CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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5 ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW
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11 Representative(s) Chestnut, Warner, Clemons, Garcia,
12 Roberts-Burke, and Wise offered the following:
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14 Amendment to Senate Amendment (752876) (with title
15 amendment)
16 On page 1, line 18, through page 27, line 21,
17 remove from the amendment: all of said lines
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19 and insert in lieu thereof:
20 Section 1. This act may be cited as the "School
21 Readiness Act of 1998." Nothing in this act is intended to
22 impede or curtail the state's ability to draw down federal
23 funds. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of
24 this act and federal requirements, the federal requirements
25 shall control unless a waiver is obtained.
26 Section 2. Chapter 411, Florida Statutes, is renamed
27 "School Readiness Partnership."
28 Section 3. Section 411.01, Florida Statutes, is
29 created to read:
30 411.01 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.;
31 School Readiness Coalitions.--
1
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--
2 (a)1. Recognizing new brain research that shows early
3 intervention in a child's development can make a substantial
4 difference in the child's ability to learn in school and
5 succeed in life, it is the intent of the Legislature that the
6 early childhood health care, child care, and education of
7 children from birth to 6 years of age become a top priority
8 throughout the state.
9 2. As used in this chapter, the term "child care"
10 includes formal and informal arrangements, including but not
11 limited to child care centers, day care homes, private
12 providers, and relative care. The term "health care" includes
13 immunizations, screenings, well-baby care, and other
14 preventive health care measures. The term "education" includes
15 public and private prekindergarten and other education
16 programs.
17 (b) Recognizing that high-quality early childhood
18 health care, child care, and education experiences increase
19 children's chances of educational success and reduce the need
20 for costly future intervention and remediation, it is the
21 intent of the Legislature that all children in Florida, from
22 birth until they are 6 years of age, have access to quality
23 early childhood health care, child care, and education to
24 enhance their readiness to succeed in school.
25 (c) Recognizing that parents are responsible for the
26 early childhood health care, child care, and education of
27 their children, but also recognizing that the condition of
28 children in Florida must be improved, it is the intent of the
29 Legislature that local communities offer assistance to
30 families to improve the early childhood health care, child
31 care, and education of children under 6 years of age and the
2
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 school readiness of all children who enter the state's public
2 school system. High-quality early childhood experiences and
3 care should be provided with a minimum of governmental
4 interference.
5 (d) The Legislature finds that for families to move to
6 and maintain economic self-sufficiency, Florida must have an
7 efficient way for these families to access quality early
8 childhood health care, child care, and education services. The
9 Legislature recognizes that significant benefits will accrue
10 to children and families who have efficient access to quality
11 early childhood health care, child care, and education
12 arrangements.
13 (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that all early
14 childhood health care, child care, and education programs and
15 services serving Florida children in the first 6 years of life
16 are considered school readiness programs. The Legislature
17 finds that despite the efforts of hundreds of thousands of
18 Floridians and increased collaboration among service
19 providers, services for young children remain uncoordinated,
20 uneven in quality, and inaccessible to many. It is the intent
21 of the Legislature that a true continuum of high-quality,
22 coordinated, and comprehensive early childhood health care,
23 child care, and education be available to all children from
24 birth to 6 years of age.
25 (f) The Legislature recognizes new brain development
26 research emphasizing the critical importance of the first
27 years of life in children's emotional, social, and cognitive
28 development, and that these scientific discoveries create an
29 opportunity to apply the findings to all programs and services
30 for children from birth to 6 years of age. The Legislature
31 also recognizes that the period of time from birth to 3 years
3
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 of age is an optimal time for learning in the areas of motor
2 development, emotional control, vision, social attachment,
3 vocabulary, second language, and logic.
4 (2) SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAMS.--
5 (a) For purposes of this chapter, all early childhood
6 health care, child care, and education programs which are
7 funded with state, federal, lottery, or local public funds and
8 which provide services to children from birth to 6 years of
9 age shall be school readiness programs and shall work to
10 achieve their part of the goal of children entering school
11 with healthy bodies and healthy minds, ready to succeed in
12 school.
13 (b) Publicly funded early childhood education and
14 child care programs are defined as prekindergarten early
15 intervention programs, Head Start programs, programs offered
16 by public or private providers of child care, preschool
17 programs for children with disabilities, programs for migrant
18 children, Title I programs, subsidized child care programs,
19 teenage parent programs, the Healthy Families Florida program,
20 and other services.
21 (c) The Legislature recognizes that high quality early
22 childhood education and child care programs increase
23 children's chances of achieving future educational success and
24 becoming productive members of society. Such programs shall be
25 developmental, serve as preventive measures for children at
26 risk of future school failure, enhance the educational
27 readiness of all children, and support family education and
28 the involvement of parents in their child's educational
29 progress. Each early childhood education and child care
30 program shall provide the elements necessary to help prepare
31 preschool children for school, including health screening and
4
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 referral, a developmentally appropriate educational program,
2 and opportunities for parental involvement in the program.
3 (d) Early childhood education and child care programs
4 shall not exist as isolated programs, but shall build upon
5 existing services and work in cooperation with other programs
6 for young children, and these programs and program funds shall
7 be coordinated to achieve full effectiveness.
8 (3) SCHOOL READINESS GOVERNING BOARD.--
9 (a) There is created a School Readiness Governing
10 Board to operate as the board of directors of the Florida
11 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., with responsibility
12 for adopting and maintaining coordinated programmatic,
13 administrative, and fiscal policies and a common set of early
14 childhood health care, child care, and education standards for
15 all school readiness programs, while allowing a wide range of
16 programmatic flexibility and differentiation. The governing
17 board shall determine guidelines for granting programmatic
18 waivers to any of its policies and standards. The governing
19 board shall establish goals for early childhood development
20 leading to school readiness and policies that lead to the
21 achievement of these goals. The governing board shall develop
22 a strategic plan for accomplishing these goals.
23 (b)1. The members of the School Readiness Governing
24 Board shall include the Governor, the Commissioner of
25 Education, the Secretary of Children and Family Services, the
26 chair of the WAGES Program State Board of Directors, and the
27 chair of the Florida Council of 100, who shall be voting ex
28 officio members.
29 2. The governing board shall also include ten voting
30 members appointed by the Governor, who shall be business,
31 community, and civic leaders in the state who are not elected
5
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 to public office. Eight of the members shall be appointed from
2 a list of ten nominees, of which five must be submitted by the
3 President of the Senate, and five must be submitted by the
4 Speaker of the House of Representatives. The members must be
5 geographically and demographically representative of the state
6 and must not earn their income in the early childhood
7 education and child care industry. These members shall serve
8 4-year staggered terms.
9 3. An appointive voting member vacancy on the
10 governing board shall be filled by the Governor for the
11 remainder of the unexpired term.
12 4. Appointive voting members may be removed by the
13 Governor for good cause, including ethics or finance
14 violations or excessive absences from meetings.
15 5. Members of the governing board are subject to the
16 ethics provisions in part III of chapter 112, and no member
17 may derive any financial benefit from the funds administered
18 by the School Readiness Partnership.
19 6. Governing board members shall serve without
20 compensation but are entitled to receive reimbursement for per
21 diem and travel expenses as provided by s. 112.061 and for
22 other reasonable, necessary, and actual expenses.
23 (c) The members of the governing board shall elect a
24 chair annually.
25 (d)1. The members of the governing board shall meet as
26 often as necessary to carry out their duties, but at least
27 quarterly, to establish goals and policy for the early
28 childhood health care, child care, and education of Florida's
29 youngest children, to consider reports from the School
30 Readiness Coalitions and the School Readiness Partnership
31 staff, to discuss concerns, to share information, and to
6
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 collaborate on how to achieve success.
2 2. The governing board may take official action by a
3 majority vote of the members present at any meeting at which a
4 quorum is present. A quorum shall consist of three of the five
5 ex officio members, plus six of the ten appointive members.
6 (e) The governing board shall appoint an executive
7 director who is responsible for other staff authorized by the
8 board. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of
9 the governing board, shall supervise the affairs and
10 activities of the School Readiness Partnership staff, and,
11 consistent with the recommendations of the governing board and
12 needs of local communities, shall be responsible for
13 contracting for technical assistance and support during fiscal
14 years 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 to assist actively to establish
15 School Readiness Coalitions and develop local coalition plans.
16 (f) For the purposes of tort liability, the governing
17 board and employees or agents of the School Readiness
18 Partnership shall be governed by s. 768.28.
19 (g) The governing board may adopt rules necessary to
20 administer the provisions of this section relating to
21 preparation and implementation of the system for school
22 readiness, data collection, assisting the formation of and
23 approving School Readiness Coalitions and local coalition
24 plans, providing a method whereby a coalition could serve two
25 or more counties, and awarding incentives to coalitions.
26 (h) The governing board has complete fiscal control
27 over the School Readiness Partnership and is responsible for
28 all corporate operations. The governing board is responsible
29 for the prudent use of all public and private funds and shall
30 ensure that the use of such funds is in accordance with all
31 legal and contractual requirements.
7
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 (i) The governing board shall recommend the
2 feasibility of combining funding streams for school readiness
3 programs into a School Readiness Trust Fund, and shall be
4 responsible for the administration of the trust fund.
5 (4) FLORIDA PARTNERSHIP FOR SCHOOL READINESS, INC.
6 (SCHOOL READINESS PARTNERSHIP).--
7 (a) The Legislature hereby creates the Florida
8 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc. (School Readiness
9 Partnership), which shall be a public-private nonprofit
10 organization, which shall be registered, incorporated,
11 organized, and operated in compliance with chapter 617, and
12 which shall not be a unit or entity of state government. The
13 Legislature determines, however, that public policy dictates
14 that the School Readiness Partnership operate in the most open
15 and accessible manner consistent with its public purpose. To
16 this end, the Legislature specifically declares that the
17 School Readiness Partnership is subject to the provisions of
18 chapter 119, relating to public records, and those provisions
19 of chapter 286 relating to public meetings and records, except
20 as provided in Committee Substitute for House Bill 4385 or
21 similar legislation requiring confidentiality of identifying
22 information about children served.
