarten program. The bill would
require 4-year-old children enrolled in a state-funded transitional
kindergarten program to be deemed eligible for supplemental education
and care services through the California state preschool program if
they meet certain eligibility requirements, as provided.
Existing law requires specified state preschool programs to have
at least one-half 1/2 of the children
enrolled at a preschool site to be 4-year-old children and requires
certain priority requirements for the award of new funding for the
expansion of the preschool program.
This bill would delete these requirements.
This bill would require the Superintendent to develop standards,
rules, and regulations for the implementation of high-quality,
evidenced-based infant and toddler services that would be required
to, among other things, promote responsive caregiving by parents,
guardians, and care providers. The bill would, upon appropriation by
the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or in any other statute,
establish supplemental grants for purposes of funding parent training
and voluntary home visitation services.
Existing law authorizes a family enrolled in state or federally
funded child care and development programs whose services would
otherwise be terminated because the family no longer meets the
program criteria to continue to receive child development services in
another state or a federally funded child care and development
program, as provided.
This bill would require a child to be deemed eligible for the
remainder of the program year subsequent to enrollment in a state or
federally funded child care and development program.
Existing law defines "income eligible," for purposes of the act,
to mean that a family's adjusted monthly income is at or below 70% of
the state median income, adjusted for family size, and adjusted
annually.
This bill would also include in this definition a family that is
eligible for Cal-Fresh or Medi-Cal, or has a school aged child
eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
Existing law establishes staffing ratios for center-based
programs.
This bill would delete these ratios on July 1, 2019. The bill
would require, no later than July 1, 2019, child care and development
services providers to maintain updated staffing ratios, as provided.
The bill would require no later than July 1, 2019, child care and
development services providers to have at least one teacher in each
classroom that holds at a minimum a child development teacher permit
issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Existing law requires, in order to reflect the additional expense
of serving certain children, the provider agency's reported child
days of enrollment for these children to be multiplied by specified
adjustment factors.
This bill would amend the adjustment factor rates for specified
infants and toddlers who are served in a child day care center or
family child care home, as provided.
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. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) The first three years of life are a period of dynamic and
unparalleled brain development in which children acquire the ability
to think, speak, learn, and reason. During these first 36 months,
children need good health, strong families, and positive early
learning experiences to lay the foundation for later school success.
Low-income infants and toddlers are at a greater risk for a variety
of poorer outcomes and vulnerabilities, such as later school failure,
learning disabilities, behavior problems, developmental delay, and
health impairments.
(b) The most effective way to help babies and toddlers is to
promote positive parent-child relationships. Existing law requires
the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer child care and
development programs, including the general child care and
development program that provides services to eligible low-income
children from birth to 13 years of age. For children birth to three
years of age, the General Child Care Program funds centers and family
child care home networks in 49 of California's counties to provide
full-day, full-year child care and development services that meet the
State Department of Education's Infant/Toddler Learning and
Development Foundations, and include some provisions for parent
education and involvement such as parent conferences and an
orientation. However, several core, research-based approaches to
parent engagement and support are not required nor is funding
provided.
(c) The federal Early Head Start program serves low-income infants
and toddlers with a flexible program model intended to meet the
varied needs of families, including child care and development
services, family engagement and support, voluntary home visitation
services, and health services. Research shows that children who
participated in Early Head Start had significantly larger
vocabularies and scored higher on standardized measures of cognitive
development, and that children and parents had more positive
interactions, and parents provided more support for learning. Many
different home visiting programs have been shown to significantly
reduce the occurrence of child maltreatment and abuse, and improve
children's health and school success. Parent training programs, such
as the Positive Parenting Program, have shown significant reductions
in child abuse and neglect as well as improvements in school
readiness, health, and well-being.
(d) High quality learning services for infants and toddlers
strengthen family engagement and parent-child relationships; focus
workforce development on provider-child relationships; promote
teacher-child interaction and a language rich learning environment;
support dual language learning; serve as a gateway to comprehensive
services; and promote a choice of quality service options.
