Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Limits availability of Child Care Facilities Improvement Program grants funded through Child Care Revitalization Act to licensed child care centers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act making certain adjustments to child care funding and amending P.L.2021, c.144.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2021, c.144 is amended to read as follows:
2. a. There is appropriated to the Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation in the Department of Community Affairs $54,500,000 in federal funds allocated to the State from the federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund" established pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act", Pub.L.117-2, and such amounts shall be made available to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for the purpose of providing technical assistance to licensed child care providers [, registered family child care homes] and grants to licensed child care providers for facilities improvements which grants shall be [allocated,] made on a rolling basis [, to licensed child care providers, registered family child care homes, and child care providers,] and of such amounts, not more than 2.5 percent, subject to the division's ultimate review and approval, shall be utilized by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for organizational, administrative and other work and services, including salaries, equipment, services, and materials necessary to administer the activities authorized by this subsection. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority shall enter into a memorandum of understanding or grant agreement, as applicable, with the division to effectuate the purposes of this subsection, to establish appropriate administrative costs, and to ensure compliance with federal rules and guidance, including with respect to the "American Rescue Plan Act," Pub.L.117-2.
b. The division shall be the State's grant manager for federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds," and is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable federal rules and regulations for this act, including, but not limited to, submitting all required reporting and documentation to the United States Department of the Treasury in accordance with federal rules, including with respect to the "American Rescue Plan Act," Pub.L.117-2. As the State's grant manager for federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds," the division shall require funds for organizational, administrative, and other work and services, including salaries, services, equipment, and materials necessary to administer the applicable provisions of this act.
c. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section to the contrary, the division may transfer the uncommitted balance of any funds made available pursuant to this section for any use authorized under this act. The division shall submit notice to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee no less than five calendar days before the date of the transfer. The notice shall indicate the amount of the transferred funds and the purpose for which the funds are transferred.
(cf: P.L.2021, c.144, s.2)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill amends the Child Care Revitalization Act, P.L.2021, c.144, to remove language requiring that the $54.5 million of federal resources, appropriated under the act for use by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to provide facilities improvement grants to licensed child care providers, fund such grants for registered family child care homes.
The Child Care Revitalization Act appropriates federal funds, allocated to the State from the federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund" established pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act", Pub.L.117-2, as the funding stream for the child care facilities improvement grants.
The Economic Development Authority is currently developing a facilities improvement grant program, to be funded with State resources that have already been appropriated to the authority, for family child care providers. Both the sponsor and the authority believe that a State-funded program will provide a less burdensome application, implementation, and compliance experience for family child care providers.
The initial phase of the Child Care Facilities Improvement Act provides grants, in an amount ranging from $50,000 to $200,000, for qualifying facilities improvement projects undertaken by child care centers licensed by the Department of Children and Families prior to June 4, 2021. Family Child Care providers are not eligible for the first phase of the grant program.