23 (b) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
24 Inc., shall establish one or more corporate offices, at least
25 one of which shall be located in Leon County. Persons employed
26 by the Department of Children and Family Services or the
27 Department of Education on the day prior to July 1, 1998,
28 whose jobs are privatized, may be given preference, if
29 qualified, for similar jobs at the Florida Partnership for
30 School Readiness, Inc. The Department of Management Services
31 may establish a lease agreement program under which the
8
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., may hire
2 individuals who, as of June 30, 1998, are employed by the
3 Department of Children and Family Services or the Department
4 of Education. Under such agreement, the employee shall retain
5 his or her status as a state employee but shall work under the
6 direct supervision of the Florida Partnership for School
7 Readiness, Inc. Retention of state employee status shall
8 include the right to participate in the Florida Retirement
9 System. The Department of Management Services shall establish
10 the terms and conditions of such lease agreements.
11 (c) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
12 Inc., is the principal organization responsible for the
13 enhancement of school readiness for the state's children, and
14 shall work actively with each School Readiness Coalition to
15 achieve its mission. It shall be the responsibility of the
16 School Readiness Governing Board to provide leadership for
17 enhancement of school readiness in Florida by aggressively
18 establishing a unified approach to Florida's efforts of
19 enhancement of school readiness; by aggressively seeking
20 potential new school readiness programs; and by aggressively
21 assisting in the retention and expansion of effective existing
22 school readiness programs. In support of this effort, the
23 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., may develop
24 and implement specific programs or strategies that address the
25 creation, expansion, and preservation of Florida's school
26 readiness programs. This approach must ensure the effective
27 use of federal, state, local, and private resources in
28 reducing the need for school readiness programs.
29 (d) The governing board and staff of the Florida
30 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., shall have specific
31 responsibility for implementing policies, monitoring progress
9
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 toward achievement of the established goals, assessing gaps in
2 current early childhood health care, child care, and education
3 statewide, recommending quality standards and monitoring their
4 implementation, assisting the formation of and approving
5 School Readiness Coalitions and local coalition plans,
6 facilitating local implementation, providing technical
7 assistance to School Readiness Coalitions, and recommending
8 common eligibility requirements for similar programs while
9 seeking a diversity of programs to meet the varieties of need,
10 within the established guidelines. When recommending quality
11 standards, the School Readiness Governing Board shall take
12 into consideration standards consistent with ss. 230.2305 and
13 411.3015 and the nationally recognized standards for early
14 childhood education programs, in conjunction with the numbers
15 of children needing and eligible for school readiness program
16 services who are not being served. The School Readiness
17 Governing Board shall make recommendations regarding changes
18 in state law, rule, or agency policy that may assist School
19 Readiness Coalitions in improving the early childhood health
20 care, child care, and education of children from birth to 6
21 years of age.
22 (e) The School Readiness Partnership shall have all
23 powers necessary to carry out the purposes of this section,
24 including but not limited to the power to receive and accept
25 grants, loans, or advances of funds from any public or private
26 agency and to receive and accept from any source contributions
27 of money, property, labor, or any other thing of value, to be
28 held, used, and applied for the purposes of this section.
29 (f) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
30 Inc., shall be an independent nonpartisan body and shall not
31 be identified or affiliated with any one agency, program, or
10
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 group.
2 (g) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
3 Inc., shall have a budget, shall be financed through an annual
4 appropriation made for this purpose in the General
5 Appropriations Act, and shall be subject to all applicable
6 federal and state laws that govern the respective school
7 readiness programs.
8 (h) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
9 Inc., may draw upon state agency personnel and resources as
10 needed to implement policy and manage interagency agreements
11 necessary to create a more coherent system of school readiness
12 programs for the state's youngest children.
13 (5) SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM.--The School Readiness
14 Partnership shall implement a program which may be phased in
15 to:
16 (a) Facilitate the School Readiness Coalitions'
17 provision of quality early childhood health care, child care,
18 and education to children from birth to 6 years of age. The
19 program shall consist of the programs listed in paragraph
20 (2)(b), be administered by the School Readiness Coalition, and
21 receive funds pursuant to Committee Substitute for House Bill
22 4387 or similar legislation. Within funding limitations, the
23 School Readiness Coalition, along with all providers, shall
24 make reasonable efforts to accommodate the needs of children
25 for extended-day and extended-year services without
26 compromising the quality of the program.
27 (b) Provide guidelines for a single sliding fee scale
28 for all school readiness programs in each School Readiness
29 Coalition's local plan. The following eligibility priority
30 listing shall apply until the School Readiness Governing Board
31 recommends changes:
11
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 1. Children of participants in the WAGES program who
2 are the only children eligible for services funded through the
3 federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
4 2. Children under 6 years of age who are:
5 a. Children determined to be at risk of abuse,
6 neglect, or exploitation and who currently receive services
7 from the Department of Children and Family Services or are in
8 the Healthy Families Florida program.
9 b. Children at risk of welfare dependency, including
10 children of migrant farmworkers, children of teenage parents,
11 and children from other families at risk of welfare dependency
12 due to a family income of less than 100 percent of the federal
13 poverty level. The School Readiness Partnership shall
14 recommend to the School Readiness Program Estimating
15 Conference by July 1, 1999, how to convert provision of
16 services to children of teenage parents, as prescribed in s.
17 230.23166, to the school readiness program and terminate the
18 funding provisions of s. 230.23166(3)(e).
19 c. Children of working families whose family income is
20 equal to or greater than 100 percent, but does not exceed 150
21 percent, of the federal poverty level.
22 3. Children who meet the eligibility requirements for
23 the prekindergarten early intervention program under s.
24 230.2305(2).
25 (c) In accordance with the parental choice and payment
26 arrangement provisions of subsection (9), assist the School
27 Readiness Coalitions to establish participation criteria that
28 include a single or simplified point of entry to the school
29 readiness program services system in each county. These
30 programs shall share the waiting lists for unserved children
31 so that a count of eligible children is maintained without
12
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 duplication. Participation criteria shall require parents to
2 be provided a choice of school readiness program settings and
3 locations, including but not limited to settings and locations
4 in licensed, registered, religious-exempt, church-sponsored,
5 school-based, or relative care programs.
6 (d) Provide that, beginning July 1, 199,
7 administrative overhead shall not exceed 15 percent for any
8 school readiness program.
9 (e) Partner with School Readiness Coalitions to
10 provide, by direct service agreement, contract agreement, or
11 voucher, school readiness program services meeting standards
12 established by the School Readiness Partnership and the
13 parental choice and payment arrangement provisions of
14 subsection (9).
15 (f) Assist the School Readiness Coalitions to make
16 available the Florida Parents as Teachers Program pursuant to
17 s. 411.06, whenever feasible and as early as possible in the
18 child's development.
19 (g) Establish, with consultation from appropriate
20 professional individuals and organizations, standards and
21 performance measures for school readiness program services and
22 providers appropriate to children from birth to 6 years of
23 age. The standards and performance measures must include, at a
24 minimum, that each coalition's school readiness plan must:
25 1. Help prepare preschool children to enter
26 kindergarten ready to learn, as measured by the school
27 readiness screening instrument.
28 2. Provide extended-day and extended-year services
29 when needed.
30 3. Provide coordinated staff development and teaching
31 opportunities.
13
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 4. Provide expanded access to community services and
2 resources for families to help achieve economic
3 self-sufficiency.
4 5. Serve at least as many children as were served
5 prior to implementation of the program.
6 (h) Develop age-appropriate screening instruments,
7 utilizing the latest brain development research, that provide
8 clear and objective data to measure school readiness,
9 including the following expectations:
10 1. The child's immunizations and other health
11 requirements as necessary.
12 2. The child's display of age-appropriate physical
13 development.
14 3. The child's compliance with rules, limitations, and
15 routines.
16 4. The child's successful engagement in
17 age-appropriate tasks.
18 5. The child's demonstration of appropriate
19 interactions with adults.
20 6. The child's demonstration of appropriate
21 interactions with peers.
22 7. The child's effective coping with challenges and
23 frustrations.
24 8. The child's demonstration of appropriate self-help
25 skills.
26 9. The child's ability to express his or her needs
27 appropriately.
28 10. The child's demonstration of age-appropriate
29 verbal communication skills.
30 11. The child's demonstration of age-appropriate
31 problem-solving skills.
14
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 12. The child's following of verbal directions.
2 13. The child's demonstration of curiosity,
3 persistence, and exploratory behavior.
4 14. The child's demonstration of an interest in books
5 and other printed materials.
6 15. The child's paying attention to stories.
7 16. The child's participation in art and music
8 activities.
9
10 Because children with disabilities may not be able to meet all
11 of the identified expectations for school readiness, the plan
12 for measuring school readiness shall incorporate mechanisms
13 for recognizing the potential variations in expectations for
14 school readiness when serving children with disabilities and
15 shall provide for communities to serve children with
16 disabilities.
17 (i) Prepare a plan for broadly publicizing and
18 implementing the system for measuring school readiness in such
19 a way that all children in school readiness plan programs or
20 whose parents or guardians bring them to a school readiness
21 program location for screening have the opportunity to undergo
22 the screening by 3 1/2 years of age, with followup screening
23 by 4 1/2 years of age and, for purposes of evaluation and
24 tracking, work with the school district to assess all
25 kindergarten screenings of children who have been in school
26 readiness plan programs. The plan must include a way to make
27 the screening and the training required to administer it
28 available to public and private providers of school readiness
29 programs. The plan must also include a way to utilize, free of
30 charge for the working poor and upon payment of a nominal fee
31 for others, existing methods to make the screening available
15
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 to children who do not participate in the programs.