SEC. 2. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to strategically
use state and federal funds to provide a stable, comprehensive, and
adequately funded early learning and educational support system for
children from birth to five years of age that promotes access to
safe, high-quality, part-day and full-day services that support the
development of the whole child, especially for those children who
need it most, that includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(1) Supporting positive parent-child relationships and responsive
caregiving.
(2) Promoting language rich environments, including at home.
(3) Developmentally appropriate curriculum with differentiated
instruction.
(4) Knowledgeable, caring, and well-trained educators, staff, and
providers.
(5) Program activities and services that are age-appropriate and
meet the developmental needs of each child, including special needs
children.
(6) Promotion of healthy practices and activities.
(7) An educationally enriched environment that respects and
supports cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity.
(8) A physical environment that is safe and appropriate to the
ages and developmental needs of the children served.
(9) Provision for nutritional needs and physical activity of
children.
(10) Access for low-income infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to
high-quality early learning and care.
(11) Access for all four-year-old children to a voluntary,
high-quality transitional kindergarten program one year before
enrolling in kindergarten.
(12) Support services for children and families that include
referral of children to appropriate agencies, including referrals
related to, but not limited to, all of the following:
(A) Health care.
(B) Social services that include, but are not limited to, child
abuse prevention, identification of child and family needs, and
referral to appropriate agencies.
(C) Early childhood mental health services, including primary
prevention, crisis intervention, assessments, and referrals.
(D) Family support, parenting education, and family and community
engagement.
(E) Counseling, including family counseling.
(F) Nutrition services.
(G) Interagency coordination and collaboration among the state
agencies responsible for the provision of support services to
children and their families.
(b) It is further the intent of the Legislature to ensure that
expansion of transitional kindergarten does not adversely impact
access to early care and education opportunities for infants and
toddlers.
SEC. 3. Section 8203 of the Education Code is amended to read:
8203. The Superintendent shall develop standards for the
implementation of quality programs. Indicators of quality shall
include, but not be limited to:
(a) A physical environment that is safe and appropriate to the
ages of the children and that meets applicable licensing standards.
(b) Program activities and services that are age appropriate and
meet the developmental needs of each child.
(c) Program activities and services that meet the cultural and
linguistic needs of children and families.
(d) Family and community involvement.
(e) Parent education and support.
(f) Efficient and effective local program administration.
(g) Staff that possesses the appropriate and required
qualifications or experience, or both. The appropriate staff
qualifications shall reflect the diverse linguistic and cultural
makeup of the children and families in the child care and development
program. The use of intergenerational staff shall be encouraged.
(h) Program activities and services that meet the needs of
children with exceptional needs and their families.
(i) Support services for children, families, and providers of
care.
(j) Resource and referral services.
(k) Alternative payment services.
( l ) Provision for nutritional needs of children.
(m) Social services that include, but are not limited to,
identification of child and family needs and referral to appropriate
agencies.
(n) Health services that include referral of children to
appropriate agencies for services.
(o) For services for infants and toddlers, continuity of care and
the assignment of primary caregivers.
SEC. 4. Section 8236 of the Education Code is amended to read:
8236. (a) (1) Each applicant or contracting agency funded
pursuant to Section 8235 shall give first priority to three- or
four-year-old neglected or abused children who are recipients of
child protective services, or who are at risk of being neglected,
abused, or exploited upon written referral from a legal, medical, or
social service agency. If an agency is unable to enroll a child in
this first priority category, the agency shall refer the child's
parent or guardian to local resource and referral services so that
services for the child can be located.
(2) Notwithstanding Section 8263, after children in the first
priority category set forth in paragraph (1) are enrolled, each
agency funded pursuant to Section 8235 shall give priority to
eligible four-year-old children who are not enrolled in a
state-funded transitional kindergarten program before enrolling
eligible three-year-old children. Each agency shall certify to the
Superintendent that enrollment priority is being given to eligible
four-year-old children.
