STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman AURA K. DUNN
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Permanently requires certain provider subsidy payments for child care services be based on enrollment.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning child care subsidies and supplementing P.L.1993, c.46 (C.30:5B-30 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Beginning on the effective date of this act and notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and in addition to any other criteria set forth by the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services to determine a provider's subsidy payment for child care services, the division shall determine the subsidy payment for child care services issued to a licensed child care center or a registered family day care provider based on the number of children enrolled with the provider who are eligible for child care services. At no time shall a subsidy payment for child care services issued to a licensed child care center or a registered family day care provider be based on the attendance of eligible children for child care services.
b. A licensed child care center or a registered family day care provider for which the subsidy payment is based on enrollment of children who are eligible for child care services shall comply at all times with requirements concerning the ratio of staff to enrolled children, as established pursuant to regulation by the Office of Licensing in the Department of Children and Families. At no time shall this ratio be based on the attendance of children eligible for child care services.
c. The Commissioner of Human Services shall apply for such State plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this section and to continue to secure any available federal financial participation for the applicable child care programs.
d. As used in this section, "child care services" means those services provided to eligible children, as certified by the Division of Family Development within the Department of Human Services, for which the division receives and administers State and federal funding to provide subsidy payments to licensed child care centers and registered family day care providers.
2. The Department of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take
effect on July 1, 2022 or immediately upon enactment, whichever occurs later.
STATEMENT
This bill makes permanent the provisions of P.L.2021, c.324, which requires that subsidy payments to licensed child care providers be based on enrollment of students who are eligible for child care services. The provisions of P.L.2021, c.324 expire on June 30, 2022; this bill will take effect on July 1, 2022 or immediately upon enactment, whichever occurs later.
The bill requires the DHS to adopt rules and regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.