2 (j) Establish a method for collecting data from the
3 screening and establish guidelines for using the data so that
4 the measurement, the data collection, and the use of the data
5 serve the statewide goal that all children will be ready for
6 school. The criteria for determining which data to collect
7 should be the usefulness of the data to state policymakers and
8 program administrators in administering programs and
9 allocating state funds.
10 (k) Develop and implement a plan to publicize the
11 School Readiness Partnership, its school readiness
12 expectations, available school readiness program services,
13 eligibility requirements for the sliding fee scale, and
14 procedures for enrollment; and to provide the public with
15 information as to screening availability, the details of the
16 programs offered by qualified providers, performance measures
17 for the programs, and school readiness outcomes.
18 (l) As appropriate, assist the School Readiness
19 Coalitions to enter into contracts to provide onsite
20 information, referrals, and other services to enhance the
21 goals of the School Readiness Partnership.
22 (m) Provide a report on an annual basis to the School
23 Readiness Governing Board, the Florida Healthy Kids
24 Corporation, the Healthy Families Florida program, the
25 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
26 Representatives, and the Minority Leaders of the Senate and
27 the House of Representatives.
28 (6) SCHOOL READINESS COALITIONS.--
29 (a) Each School Readiness Coalition must be approved
30 by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc. The
31 School Readiness Partnership shall assist in establishing a
16
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 School Readiness Coalition in each county or combination of
2 counties and shall encourage the strongest coalitions
3 obtainable. The School Readiness Coalitions shall replace the
4 district interagency coordinating councils. The coalitions
5 shall be comprised of not less than nine members, including
6 private-sector business leaders, local public and private
7 leaders in health care, education, disabilities, and child
8 welfare, individuals with strong demonstrated interest and
9 leadership, the Head Start program administrator,
10 representatives of the school district or districts, and
11 representatives of the existing central agencies for
12 subsidized child care, as well as parents who are or have been
13 parents of children in the programs, including parents of
14 children with disabilities. The coalitions are encouraged to
15 also include representatives from Healthy Start Coalitions,
16 child care licensing boards, local WAGES coalitions, municipal
17 and county governments, the County Public Health Unit, and
18 chambers of commerce. At least 30 percent of the members of
19 each coalition must be from the private sector. One School
20 Readiness Coalition shall be established in each county,
21 except that two or more counties may join together under a
22 School Readiness Coalition, but no more than one coalition may
23 be established in any county.
24 (b) Each School Readiness Coalition shall develop a
25 school readiness plan to be submitted to the School Readiness
26 Partnership for approval. The plan shall include a written
27 description of the role of each program in the coalition's
28 effort to meet the first state education goal, readiness to
29 start school, and a description of the coalition's plan to
30 involve prekindergarten early intervention programs, Head
31 Start programs, programs offered by public and private
17
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 providers of child care, preschool programs for children with
2 disabilities, programs for migrant children, Title I programs,
3 subsidized child care programs, and teenage parent programs.
4 The plan shall also demonstrate how each school readiness
5 program that serves 3-year-old and 4-year-old children will
6 schedule activities and instruction designed to prepare these
7 children to enter kindergarten ready to learn. Each school
8 readiness plan shall be reviewed and revised as necessary, by
9 the School Readiness Coalition in consultation with the
10 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., but not less
11 than every 3 years. Each coalition shall provide for the
12 following services as part of its school readiness plan:
13 1. Identification of existing public and private
14 school readiness program services, including services by
15 public and private employers; the development of a resource
16 file of those services; and a choice of settings and locations
17 to be offered to parents. School readiness plan services may
18 include family day care, public and private child care
19 programs, Head Start, prekindergarten early intervention
20 programs, services for children with developmental
21 disabilities, full-time and part-time programs, before-school
22 and after-school programs, vacation care programs, parent
23 education, the WAGES Program, and related family support
24 services. The resource file shall include, but not be limited
25 to:
26 a. Type of program.
27 b. Hours of service.
28 c. Ages of children served.
29 d. Number of children served.
30 e. Significant program information, including
31 participation requirements and performance measures.
18
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1 f. Fees and eligibility for services.
2 g. Availability of transportation.
3 2. Establishment of a referral process which responds
4 to parental need for information and which is provided with
5 full recognition of the confidentiality rights of parents.
6 Referrals may not be made to an unlicensed child care facility
7 or arrangement unless there is no requirement that the
8 facility or arrangement be licensed.
9 3. Maintenance of ongoing documentation of requests
10 for service tabulated through the internal referral process.
11 The following documentation of requests for service shall be
12 maintained by each School Readiness Coalition:
13 a. Number of calls and contacts to the School
14 Readiness Coalition by type of service requested.
15 b. Ages of children for whom service was requested.
16 c. Time category of child care requests for each
17 child.
18 d. Special time category, such as nights, weekends,
19 and swing shift.
20 e. Reason that the services are desired.
21 f. Name of the employer and primary focus of the
22 business.
23 4. Provision of technical assistance to existing and
24 potential providers of school readiness program services.
25 This assistance may include but is not limited to:
26 a. Information on initiating new school readiness
27 program services and program and budget development and
28 assistance in finding such information from other sources.
29 b. Information and resources which help current school
30 readiness program services providers to maximize their ability
31 to serve children and parents in their community.
19
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 c. Information and incentives which could help current
2 or planned school readiness program services offered by public
3 or private employers seeking to maximize their ability to
4 serve the children of their working parent employees in their
5 community, through contractual or other funding arrangements
6 with businesses.
7 5. A sliding fee scale, which is the same for all
8 programs, to be implemented and reflected in each program's
9 budget.
10 6. Assistance to families and employers in applying
11 for school readiness program subsidy, including but not
12 limited to funding sources derived from subsidized child care,
13 Head Start, prekindergarten early intervention programs,
14 Project Independence, private scholarships, and the federal
15 dependent care tax credit. Such assistance shall be designed
16 to ensure that coalition funds are expended in the manner and
17 for the purpose required by the funding source.
18 7. A reimbursement rate schedule that encompasses all
19 publicly funded school readiness programs and complies with
20 applicable state and federal laws and regulations. The
21 reimbursement rate schedule must include the projected number
22 of children to be served and must be submitted to the School
23 Readiness Partnership for approval. Informal child care
24 arrangements shall be reimbursed at not more than 50 percent
25 of the rate developed for family child care.
26 8. Assistance in negotiating discounts or other
27 special arrangements with program providers.
28 9. Annual provision to the Florida Partnership for
29 School Readiness, Inc., of the following information regarding
30 licensed and registered school readiness program facilities:
31 a. Type of program.
20
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1 b. Hours of service.
2 c. Ages of children served.
3 d. Fees and eligibility for services.
4 e. Performance and school readiness outcomes.
5
6 The coalition shall operate under the policy guidelines of the
7 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., and shall be
8 responsible for monitoring all providers' success in achieving
9 the performance standards and school readiness outcome
10 measures. No public funds shall be paid to a provider unless
11 the provider agrees to allow the coalition access to fulfill
12 its monitoring responsibilities.
13 (c) As part of its school readiness plan, each
14 coalition shall select and designate an entity with
15 demonstrated capacity in fiscal management to serve as fiscal
16 agent for receipt of block grant funding and to ensure that
17 coalition funds are expended in the manner and for the purpose
18 required by the funding source. The fiscal agent may be either
19 a for-profit or a not-for-profit private entity, or may be a
20 public entity that does not also serve as a provider of school
21 readiness programs; however, the School Readiness Partnership
22 may waive restrictions on a coalition's choice of fiscal agent
23 if the partnership determines that the coalition has selected
24 the best fiscal agent obtainable, and that, if the fiscal
25 agent is a provider of school readiness services, the fiscal
26 agent will keep its duties as a service provider totally
27 bifurcated from its duties as a fiscal agent. The fiscal agent
28 must be approved by the Florida Partnership for School
29 Readiness, Inc. The fiscal agent shall be required to provide
30 all direct funding services as determined by the coalition.
31 The cost of these services shall be negotiated between the
21
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 fiscal agent and the coalition.
2 (d) The coalition shall require its school readiness
3 plan to comply with the parental choice and payment
4 arrangement provisions of subsection (9).
5 (e) Each coalition shall assume responsibility for
6 recommending phasing out duplicative coordinating bodies,
7 increasing collaboration among service providers, coordinating
8 services for young children, increasing program quality and
9 accessibility, and providing a seamless service delivery
10 system with a true continuum of coordinated school readiness
11 program services, available to all eligible children under 6
12 years of age living in the county or counties.
13 (f)1. Funds appropriated for a county or counties for
14 the prekindergarten early intervention program, the subsidized
15 child care program, and other state funded school readiness
16 programs for preschool children may be transferred to the
17 county's or counties' School Readiness Coalition account in
18 the School Readiness Trust Fund for the purpose of block grant
19 funding to benefit the School Readiness Coalition in
20 implementing its school readiness plan. The coalition's
21 fiscal agent shall administer the coalition's trust fund
22 account. Additional funds, including state appropriated
23 incentive funds, may be placed in the trust fund for purposes
24 of this paragraph.
25 2. Each coalition shall be eligible to receive block
26 grant funding from its account in the School Readiness Trust
27 Fund and programmatic waiver authority if available,
28 conditioned on the submission of an approved school readiness
29 plan designed to increase the number of children ready to
30 succeed at the time of entry into kindergarten. The School
31 Readiness Partnership shall conduct an annual financial audit
22
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 of each coalition's block grant funding.