(3) Four-year-old children enrolled in state-funded transitional
kindergarten programs shall be deemed eligible for supplemental
education and care services through the California state preschool
program if they are also eligible for free and reduced-price lunch,
CalFresh or Medi-Cal programs, or if their family's adjusted monthly
income is at or below 70 percent of the state median income, adjusted
for family size, and adjusted annually.
(b) In an application for the award of new funding for the
expansion of a California state preschool program that is
appropriated by the Legislature for that purpose in any fiscal year,
an agency shall furnish the Superintendent with an estimate of the
number of four-year-old and three-year-old children that it plans to
serve in the following fiscal year with those expansion funds. The
agency also shall furnish documentation that indicates the basis of
those estimates.
(c) This section does not preclude a local educational agency from
subcontracting with an appropriate public or private agency to
operate a California state preschool program and to apply for funds
made available for purposes of this section. If a school district
chooses not to operate or subcontract for a California state
preschool program, the Superintendent shall work with the county
office of education and other eligible agencies to explore possible
opportunities in contracting or alternative subcontracting to provide
a California state preschool program.
(d) This section does not prevent eligible children who are
currently receiving services from continuing to receive those
services in future years pursuant to this chapter.
SEC. 5. Section 8239 of the Education Code is
amended to read:
8239. The Superintendent shall encourage state preschool program
applicants or contracting agencies to offer full-day services through
a combination of part-day preschool slots and wraparound general
child care and development programs. In order to facilitate a full
day of services, all of the following shall apply:
(a) Part-day preschool programs provided pursuant to this section
shall operate between 175 and 180 days.
(b) Wraparound general child care and development programs
provided pursuant to this section may operate a minimum of 246 days
per year unless the child development contract specified a lower
minimum days of operation. Part-day general child care and
development programs may operate a full day for the remainder of the
year after the completion of the preschool program.
(c) Part-day preschool services combined with wraparound child
care services shall be reimbursed at no more than the full-day
standard reimbursement rate for general child care programs with
adjustment factors, pursuant to Section 8265 and as determined in the
annual Budget Act.
(d) Three- and four-year-old children are eligible for wraparound
child care services to supplement the part-day California state
preschool program if the family meets at least one of the criteria
specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 8263, and
the parents meet at least one of the criteria specified in paragraph
(2) of subdivision (a) of Section 8263.
(e) Fees shall be assessed and collected for families receiving
wraparound child care services pursuant to Article 11.5 (commencing
with Section 8273).
(f) The Superintendent shall annually report to the Department of
Finance, on or before October 1 of each year, the fees collected from
families who have children enrolled in the California state
preschool program.
(g) For purposes of this section, "wraparound child care services"
and "wraparound general child care and development programs" mean
services provided for the remaining portion of the day or remainder
of the year following the completion of part-day preschool services
that are necessary to meet the child care needs of parents eligible
pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 8263. These services shall be
provided consistent with the general child care and development
programs provided pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section
8240).
SEC. 6. SEC. 5. Section 8242 is
added to the Education Code, to read:
8242. (a) General child care services for infants and toddlers
shall be known as California Strong Start services.
(b) Services provided pursuant to this chapter that serve children
from birth to their third birthday, shall include, but not be
limited to, the following:
(1) Parent engagement and support services that promote positive
parent-child relationships.
(2) Full-day early learning and care services.
(3) Part-day early learning and care services.
(4) Voluntary home visitation services.
(5) Nutrition services.
(6) Referrals to needed services such as health and dental care,
child abuse prevention, housing, and early childhood mental health.
(c) The Superintendent shall develop standards, rules, and
regulations for the implementation of high-quality, evidenced-based
infant-toddler services, based on, but not limited to, the federal
Early Head Start model. The standards, rules, and regulations shall
achieve the following:
(1) Promote language rich environments, including supporting a
child's home language and English acquisition.
(2) Promote responsive caregiving by parents, guardians, and care
providers.
(3) Be based on the Infant/Toddler Learning and Development
Foundations.
(d) California Strong Start service providers shall have the
flexibility to combine early learning and care services with one or
more of the additional services identified in subdivision (a), based
on the needs of the children and families served.