2 3. To increase school readiness, block grant funding
3 and programmatic waiver shall be used by the coalitions to
4 provide a developmentally appropriate education curriculum,
5 improve health outcomes, increase the availability and
6 accessibility of school readiness programs, and provide family
7 support and parent education and development services.
8 (7) INCENTIVES FOR SCHOOL READINESS PLANS.--
9 (a) Pursuant to subsection (8), School Readiness
10 Coalitions may receive coalition initiation grants to develop
11 school readiness plans, incentive funding for timely plan
12 approval, and block grant funding to implement approved plans
13 designed to enable a county or counties to achieve the
14 outcomes specified in subparagraph (6)(f)3. The plans must
15 reflect strategies and activities for achieving these outcomes
16 through enhancing the quality of school readiness program
17 services that are adequate and appropriate for the outcome
18 desired; increasing the level of services available so that
19 those children in need of identified services will have access
20 to such services; and creating incentives to integrate the
21 various systems of children's school readiness program
22 services so that all the systems work together as one to
23 achieve the identified outcomes.
24 (b) School readiness plans submitted by a School
25 Readiness Coalition are subject to review and approval by the
26 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.
27 (c) To determine county priorities for coordinated
28 school readiness programs, each plan submitted by a School
29 Readiness Coalition shall include:
30 1. An assessment of current public, private, and
31 charitable resources available within the county for children
23
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 from birth to 6 years of age.
2 2. An assessment of unmet school readiness program
3 needs for children from birth to 6 years of age.
4 3. An assessment of kindergarten readiness as
5 administered in the past by the school district or districts,
6 together with the plans, timeframes, and goals for the
7 administration of the new school readiness instrument or
8 instruments to be administered to children in the School
9 Readiness Coalition's programs by 3 1/2 years of age and by 4
10 1/2 years of age and to be administered to students in public
11 school kindergarten by the school district.
12 4. A method for school readiness program service
13 systems integration; demonstration of methods for achieving
14 the outcomes in subparagraph (6)(f)3.; demonstration of
15 methods for meeting the needs of particular subgroups of the
16 population, including migrant children, children with special
17 needs, and minorities; and methods for administering and
18 maintaining accountability in the integrated systems.
19 (d) School readiness plans submitted by a School
20 Readiness Coalition shall adhere to the minimum standards
21 established by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
22 Inc., and shall address improvements in the quality of current
23 and new programs, including but not limited to components for
24 providing developmentally appropriate curricula; small group
25 sizes; ratios; increased staff training; and lower staff
26 turnover rates. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the
27 contrary, minimum staff requirements and the ratio of direct
28 instructional staff to children shall be as provided in each
29 coalition's local plan as approved by the School Readiness
30 Partnership. Until such time as the coalition's local plan is
31 approved, such ratios and minimum staff requirements shall be
24
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 as provided by law.
2 (e) Additional areas to be given priority
3 consideration in any school readiness plan submitted by a
4 School Readiness Coalition include family involvement;
5 business and private sector involvement; implementation of a
6 single or simplified point of entry and a unified waiting list
7 for school readiness programs; provision of full-day,
8 full-year, and night services, where needed and appropriate;
9 and inclusion of children with disabilities.
10 (f) School Readiness Coalitions shall integrate
11 childhood health care, child care, and education systems in
12 their school readiness plans, starting with the systems that
13 are currently most involved in collaboration with each other
14 and consistent with local needs and priorities.
15 (8) COALITION INITIATION GRANTS; INCENTIVE BONUS;
16 BLOCK GRANT FUNDING.--
17 (a)1. School Readiness Coalitions that are formed by
18 October 1, 1998, and approved by the Florida Partnership for
19 School Readiness, Inc., by November 1, 1998, shall be eligible
20 for a $25,000 initiation grant to support the School Readiness
21 Coalition in developing its school readiness plan.
22 2. Upon approval by March 1, 1999, by the School
23 Readiness Partnership of any coalition's school readiness plan
24 that is submitted by January 15, 1999, and that shows
25 enhancement in the overall quality and standards of the school
26 readiness programs without diminishing the number of children
27 served in the programs, the School Readiness Partnership shall
28 award the coalition a cash incentive bonus on a per-student
29 served basis with a minimum amount of $50,000 for small
30 coalitions, subject to appropriation. Incentive funds shall be
31 made available within 30 days after plan approval.
25
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 (b) All School Readiness Coalitions that have their
2 school readiness plans approved by the Florida Partnership for
3 School Readiness, Inc., by July 1, 1999, shall receive school
4 readiness block grant funding beginning July 1, 1999, to begin
5 a phase-in implementation of their school readiness plans.
6 School readiness block grant funding for these coalitions
7 shall continue from year to year consistent with funding so
8 designated in the General Appropriations Act.
9 (c) Beginning in January 1999, the Florida Partnership
10 for School Readiness, Inc., shall issue a call for School
11 Readiness Coalitions every 6 months until School Readiness
12 Coalitions have been approved for all counties. Coalitions
13 submitting school readiness plans that are approved by the
14 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., shall be
15 eligible for block grant funding to implement their plans
16 beginning July 1 following plan approval. School readiness
17 block grant funding shall be made available contingent upon
18 approval of the school readiness plans and legislative
19 appropriations for this purpose. School readiness block grant
20 funding for the coalitions shall continue from year to year
21 consistent with funding so designated in the General
22 Appropriations Act.
23 (d) In fiscal year 2000-2001, and each year
24 thereafter, any increases in funding for the prekindergarten
25 early intervention program and the subsidized child care
26 program shall be administered through School Readiness
27 Coalitions, if the Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
28 Inc., approves this method of funding.
29 (9)(a) PARENTAL CHOICE; PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT.--The
30 school readiness plan shall be provided in a manner that
31 ensures, to the maximum extent possible, parental choice
26
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hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 through flexibility in school readiness program arrangements
2 and payment arrangements, including but not limited to
3 voucher, contract, and direct service provision. According to
4 federal regulations requiring parental choice, a parent may
5 choose an informal child care arrangement.
6 (b) When a voucher is provided, the voucher must bear
7 the name of the beneficiary and the program provider and, when
8 redeemed, must bear the signature of both the beneficiary and
9 an authorized representative of the provider. If it is
10 determined that a provider has provided any cash to the
11 beneficiary in return for receiving the voucher, the School
12 Readiness Coalition shall refer the matter to the Division of
13 Public Assistance Fraud of the the Office of the Auditor
14 General for investigation and shall notify the agency
15 responsible for the funding source.
16 (c) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
17 Inc., in consultation with the Department of Management
18 Services, shall establish an electronic disbursement system
19 for the dissemination of funds and vouchers in accordance with
20 this subsection. Fiscal agents shall fully implement the
21 electronic disbursement system within 3 years after approval
22 of the school readiness plan unless a waiver is obtained from
23 the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc. The fiscal
24 agent may charge an administrative fee not to exceed 1 percent
25 of each voucher to offset administrative costs of the school
26 readiness program.
27 (10) EVALUATION AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES.--
28 (a) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
29 Inc., shall design the evaluation and performance measures to
30 track the effectiveness of the new school readiness block
31 grant funding and other funding in meeting the goals of
27
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hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 increasing the quality and accessibility of school readiness
2 program services. The performance standards and measurable
3 outcomes established and regularly reviewed by the Florida
4 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., under this subsection
5 must also include benchmarks and goals to measure the impact
6 of state school readiness policies and programs. Evaluation
7 and performance measures must accommodate the programmatic
8 flexibility of parental choice settings among School Readiness
9 Coalition providers, including but not limited to settings and
10 locations in licensed, registered, religious-exempt,
11 church-sponsored, school-based, or relative care programs.
12 (b) Each School Readiness Coalition shall require that
13 all school readiness programs that screen children for school
14 readiness utilize the school readiness screening instruments
15 developed by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
16 Inc., to accurately reflect school readiness as the primary
17 measure of performance.
18 (c) All publicly funded school readiness programs
19 within a School Readiness Coalition's plan must meet the
20 following performance standards and outcome measures developed
21 by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.:
22 1. They must help prepare preschool children to enter
23 kindergarten ready to learn, as measured by criteria
24 established by the School Readiness Partnership.
25 2. They must provide extended-day and extended-year
26 services to the maximum extent possible.
27 3. There must be coordinated staff development and
28 teaching opportunities.
29 4. There must be expanded access to community services
30 and resources for families to help achieve economic
31 self-sufficiency.
28
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 5. There must be a single or simplified point of entry
2 and unified waiting list.
3 6. If funding remains constant, they must serve at
4 least as many children as were served prior to implementation
5 of the program.
6 (d) All participating publicly funded school readiness
7 programs must implement a comprehensive program of children
8 and family services that enhance the cognitive and physical
9 development of children to achieve the performance standards
10 and outcome measures specified in paragraph (c). At a minimum,
11 these programs must contain the following elements:
12 1. Developmentally appropriate curriculum.
13 2. An appropriate staff-to-child ratio.
14 3. A healthy and safe environment.
15 4. A resource and referral network to assist parents
16 in making an informed choice.
17 (e) The School Readiness Governing Board shall report
18 to the Legislature on the implementation and performance of
19 the School Readiness Coalitions by March 1 of each year.
20 (11) RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS
21 SECTION.--The appointive members of the Florida Partnership
22 for School Readiness, Inc., shall be selected no later than
23 June 15, 1998, and the staff of the School Readiness
24 Partnership shall be selected and in place no later than July
25 15, 1998. The first full meeting of the Florida Partnership
26 for School Readiness, Inc., shall be held no later than August
27 1, 1998.
28 (12) PHASE-OUT OF STATE COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR EARLY
29 CHILDHOOD SERVICES.--By December 31, 1998, the State
30 Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Services shall submit
31 a final report of recommendations regarding early childhood
29
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 health care, child care, and education programs to the School
2 Readiness Governing Board. The State Coordinating Council for
3 Early Childhood Services shall cease to exist after December
4 31, 1998.
5 Section 4. Section 411.02, Florida Statutes, is
6 created to read:
7 411.02 School Readiness Appropriation Allocation
8 Conference.--Prior to the distribution of any funds pursuant
9 to s. 411.01(8)(b) or (c), the School Readiness Governing
10 Board shall conduct a School Readiness Appropriation
11 Allocation Conference. Conference principals shall include
12 representatives of the Florida Partnership for School
13 Readiness, Inc., the Department of Education, the Department
14 of Children and Family Services, the Executive Office of the
15 Governor, the Director of Economic and Demographic Research,
16 and the applicable appropriations committees of the Senate and
17 the House of Representatives. Conference principals shall
18 discuss the forecasts of numbers of children needing school
19 readiness programs as determined by the School Readiness
20 Program Estimating Conference and participate in a joint
21 effort to develop budget allocation proposals that maximize
22 the legislative intent of the School Readiness Act and ensure
23 that the requirements of the funding sources are met.
24 Section 5. Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section
25 216.136, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (11) is
26 added to said section, to read:
27 216.136 Consensus estimating conferences; duties and
28 principals.--
29 (6) SOCIAL SERVICES ESTIMATING CONFERENCE.--
30 (a) Duties.--
31 1. The Social Services Estimating Conference shall
30
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 develop such official information relating to the social
2 services system of the state, including forecasts of social
3 services caseloads, as the conference determines is needed for
4 the state planning and budgeting system. Such official
5 information shall include, but not be limited to, subsidized
6 child care caseloads mandated by the Family Support Act of
7 1988.
8 2. In addition, the Social Services Estimating
9 Conference shall develop estimates and forecasts of the
10 unduplicated count of children eligible for subsidized child
11 care as defined in s. 402.3015(1). These estimates and
12 forecasts shall not include children enrolled in the
13 prekindergarten early intervention program established in s.
14 230.2305.
15 3. The Department of Health and Rehabilitative
16 Services and the Department of Education shall provide
17 information on caseloads and waiting lists for the subsidized
18 child care and prekindergarten early intervention programs
19 requested by the Social Services Estimating Conference or
20 individual conference principals, in a timely manner.
21 (11) SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM ESTIMATING CONFERENCE.--
22 (a) Duties.--
23 1. The School Readiness Program Estimating Conference
24 shall develop such official information relating to the
25 state's system of school readiness program services as
26 described in s. 411.01, including forecasts of school
27 readiness program needs and eligibility, as the conference
28 determines is needed for the state planning and budgeting
29 system. Such official information shall include but not be
30 limited to subsidized child care, Head Start, prekindergarten
31 early intervention, prekindergarten disabilities, Even-Start
31
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 literacy, First Start, migrant prekindergarten, and Title I
2 prekindergarten needs and eligibility.
3 2. The School Readiness Program Estimating Conference
4 shall develop estimates and forecasts of the unduplicated
5 count of children eligible in each county for school readiness
6 program services pursuant to s. 411.01.
7 3. The Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.,
8 shall provide information on needs and waiting lists for
9 school readiness program services requested by the School
10 Readiness Program Estimating Conference or individual
11 conference principals, in a timely manner.
12 (b) Principals.--The Executive Office of the Governor,
13 the Director of Economic and Demographic Research, and
14 professional staff, who have forecasting expertise, from the
15 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., the Department
16 of Children and Family Services, the Department of Education,
17 the Senate, and the House of Representatives, or their
18 designees, are the principals of the School Readiness Program
19 Education Estimating Conference. The principal representing
20 the Executive Office of the Governor shall preside over
21 sessions of the conference.
22 Section 6. Section 411.05, Florida Statutes, is
23 created to read:
24 411.05 School readiness screening instruments.--The
25 Department of Education shall adopt the school readiness
26 screening instruments developed by the Florida Partnership for
27 School Readiness, Inc., and shall require that:
28 (1) All school districts administer the kindergarten
29 screening instrument to each kindergarten student in the
30 district school system.
31 (2) All school districts that operate preschool
32
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 programs administer the age-appropriate screening instrument
2 to each preschool student in the district's preschool
3 programs.
4 Section 7. Section 411.06, Florida Statutes, is
5 created to read:
6 411.06 Florida Parents as Teachers Program.--
7 (1) The Legislature recognizes that the nationwide
8 Parents as Teachers Program has demonstrated that it is a
9 cost-effective program that produces outstanding results and
10 long-term cost savings. There is established the Florida
11 Parents as Teachers Program under the jurisdiction of the
12 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., which shall
13 make funding for the program available to each School
14 Readiness Coalition.
15 (2) The purposes of the Florida Parents as Teachers
16 Program are:
17 (a) To provide parents with the latest information on
18 child development from birth to 6 years of age and suggest
19 learning opportunities, based on the latest brain development
20 research, that encourage language and intellectual growth and
21 the development of physical and social skills.
22 (b) To assist in providing all families within the
23 jurisdiction of the School Readiness Coalition with the
24 opportunity to have their children screened for school
25 readiness by 3 1/2 years of age and again by 4 1/2 years of
26 age.
27 (3) The Florida Parents as Teachers Program shall
28 include personalized home visits by certified parent educators
29 trained in child development, to help parents understand what
30 to expect during each stage of their child's development and
31 to offer practical tips on how to encourage learning, manage
33
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1 behavior, and promote strong parent-child relationships. The
2 program shall also include group meetings, periodic
3 screenings, a resource network, and followup studies,
4 including tracking the school readiness screenings
5 administered after the child is in kindergarten, to measure
6 school readiness outcomes.
7 Section 8. Section 402.281, Florida Statutes, is
8 renumbered as section 411.08, Florida Statutes, and
9 subsections (1) and (3) of said section are amended to read:
10 411.08 402.281 Gold Seal Quality Care program.--
11 (1) As part of the Gold Seal Quality Care program, the
12 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., department
13 shall develop a three-tiered quality rating system for school
14 readiness program subsidized child care providers, with the
15 highest quality rating given to qualified child care providers
16 who receive the Gold Seal Quality Care designation pursuant to
17 this section.
18 (3) In developing the Gold Seal Quality Care program
19 standards, the department shall consult with the Department of
20 Education, the Florida Head Start Directors Association, the
21 Florida Association of Child Care Management, the Florida
22 Family Day Care Association, the Florida Children's Forum, the
23 State Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Services, the
24 Early Childhood Association of Florida, the National
25 Association for Child Development Education, providers
26 receiving exemptions under s. 402.316, and parents, for the
27 purpose of approving the accrediting associations.
28 Section 9. Subsections (4) through (20) of section
29 411.202, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (5)
30 through (21), respectively, present subsection (21) is
31 repealed, paragraph (k) of present subsection (9) is amended,
34
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Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 and a new subsection (4) is added to said section, to read:
2 411.202 Definitions.--As used in this chapter, the
3 term:
4 (4) "Department" means the Department of Children and
5 Family Services.
6 (10)(9) "High-risk child" or "at-risk child" means a
7 preschool child with one or more of the following
8 characteristics:
9 (k) The child is a handicapped child as defined in
10 subsection (9) (7).
11 (21) "Strategic plan" means a report that analyzes
12 existing programs, services, resources, policy, and needs and
13 sets clear and consistent direction for programs and services
14 for high-risk pregnant women and for preschool children, with
15 emphasis on high-risk and handicapped children, by
16 establishing goals and child and family outcomes, and
17 strategies to meet them.
18 Section 10. Section 411.203, Florida Statutes, is
19 amended to read:
20 411.203 High-risk and handicapped; continuum of
21 comprehensive services.--The Department of Education and the
22 Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services shall utilize
23 the continuum of prevention and early assistance services for
24 high-risk pregnant women and for high-risk and handicapped
25 children and their families, as outlined in this section, as a
26 basis for the intraagency and interagency program
27 coordination, monitoring, and analysis required in this
28 chapter. A The continuum of comprehensive services shall be
29 the guide for the comprehensive statewide approach for
30 services for high-risk pregnant women and for high-risk and
31 handicapped children and their families, and may be expanded
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1 or reduced as necessary for the enhancement of those services.
2 Expansion or reduction of the continuum shall be determined by
3 intraagency or interagency findings and agreement, whichever
4 is applicable. Implementation of the continuum shall be based
5 upon applicable eligibility criteria, availability of
6 resources, and interagency prioritization when programs impact
7 both agencies, or upon single agency prioritization when
8 programs impact only one agency. The continuum shall include,
9 but not be limited to:
10 (1) EDUCATION AND AWARENESS.--
11 (a) Education of the public concerning, but not
12 limited to, the causes of handicapping conditions, normal and
13 abnormal child development, the benefits of abstinence from
14 sexual activity, and the consequences of teenage pregnancy.
15 (b) Education of professionals and paraprofessionals
16 concerning, but not limited to, the causes of handicapping
17 conditions, normal and abnormal child development, parenting
18 skills, the benefits of abstinence from sexual activity, and
19 the consequences of teenage pregnancy, through preservice and
20 inservice training, continuing education, and required
21 postsecondary coursework.
22 (2) INFORMATION AND REFERRAL.--
23 (a) Providing information about available services and
24 programs to families of high-risk and handicapped children.
25 (b) Providing information about service options and
26 providing technical assistance to aid families in the
27 decisionmaking process.
28 (c) Directing the family to appropriate services and
29 programs to meet identified needs.
30 (3) CASE MANAGEMENT.--
31 (a) Arranging and coordinating services and activities
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1 for high-risk pregnant women, and for high-risk children and
2 their families, with identified service providers.