(e) California Strong Start service providers may coordinate with
First 5 California commissions, voluntary home visitation
programs, Early Head Start, child care, child welfare, early
childhood mental health and intervention including Early Start, and
health and nutrition services.
(f) (1) A family engagement supplemental grant shall be made
available to qualifying California Strong Start service providers, as
determined by the Superintendent, at a rate of one thousand dollars
($1,000) per eligible child. The Superintendent shall distribute
family engagement supplemental grant funds for the purpose of
providing evidence-based parent training services as defined in the
California Department of Social Services' California Evidenced-Based
Clearing House Clearinghouse for Child
Welfare.
(2) A countywide or regional consortium of California Strong Start
providers, with a lead grantee agency that is a First 5
California commission, county office of education, or other
local public agency, may apply to the Superintendent for a countywide
or regional grant for the total amount of eligible children pursuant
to paragraph (1).
(g) (1) A voluntary home visitation supplemental grant shall be
made available to qualifying California Strong Start service
providers, as determined by the Superintendent. For children who
receive full-day early learning and care services, the supplemental
grant amount shall be two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per
child. For children who receive part-day early learning and care
services, the supplemental grant shall be six thousand dollars
($6,000) per child. The Superintendent shall distribute supplemental
grant funds for the purpose of providing evidence-based voluntary
home visitation services as defined in the California Department of
Social Services' California Evidenced-Based Clearing House
Clearinghouse for Child Welfare.
(2) A countywide or regional consortium of California Strong Start
providers, with a lead grantee agency that is a First 5
California commission, county office of education, or other
local public agency, may apply to the Superintendent for a countywide
or regional grant for the total amount of eligible children pursuant
to paragraph (1).
(h) Grants made pursuant to subdivisions (f) and (g) shall be made
only upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act
or in any other statute for purposes of funding general child care
services.
SEC. 7. SEC. 6. Section 8263 of the
Education Code is amended to read:
8263. (a) The Superintendent shall adopt rules and regulations on
eligibility, enrollment, and priority of services needed to
implement this chapter. In order to be eligible for federal and state
subsidized child development services, families shall meet at least
one requirement in each of the following areas:
(1) A family is (A) a current aid recipient, (B) income eligible,
(C) homeless, or (D) one whose children are recipients of protective
services, or whose children have been identified as being abused,
neglected, or exploited, or at risk of being abused, neglected, or
exploited.
(2) A family needs the child care services (A) because the child
is identified by a legal, medical, or social services agency, or
emergency shelter as (i) a recipient of protective services or (ii)
being neglected, abused, or exploited, or at risk of neglect, abuse,
or exploitation, or (B) because the parents are (i) engaged in
vocational training leading directly to a recognized trade,
paraprofession, or profession, (ii) employed or seeking employment,
(iii) seeking permanent housing for family stability, or (iv)
incapacitated.
(b) Except as provided in Article 15.5 (commencing with Section
8350), priority for federal and state subsidized child development
services is as follows:
(1) (A) First priority shall be given to neglected or abused
children who are recipients of child protective services, or children
who are at risk of being neglected or abused, upon written referral
from a legal, medical, or social services agency. If an agency is
unable to enroll a child in the first priority category, the agency
shall refer the family to local resource and referral services to
locate services for the child.
(B) A family who is receiving child care on the basis of being a
child at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, as defined in
subdivision (k) of Section 8208, is eligible to receive services
pursuant to subparagraph (A) for up to three months, unless the
family becomes eligible pursuant to subparagraph (C).
(C) A family may receive child care services for up to 12 months
on the basis of a certification by the county child welfare agency
that child care services continue to be necessary or, if the child is
receiving child protective services during that period of time, and
the family requires child care and remains otherwise eligible. This
time limit does not apply if the family's child care referral is
recertified by the county child welfare agency.