3 (b) Providing appropriate casework services to
4 pregnant women and to high-risk children and their families.
5 (c) Advocating for pregnant women and for children and
6 their families.
7 (4) SUPPORT SERVICES PRIOR TO PREGNANCY.--
8 (a) Basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter.
9 (b) Health education.
10 (c) Family planning services, on a voluntary basis.
11 (d) Counseling to promote a healthy, stable, and
12 supportive family unit, to include, but not be limited to,
13 financial planning, stress management, and educational
14 planning.
15 (5) MATERNITY AND NEWBORN SERVICES.--
16 (a) Comprehensive prenatal care, accessible to all
17 pregnant women and provided for high-risk pregnant women.
18 (b) Adoption counseling for unmarried pregnant
19 teenagers.
20 (c) Nutrition services for high-risk pregnant women.
21 (d) Perinatal intensive care.
22 (e) Delivery services for high-risk pregnant women.
23 (f) Postpartum care.
24 (g) Nutrition services for lactating mothers of
25 high-risk children.
26 (h) A new mother information program at the birth
27 site, to provide an informational brochure about
28 immunizations, normal child development, abuse avoidance and
29 appropriate parenting strategies, family planning, and
30 community resources and support services for all parents of
31 newborns and to schedule Medicaid-eligible infants for a
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1 health checkup.
2 (i) Appropriate screenings, including to include, but
3 not be limited to, metabolic screening, sickle-cell screening,
4 hearing screening, developmental screening, and categorical
5 screening.
6 (j) Followup family planning services for high-risk
7 mothers and mothers of high-risk infants.
8 (6) HEALTH AND NUTRITION SERVICES FOR PRESCHOOL
9 CHILDREN.--
10 (a) Preventive health services for all preschool
11 children.
12 (b) Nutrition services for all preschool children,
13 including, but not limited to, the Child Care Food Program and
14 the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and
15 Children.
16 (c) Medical care for seriously medically impaired
17 preschool children.
18 (d) Cost-effective quality health care alternatives
19 for medically involved preschool children, in or near their
20 homes.
21 (7) EDUCATION, EARLY ASSISTANCE, AND RELATED SERVICES
22 FOR HIGH-RISK CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.--
23 (a) Early assistance, including, but not limited to,
24 developmental assistance programs, parent support and training
25 programs, and appropriate followup assistance services, for
26 handicapped and high-risk infants and their families.
27 (b) Special education and related services for
28 handicapped children.
29 (c) Education, early assistance, and related services
30 for high-risk children.
31 (8) SUPPORT SERVICES FOR ALL EXPECTANT PARENTS AND
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1 PARENTS OF HIGH-RISK CHILDREN.--
2 (a) Nonmedical prenatal and support services for
3 pregnant teenagers and other high-risk pregnant women.
4 (b) School readiness Child care and Early childhood
5 programs, including, but not limited to, the Florida Parents
6 as Teachers Program pursuant to s. 411.06, subsidized child
7 care, licensed nonsubsidized child care, family day care
8 homes, therapeutic child care, Head Start, and preschool
9 programs in public and private schools.
10 (c) Parent education and counseling, including the
11 Florida Parents as Teachers Program and the Healthy Families
12 Florida program.
13 (d) Transportation.
14 (e) Respite care, homemaker care, crisis management,
15 and other services that allow families of high-risk children
16 to maintain and provide quality care to their children at
17 home.
18 (f) Parent support groups, such as the community
19 resource mother or father program as established in s. 402.45,
20 the Florida First Start Program as established in s. 230.2303,
21 or parents as first teachers, to strengthen families and to
22 enable families of high-risk children to better meet their
23 needs.
24 (g) Utilization of the elderly, either as volunteers
25 or paid employees, to work with high-risk children.
26 (h) Utilization of high school and postsecondary
27 students as volunteers to work with high-risk children.
28 (9) MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES.--
29 (a) Resource information systems on services and
30 programs available for families.
31 (b) Registry of high-risk newborns and newborns with
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1 birth defects, which utilizes privacy safeguards for children
2 and parents who are subjects of the registry.
3 (c) Local registry of preschoolers with high-risk or
4 handicapping conditions, which utilizes privacy safeguards for
5 children and parents who are subjects of the registry.
6 (d) Information sharing system among the Florida
7 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., the Healthy Families
8 Florida program, the Department of Children and Family Health
9 and Rehabilitative Services, the Department of Education,
10 local education agencies, and other appropriate entities, on
11 children eligible for services. Information may be shared when
12 parental or guardian permission has been given for release.
13 (e) Well-baby insurance for preschoolers included in
14 the family policy coverage.
15 (f) Evaluation, to include:
16 1. Establishing child-centered and family-focused
17 goals and objectives for each element of the continuum.
18 2. Developing a system to report child and family
19 outcomes and program effectiveness for each element of the
20 continuum.
21 (g) Planning for continuation of services, to include:
22 1. Individual and family service plan by an
23 interdisciplinary team, for the transition from birth or the
24 earliest point of identification of a high-risk infant or
25 toddler into an early assistance, preschool program for
26 3-year-olds or 4-year-olds, or other appropriate programs.
27 2. Individual and family service plan by an
28 interdisciplinary team, for the transition of a high-risk
29 preschool child into a public or private school system.
30 Section 11. Section 411.24, Florida Statutes, is
31 amended to read:
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1 411.24 Short title.--Sections 411.24-411.243 This part
2 may be cited as the "Florida Education Now and Babies Later
3 (ENABL) Act."
4 Section 12. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
5 411.242, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
6 411.242 Florida Education Now and Babies Later (ENABL)
7 program.--
8 (3) ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS.--
9 (a) The ENABL program should be directed to geographic
10 areas in the state where the childhood birth rate is higher
11 than the state average and where the children and their
12 families are in greatest need because of an unfavorable
13 combination of economic, social, environmental, and health
14 factors, including, without limitation, extensive poverty,
15 high crime rate, great incidence of low birthweight babies,
16 high incidence of alcohol and drug abuse, and high rates of
17 childhood pregnancy. The selection of a geographic site shall
18 also consider the incidence of young children within these
19 at-risk geographic areas who are cocaine babies, children of
20 mothers who participate in the WAGES Program, children of
21 teenage parents, low birthweight babies, and very young foster
22 children. To receive funding under this section, a
23 community-based local contractor must demonstrate:
24 1. Its capacity to administer and coordinate the ENABL
25 pregnancy prevention public education program and services for
26 children and their families in a comprehensive manner and to
27 provide a flexible range of age-appropriate educational
28 services.
29 2. Its capacity to identify and serve those children
30 least able to access existing pregnancy prevention public
31 education programs.
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1 3. Its capacity to administer and coordinate the ENABL
2 programs and services in an intensive and continuous manner.
3 4. The proximity of its program to young children,
4 parents, and other family members to be served by the ENABL
5 program, or its ability to provide offsite educational
6 services.
7 5. Its ability to incorporate existing federal, state,
8 and local governmental educational programs and services in
9 implementing the ENABL program.
10 6. Its ability to coordinate its activities and
11 educational services with school readiness plans and existing
12 public and private state and local agencies and programs, such
13 as those responsible for health, education, social support,
14 mental health, child care, respite care, housing,
15 transportation, alcohol and drug abuse treatment and
16 prevention, income assistance, employment training and
17 placement, nutrition, and other relevant services, all of the
18 foregoing intended to assist children and families at risk.
19 7. How its plan will involve project participants and
20 community representatives in the planning and operation of the
21 ENABL program.
22 8. Its ability to participate in the evaluation
23 component required in this section.
24 9. Its consistency with the strategic plan pursuant to
25 s. 411.221.
26 9.10. Its capacity to match state funding for the
27 ENABL program at the rate of $1 in cash or in matching
28 services for each dollar funded by the state.
29 Section 13. Effective July 1, 1999, section 402.305,
30 Florida Statutes, is renumbered as section 411.305, Florida
31 Statutes, and paragraph (d) of subsection (2) and subsection
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1 (17) are amended to read:
2 411.305 402.305 Licensing standards; child care
3 facilities.--
4 (2) PERSONNEL.--Minimum standards for child care
5 personnel shall include minimum requirements as to:
6 (d) Minimum staff training requirements.
7 1. Such minimum standards for training shall ensure
8 that all child care personnel and operators of family day care
9 homes serving at-risk children in a subsidized child care
10 program pursuant to s. 411.3015 402.3015 take an approved
11 30-clock-hour introductory course in child care, which course
12 covers at least the following topic areas:
13 a. State and local rules and regulations which govern
14 child care.
15 b. Health, safety, and nutrition.
16 c. Identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect.
17 d. Child development, including typical and atypical
18 language, cognitive, motor, social, and self-help skills
19 development.
20 e. Specialized areas, as determined by the department,
21 for owner-operators and child care personnel of a child care
22 facility.
23
24 Within 90 days of employment, child care personnel shall begin
25 training to meet the training requirements and shall complete
26 such training within 1 year of the date on which the training
27 began. Exemption from all or a portion of the required
28 training shall be granted to child care personnel based upon
29 educational credentials or passage of competency examinations.
30 2. The introductory course in child care shall stress,
31 to the extent possible, an interdisciplinary approach to the
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1 study of children.
2 3. On an annual basis in order to further their child
3 care skills and, if appropriate, administrative skills, child
4 care personnel who have fulfilled the requirements for the
5 child care training shall be required to take an additional
6 approved 8 clock hours of inservice training or an equivalent
7 as determined by the department.