(2) Second priority shall be given equally to eligible families,
regardless of the number of parents in the home, who are income
eligible. Within this priority, families with the lowest gross
monthly income in relation to family size, as determined by a
schedule adopted by the Superintendent, shall be admitted first. If
two or more families are in the same priority in relation to income,
the family that has a child with exceptional needs shall be admitted
first. If there is no family of the same priority with a child with
exceptional needs, the same priority family that has been on the
waiting list for the longest time shall be admitted first. For
purposes of determining order of admission, the grants of public
assistance recipients shall be counted as income.
(3) The Superintendent shall set criteria for, and may grant
specific waivers of, the priorities established in this subdivision
for agencies that wish to serve specific populations, including
children with exceptional needs or children of prisoners. These new
waivers shall not include proposals to avoid appropriate fee
schedules or admit ineligible families, but may include proposals to
accept members of special populations in other than strict income
order, as long as appropriate fees are paid.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, in order to promote continuity
of services, subsequent to enrollment in a state or federally funded
child care and development program, a child shall be deemed eligible
for the remainder of the program year.
(d) Notwithstanding any other law, in order to promote continuity
of services, a family enrolled in a state or federally funded child
care and development program whose services would otherwise be
terminated because the family no longer meets the program income,
eligibility, or need criteria may continue to receive child
development services in another state or federally funded child care
and development program if the contractor is able to transfer the
family's enrollment to another program for which the family is
eligible before the date of termination of services or to exchange
the family's existing enrollment with the enrollment of a family in
another program, provided that both families satisfy the eligibility
requirements for the program in which they are being enrolled. The
transfer of enrollment may be to another program within the same
administrative agency or to another agency that administers state or
federally funded child care and development programs.
(e) In order to promote continuity of services, the Superintendent
may extend the 60-working-day period specified in subdivision (a) of
Section 18086.5 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations for
an additional 60 working days if he or she determines that
opportunities for employment have diminished to the degree that one
or both parents cannot reasonably be expected to find employment
within 60 working days and granting the extension is in the public
interest. The scope of extensions granted pursuant to this
subdivision shall be limited to the necessary geographic areas and
affected persons, which shall be described in the Superintendent's
order granting the extension. It is the intent of the Legislature
that extensions granted pursuant to this subdivision improve services
in areas with high unemployment rates and areas with
disproportionately high numbers of seasonal agricultural jobs.
(f) A physical examination and evaluation, including
age-appropriate immunization, shall be required before, or within six
weeks of, enrollment. A standard, rule, or regulation shall not
require medical examination or immunization for admission to a child
care and development program of a child whose parent or guardian
files a letter with the governing board of the child care and
development program stating that the medical examination or
immunization is contrary to his or her religious beliefs, or provide
for the exclusion of a child from the program because of a parent or
guardian having filed the letter. However, if there is good cause to
believe that a child is suffering from a recognized contagious or
infectious disease, the child shall be temporarily excluded from the
program until the governing board of the child care and development
program is satisfied that the child is not suffering from that
contagious or infectious disease.
(g) Regulations formulated and promulgated pursuant to this
section shall include the recommendations of the State Department of
Health Care Services relative to health care screening and the
provision of health care services. The Superintendent shall seek the
advice and assistance of these health authorities in situations where
service under this chapter includes or requires care of children who
are ill or children with exceptional needs.
(h) The Superintendent shall establish guidelines for the
collection of employer-sponsored child care benefit payments from a
parent whose child receives subsidized child care and development
services. These guidelines shall provide for the collection of the
full amount of the benefit payment, but not to exceed the actual cost
of child care and development services provided, notwithstanding the
applicable fee based on the fee schedule.
(i) The Superintendent shall establish guidelines according to
which the director or a duly authorized representative of the child
care and development program will certify children as eligible for
state reimbursement pursuant to this section.
(j) Public funds shall not be paid directly or indirectly to an
agency that does not pay at least the minimum wage to each of its
employees.
SEC. 8. SEC. 7. Section 8263.1 of
the Education Code is amended to read:
8263.1. (a) For purposes of this chapter, "income eligible" means
either of the following:
(1) That a family's adjusted monthly income is at or below 70
percent of the state median income, adjusted for family size, and
adjusted annually.