8 4. Procedures for ensuring the training of qualified
9 child care professionals to provide training of child care
10 personnel, including onsite training, shall be included in the
11 minimum standards. It is recommended that the state community
12 child care coordination agencies (central agencies) be
13 contracted by the department to coordinate such training when
14 possible. Other district educational resources, such as
15 community colleges and vocational-technical programs, can be
16 designated in such areas where central agencies may not exist
17 or are determined not to have the capability to meet the
18 coordination requirements set forth by the department.
19 5. Training requirements shall not apply to certain
20 occasional or part-time support staff, including, but not
21 limited to, swimming instructors, piano teachers, dance
22 instructors, and gymnastics instructors.
23 6. The Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.
24 State Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Services, in
25 coordination with the department, shall evaluate or contract
26 for an evaluation for the general purpose of determining the
27 status of and means to improve staff training requirements and
28 testing procedures. The evaluation shall be completed by
29 October 1, 1992, and conducted every 2 years thereafter. The
30 evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, determining
31 the availability, quality, scope, and sources of current staff
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1 training; determining the need for specialty training; and
2 determining ways to increase inservice training and ways to
3 increase the accessibility, quality, and cost-effectiveness of
4 current and proposed staff training. The evaluation
5 methodology shall include a reliable and valid survey of child
6 care personnel.
7 7. The child care operator shall be required to take
8 basic training in serving children with disabilities within 5
9 years after employment, either as a part of the introductory
10 training or the annual 8 hours of inservice training.
11 (17) CHILD CARE TECHNICAL REVIEW PANEL.--There is
12 hereby created a child care technical review panel, appointed
13 by the Chair of the State Coordinating Council for Early
14 Childhood Services, established by s. 411.222, to develop
15 recommendations for inclusion, unedited, in the State
16 Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Services annual
17 report as required by s. 411.222(4)(f), and provide technical
18 assistance to the department for the adoption of rules for
19 licensing child care facilities in accordance with the minimum
20 standards established in this section. The review panel must
21 consist of seven members, five of whom must be:
22 (a) An owner or operator of a subsidized child care
23 facility;
24 (b) An owner or operator of a proprietary child care
25 facility;
26 (c) An owner or operator of a licensed church child
27 care facility;
28 (d) A child care provider that has attained a child
29 development associate credential; and
30 (e) A child care provider that has attained a child
31 care professional credential.
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1
2 The initial technical review panel members must be appointed
3 by October 1, 1992, for a term of 3 years. No member shall
4 serve more than two consecutive terms.
5 Section 14. Effective July 1, 1999, section 402.3052,
6 Florida Statutes, is renumbered as section 411.3052, Florida
7 Statutes, and subsection (1) is amended to read:
8 411.3052 402.3052 Child development associate training
9 grants program.--
10 (1) There is hereby created the child development
11 associate training grants program within the department.
12 (a) The purpose of the child development associate
13 training grants program is to provide child care personnel who
14 work in a licensed child care facility or public or and
15 nonpublic preschool program for children 5 years of age or
16 under an opportunity to receive a child development associate
17 credential, or its equivalent, and to receive other training
18 to enhance their skills. The department shall administer the
19 program in consultation with the Florida Partnership for
20 School Readiness, Inc.
21 (b) The State Coordinating Council for Early Childhood
22 Services shall serve in an advisory capacity to the department
23 in the implementation of the training program.
24 Section 15. Paragraph (c) of subsection (9) of section
25 20.19, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
26 20.19 Department of Children and Family
27 Services.--There is created a Department of Children and
28 Family Services.
29 (9) DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR.--
30 (c) The duties of the district administrator include,
31 but are not limited to:
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1 1. Ensuring jointly with the health and human services
2 board that the administration of all service programs is
3 carried out in conformity with state and federal laws, rules,
4 and regulations, statewide service plans, and any other
5 policies, procedures, and guidelines established by the
6 secretary.
7 2. Administering the offices of the department within
8 the district and directing and coordinating all personnel,
9 facilities, and programs of the department located in that
10 district, except as otherwise provided herein.
11 3. Applying standard information, referral, intake,
12 diagnostic and evaluation, and case management procedures
13 established by the secretary. Such procedures shall include,
14 but are not limited to, a protective investigation system for
15 dependency programs serving abandoned, abused, and neglected
16 children.
17 4. Centralizing to the greatest extent possible the
18 administrative functions associated with the provision of
19 services of the department within the district.
20 5. Coordinating the services provided by the
21 department in the district with those of other districts, with
22 the Secretary of Juvenile Justice, the district juvenile
23 justice manager, and public and private agencies that provide
24 health, social, educational, or rehabilitative services within
25 the district. Such coordination of services includes
26 cooperation with the Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
27 Inc., and the School Readiness Coalitions superintendent of
28 each school district in the department's service district to
29 achieve the first state education goal, readiness to start
30 school.
31 6. Except as otherwise provided in this section,
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1 appointing all personnel within the district. The district
2 administrator and the secretary shall jointly appoint the
3 superintendent of each institution under the jurisdiction of
4 the department within the district.
5 7. Establishing, with the approval of the health and
6 human services board, such policies and procedures as may be
7 required to discharge his or her duties and implement and
8 conform the policies, procedures, and guidelines established
9 by the secretary to the needs of the district.
10 8. Transferring up to 10 percent of the total district
11 budget, with the approval of the secretary, to maximize
12 effective program delivery, the provisions of ss. 216.292 and
13 216.351 notwithstanding.
14 Section 16. Effective July 1, 1999, paragraph (a) of
15 subsection (3) of section 229.591, Florida Statutes, is
16 amended to read:
17 229.591 Comprehensive revision of Florida's system of
18 school improvement and education accountability.--
19 (3) EDUCATION GOALS.--The state as a whole shall work
20 toward the following goals:
21 (a) Readiness to start school.--Communities and
22 schools cooperate with School Readiness Coalitions and the
23 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., collaborate to
24 prepare children and families for children's success in
25 school.
26 Section 17. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
27 414.026, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
28 414.026 WAGES Program State Board of Directors.--
29 (2)(a) The board of directors shall be composed of the
30 following members:
31 1. The Commissioner of Education, or the
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1 commissioner's designee.
2 2. The Secretary of Children and Family Services.
3 3. The Secretary of Health.
4 4. The Secretary of Labor and Employment Security.
5 5. The Secretary of Community Affairs.
6 6. The chair of the governing board of the Florida
7 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.
8 7.6. The director of the Office of Tourism, Trade, and
9 Economic Development.
10 8.7. The president of the Enterprise Florida workforce
11 development board, established under s. 288.9620.
12 9.8. The chief executive officer of the Florida
13 Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, established under s.
14 288.1226.
15 10.9. Nine members appointed by the Governor, as
16 follows:
17 a. Six members shall be appointed from a list of ten
18 nominees, of which five must be submitted by the President of
19 the Senate and five must be submitted by the Speaker of the
20 House of Representatives. The list of five nominees submitted
21 by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
22 Representatives must each contain at least three individuals
23 employed in the private sector, two of whom must have
24 management experience. One of the five nominees submitted by
25 the President of the Senate and one of the five nominees
26 submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives must
27 be an elected local government official who shall serve as an
28 ex officio nonvoting member.
29 b. Three members shall be at-large members appointed
30 by the Governor.
31 c. Of the nine members appointed by the Governor, at
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1 least six must be employed in the private sector and of these,
2 at least five must have management experience.
3
4 The members appointed by the Governor shall be appointed to
5 4-year, staggered terms. Within 60 days after a vacancy occurs
6 on the board, the Governor shall fill the vacancy of a member
7 appointed from the nominees submitted by the President of the
8 Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the
9 remainder of the unexpired term from one nominee submitted by
10 the President of the Senate and one nominee submitted by the
11 Speaker of the House of Representatives. Within 60 days after
12 a vacancy of a member appointed at-large by the Governor
13 occurs on the board, the Governor shall fill the vacancy for
14 the remainder of the unexpired term. The composition of the
15 board must generally reflect the racial, gender, and ethnic
16 diversity of the state as a whole.
17 Section 18. Subsection (2) of section 624.91, Florida
18 Statutes, is amended to read:
19 624.91 The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act.--
20 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The Legislature finds that
21 increased access to health care services could improve
22 children's health and reduce the incidence and costs of
23 childhood illness and disabilities among children in this
24 state. Many children do not have preventive services
25 available or funded, and for those who do, lack of access is a
26 restriction to getting service. It is the intent of the
27 Legislature that a nonprofit corporation be organized to
28 facilitate a program to bring preventive health care services
29 to children, if necessary through the use of school facilities
30 in this state when more appropriate sites are unavailable, and
31 to provide comprehensive health insurance coverage to such
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1 children. A goal for the corporation is to cooperate with any
2 existing preventive service programs funded by the public or
3 the private sector and to work cooperatively with the Florida
4 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.
5 Section 19. The Department of Children and Family
6 Services shall contract with a private nonprofit corporation
7 to implement the Healthy Families Florida program. The private
8 nonprofit corporation shall be incorporated for the purpose of
9 identifying, funding, supporting, and evaluating programs and
10 community initiatives to improve the development and life
11 outcomes of children and to preserve and strengthen families
12 with a primary emphasis on prevention. The private nonprofit
13 corporation shall implement the program. The program shall
14 work in partnership with existing community-based home
15 visitation and family support resources to provide assistance
16 to families in an effort to prevent child abuse. The program
17 shall be voluntary for participants and shall require the
18 informed consent of the participants at the initial contact.
19 The Kempe Family Stress Checklist shall not be used.
20 Section 20. Subsection (1) of section 228.061, Florida
21 Statutes, and sections 230.2306, 391.304, 402.26, 402.28,
22 411.201, 411.204, 411.205, 411.22, 411.221, 411.223, 411.224,
23 411.23, 411.231, and 411.232, Florida Statutes, are repealed.