(2) That a family is eligible for CalFresh or Medi-Cal, or has a
school-aged schoolaged child eligible
for free or reduced-price lunch.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, for the 2011-12 fiscal year,
the income eligibility limits that were in effect for the 2007-08
fiscal year shall be reduced to 70 percent of the state median income
that was in use for the 2007-08 fiscal year, adjusted for family
size, effective July 1, 2011.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, for the 2012-13 fiscal year,
the income eligibility limits shall be 70 percent of the state median
income that was in use for the 2007-08 fiscal year, adjusted for
family size.
(d) Notwithstanding any other law, for the 2013-14 fiscal year,
the income eligibility limits shall be 70 percent of the state median
income that was in use for the 2007-08 fiscal year, adjusted for
family size.
(e) Notwithstanding any other law, for the 2014-15 fiscal year and
each year thereafter, the income eligibility limits shall not be
less than 70 percent of the state median income for the prior fiscal
year, adjusted for family size.
(f) The income of a recipient of federal supplemental security
income benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) and state supplemental program
benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act and
Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of
the Welfare and Institutions Code shall not be included as income
for purposes of determining eligibility for
child care under this chapter.
SEC. 9. SEC. 8. Section 8264.8 of
the Education Code is amended to read:
8264.8. (a) Until the Superintendent promulgates regulations for
center-based programs establishing staffing ratios, the following
staffing ratios shall apply:
(1) Infants, 0 to 2 years old--1:3 adult-child ratio, 1:18
teacher-child ratio.
(2) Infants and toddlers, 0 to 2 years old--1:4 adult-child ratio,
1:16 teacher-child ratio.
(3) Children 3 to 6 years old--1:8 adult-child ratio, 1:24
teacher-child ratio.
(4) Children 6 to 10 years old--1:14 adult-child ratio, 1:28
teacher-child ratio.
(5) Children 10 to 13 years old--1:18 adult-child ratio, 1:36
teacher-child ratio.
(6) If groups of children of varying ages are commingled, the
teacher and adult ratios shall be proportionate and appropriate to
the ages and groups of children.
(b) This section shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2019,
and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
is enacted before July 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.
SEC. 10. SEC. 9. Section 8264.9 is
added to the Education Code, to read:
8264.9. (a) No later then than July
1, 2019, child care and development services providers shall
maintain the following minimum ratios and group sizes:
(1) Infants, birth to 18 months old--1:4 adult-to-child
adult-child ratio, 1:8 teacher-to-child
teacher-child ratio, a group size of 8; or 1:3
adult-to-child adult-child ratio, 1:9
teacher-to-child teacher-child ratio, a
group size of 9.
(2) Toddlers, 18 months up to their 3rd birthday--1:4
adult-to-child adult-child ratio, 1:12
teacher-to-child teacher-child ratio, a group
size of 12.
(3) Preschool, at least 30 months to kindergarten eligibility--1:8
adult-to-child adult-child ratio, 1:24
teacher-to-child teacher-child ratio,
a group size of 24; or 1:10 adult-to-child
adult-child ratio, 1:20 teacher-to-child
teacher-child ratio, a group size of 20.
(4) Schoolage, enrolled in kindergarten to their 13th
birthday--1:14 adult-to-child adult-child
ratio, 1:28 teacher-to-child
teacher-child ratio.
(b) Compliance with the ratios established by subdivision (a)
shall be determined based on actual attendance.
(c) This section shall not apply to family child care home
education networks operating pursuant to Article 8.5 (commencing with
Section 8245).
(d) Notwithstanding Section 8264.8, this section does not prevent
child care and development services providers from maintaining the
ratios pursuant to this section before to July 1,
2019.
SEC. 11. SEC. 10. Section 8264.10 is
added to the Education Code, to read:
8264.10. (a) No later than July 1, 2019, child care and
development services providers shall have at least one teacher in
each classroom that holds at a minimum a child development teacher
permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
(b) No later than July 1, 2017, the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing shall review and amend the Child Development Permit
Matrix. The amendments shall include the following requirements:
(1) Teachers and caregivers of infants and toddlers shall obtain
six units in infant and toddler development.
(2) Each permit holder shall have an individual professional
development plan that includes a minimum of 21 hours of annual
training, and that such training include in-classroom coaching.
In-classroom coaching may account for up to 10 of the 21 hours each
year.
SEC. 12. Section 8265.5 of the Education Code
is amended to read:
8265.5. (a) In order to reflect the additional expense of serving
children who meet any of the criteria outlined in paragraphs (1) to
(7), inclusive, of subdivision (b) the provider agency's reported
child days of enrollment for these children shall be multiplied by
the adjustment factors listed below.
(b) The adjustment factors shall apply to those programs for which
assigned reimbursement rates are at or below the standard
reimbursement rate. In addition, the adjustment factors shall apply
to those programs for which assigned reimbursement rates are above
the standard reimbursement rate, but the reimbursement rate, as
adjusted, shall not exceed the adjusted standard reimbursement rate.
(1) For infants who are 0 to 18 months of age and are served in a
child day care center, the adjustment factor shall be 2.3.
(2) For toddlers who are 18 to 36 months of age and are served in
a child day care center, the adjustment factor shall be 1.8.
(3) For infants and toddlers who are 0 to 36 months of age and are
served in a family child care home, the adjustment factor shall be
1.8.
(4) For children with exceptional needs who are 0 to 21 years of
age, the adjustment factor shall be 1.2.
(5) For severely disabled children who are 0 to 21 years of age,
the adjustment factor shall be 1.5.
(6) For children at risk of neglect, abuse, or exploitation who
are 0 to 14 years of age, the adjustment factor shall be 1.1.
(7) For limited-English-speaking and non-English-speaking children
who are 2 years of age through kindergarten age, the adjustment
factor shall be 1.1.
(c) Use of the adjustment factors shall not increase the provider
agency's total annual allocation.
(d) Days of enrollment for children having more than one of the
criteria outlined in paragraphs (1) to (7), inclusive, of subdivision
(b) shall not be reported under more than one of the above
categories.
(e) The difference between the reimbursement resulting from the
use of the adjustment factors outlined in paragraphs (1) to (7),
inclusive, of subdivision (b) and the reimbursement that would
otherwise be received by a provider in the absence of the adjustment
factors shall be used for special and appropriate services for each
child for whom an adjustment factor is claimed.
SEC. 13. Section 8273 of the Education Code is
amended to read:
8273. (a) The Superintendent shall establish a fee schedule for
families using preschool and child care and development services
pursuant to this chapter, including families receiving services
pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 8263. It is
the intent of the Legislature that the new fee schedule shall be
simple and easy to implement.
(b) The family fee schedule shall retain a flat monthly fee per
family. The schedule shall differentiate between fees for part-time
care and full-time care.
(c) Using the most recently approved family fee schedule pursuant
to subdivision (f) of Section 8447, families shall be assessed a flat
monthly fee based on income, certified family need for full-time or
part-time care services, and enrollment, and shall not be based on
actual attendance. A recalculation of a family fee shall not occur if
attendance varies from enrollment unless a change in need for care
is assessed.
(d) The Superintendent shall design the new family fee schedule
based on the state median income data that was in use for the 2007-08
fiscal year, adjusted for family size. The revised family fee
schedule shall begin at income levels at which families currently
begin paying fees. The revised fees shall not exceed 10 percent of
the family's monthly income. The Superintendent shall first submit
the adjusted fee schedule to the Department of Finance for approval.
(e) The income of a recipient of federal supplemental security
income benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) and state supplemental program
benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section
12000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
shall not be included in total countable income for purposes of
determining the amount of the family fee.
(f) Family fees shall be assessed at initial enrollment and
reassessed at update of certification or recertification.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the new family fees
shall be cost neutral to the state and generate roughly the same
amount of revenue as was generated under the previous family fee
schedule.
(h) The authority provided to the Superintendent to establish a
fee schedule pursuant to this section shall not apply to the part-day
preschool program pursuant to Section 8239.