24 Section 21. Effective July 1, 1999, sections 402.47
25 and 411.222, Florida Statutes, and subsection (9) of section
26 411.3015, Florida Statutes, are repealed.
27 Section 22. (1) Sections 402.301, 402.3015, 402.302,
28 402.3025, 402.3026, 402.3051, 402.3055, 402.3057, 402.3058,
29 402.306, 402.307, 402.308, 402.309, 402.310, 402.311, 402.312,
30 402.3125, 402.313, 402.3135, 402.314, 402.3145, 402.315,
31 402.316, 402.318, 402.319, and 402.45, Florida Statutes, are
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1 renumbered as sections 411.301, 411.3015, 411.302, 411.3025,
2 411.3026, 411.3051, 411.3055, 411.3057, 411.3058, 411.306,
3 411.307, 411.308, 411.309, 411.310, 411.311, 411.312,
4 411.3125, 411.313, 411.3135, 411.314, 411.3145, 411.315,
5 411.316, 411.318, 411.319, and 411.45, Florida Statutes,
6 respectively.
7 (2) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
8 Inc., shall examine sections 411.301, 411.3015, 411.302,
9 411.3025, 411.3026, 411.305, 411.3051, 411.3052, 411.3055,
10 411.306, 411.307, 411.308, 411.309, 411.310, 411.311, 411.312,
11 411.3125, 411.313, 411.3135, 411.314, 411.3145, 411.315,
12 411.316, 411.318, 411.319, 411.33, 411.45, and 409.178,
13 Florida Statutes, and shall recommend to the Legislature no
14 later then March 1, 2000, amendments that reflect the intent
15 of this act. Specifically, all statutes relating to licensure
16 and program standards shall reflect the new school readiness
17 component requirements, protect health, safety, and sanitation
18 requirements of children, and provide for the highest quality
19 program with the least governmental intrusion possible. The
20 Legislature shall review such recommendations during the 2000
21 Regular Session.
22 Section 23. The Florida Partnership for School
23 Readiness, Inc., shall examine ss. 230.2303, 230.2305, and
24 402.27, Florida Statutes, and shall recommend to the
25 Legislature no later than March 1, 1999, amendments that
26 reflect the intent of this act. Specifically, the partnership
27 shall review how best to incorporate the Florida First Start
28 Program and the prekindergarten early intervention program
29 into the school readiness plans and how best to coordinate
30 resource and referral functions, in order to provide the
31 highest quality services to parents and promote the greatest
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 support from the private sector.
2 Section 24. There is hereby appropriated from the
3 General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to be
4 deposited in the School Readiness Trust Fund, as administered
5 by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., for
6 fiscal year 1998-1999, the sum of $1,675,000 for the purpose
7 of implementing s. 411.01(8)(a), Florida Statutes, as created
8 by this act. After November 1, 1998, any sums remaining of
9 this amount shall be redirected and divided equally among the
10 coalitions approved by the School Readiness Partnership by
11 November 1, 1998.
12 Section 25. There is hereby appropriated from the
13 General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to be
14 deposited in the School Readiness Trust Fund, as administered
15 by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., for
16 fiscal year 1998-1999, the sum of $500,000 for the purpose of
17 implementing s. 411.06, Florida Statutes, as created by this
18 act.
19 Section 26. Effective July 1, 1998, there is hereby
20 appropriated to the Department of Children and Family Services
21 the sum of $10 million from tobacco settlement receipts
22 residing in the department's Grants and Donations Trust Fund
23 to implement section 19 of this act, relating to the Healthy
24 Families Florida program.
25 Section 27. The funds appropriated in Specific
26 Appropriation 8 of the 1998-1999 General Appropriations Act to
27 the Department of Education shall be allocated as follows:
28 (1) $97,000,328 shall be used to provide appropriate
29 preschool programs as authorized in s. 230.2305, Florida
30 Statutes. For 1998-1999, the minimum amount for each school
31 district shall be $65,000.
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 (2) $3,295,172 shall be used to continue the migrant
2 program for 3-year-old and 4-year-old children.
3 (3) $3 million shall be used to continue the Florida
4 First Start Program.
5 (4) $427,000 shall be used to assist the coordination
6 and delivery of early childhood education.
7 (5) $202,500 shall be used to support the Florida
8 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., and the School
9 Readiness Governing Board.
10 Section 28. Except as otherwise provided herein, this
11 act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
12
13
14 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ===============
15 And the title is amended as follows:
16 On page 27, line 29, through page 30, line 18, of the
17 amendment
18 remove: all of said lines
19
20 and insert in lieu thereof:
21 A bill to be entitled
22 An act relating to school readiness; creating
23 the "School Readiness Act of 1998; renaming ch.
24 411, F.S.; creating s. 411.01, F.S.; providing
25 legislative intent relating to early childhood
26 health care, child care, and education;
27 providing that early childhood health care,
28 child care, and education programs shall be
29 school readiness programs; defining publicly
30 funded early childhood education and child care
31 programs; creating the Florida Partnership for
54
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 School Readiness, Inc. (School Readiness
2 Partnership); creating the School Readiness
3 Governing Board to operate as the board of
4 directors of the School Readiness Partnership;
5 providing School Readiness Partnership and
6 governing board responsibilities and duties;
7 providing membership of the governing board and
8 meeting requirements; providing that the School
9 Readiness Partnership is subject to public
10 records and public meeting requirements;
11 providing for hiring of certain employees;
12 providing powers as a corporation; providing
13 for staff of the governing board and School
14 Readiness Partnership; requiring the School
15 Readiness Partnership to implement a school
16 readiness program meeting specified
17 requirements; requiring recommendations to
18 revise provision of services to children of
19 teenage parents; providing for establishment of
20 a School Readiness Coalition in each county or
21 combination of counties; requiring development
22 of a school readiness plan; specifying services
23 to be provided as part of coalition school
24 readiness plans; providing for designation and
25 approval of a fiscal agent; providing for the
26 transfer of funds; providing for coalition
27 initiation grants to develop school readiness
28 plans, incentive funding for timely plan
29 approval, and block grant funding to implement
30 such plans; providing for coalition
31 administration of certain funding; providing
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 for parental choice and payment arrangements;
2 providing for evaluation and performance
3 measures; providing responsibility for
4 implementation; providing for phase-out of the
5 State Coordinating Council for Early Childhood
6 Services; creating s. 411.02, F.S.; providing
7 for a School Readiness Appropriation Allocation
8 Conference; amending s. 216.136, F.S.; creating
9 the School Readiness Program Estimating
10 Conference; providing duties and principals;
11 conforming provisions; creating s. 411.05,
12 F.S.; requiring the Department of Education to
13 adopt the school readiness screening
14 instruments developed by the School Readiness
15 Partnership and to require their use by the
16 school districts; creating s. 411.06, F.S.;
17 recognizing the nationwide Parents as Teachers
18 Program; establishing the Florida Parents as
19 Teachers Program under the jurisdiction of the
20 School Readiness Partnership; providing program
21 requirements; amending and renumbering s.
22 402.281, F.S., relating to the Gold Seal
23 Quality Care program; providing duties of the
24 School Readiness Partnership; amending s.
25 411.202, F.S.; revising definitions; amending
26 s. 411.203, F.S.; revising provisions relating
27 to a continuum of comprehensive services;
28 amending ss. 411.24 and 411.242, F.S., to
29 conform; amending and renumbering s. 402.305,
30 F.S., relating to licensing standards for child
31 care facilities; providing duties of the School
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 Readiness Partnership; removing provisions
2 relating to a child care technical review
3 panel; amending and renumbering s. 402.3052,
4 F.S., relating to child development associate
5 training grants; providing for consultation
6 with the School Readiness Partnership; amending
7 s. 20.19, F.S., relating to the Department of
8 Children and Family Services; requiring
9 cooperation with the School Readiness
10 Partnership and School Readiness Coalitions;
11 amending s. 229.591, F.S., relating to the
12 school improvement and education accountability
13 system; conforming school readiness goals;
14 amending s. 414.026, F.S.; adding the chair of
15 the School Readiness Governing Board to the
16 WAGES Program State Board of Directors;
17 amending s. 624.91, F.S., relating to the
18 "Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act";
19 providing a goal to work cooperatively with the
20 School Readiness Partnership; requiring the
21 Department of Children and Family Services to
22 contract with a private nonprofit corporation
23 to implement the Healthy Families Florida
24 program; repealing s. 228.061(1), F.S.,
25 relating to preschool programs, s. 230.2306,
26 F.S., relating to prekindergarten children
27 service needs assessments and accommodation
28 efforts by school districts, s. 391.304, F.S.,
29 relating to coordination of the developmental
30 evaluation and intervention program, s. 402.26,
31 F.S., relating to legislative intent with
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 respect to child care, s. 402.28, F.S.,
2 relating to Child Care Plus facilities, s.
3 411.201, F.S., the short title for the Florida
4 Prevention, Early Assistance, and Early
5 Childhood Act, s. 411.204, F.S., relating to
6 program evaluation under the act, s. 411.205,
7 F.S., relating to rules, s. 411.22, F.S.,
8 relating to legislative intent with respect to
9 prevention and early assistance, s. 411.221,
10 F.S., relating to preparation of the prevention
11 and early assistance strategic plan, s.
12 411.223, F.S., relating to uniform standards
13 for preventive health care, s. 411.224, F.S.,
14 relating to the family support planning
15 process, and ss. 411.23, 411.231, and 411.232,
16 F.S., the Children's Early Investment Act;
17 repealing s. 402.47, F.S., relating to foster
18 grandparent and retired senior volunteer
19 services to high-risk and handicapped children,
20 s. 411.222, F.S., relating to the Offices of
21 Prevention, Early Assistance, and Child
22 Development and the State Coordinating Council
23 for Early Childhood Services and their duties,
24 and s. 411.3015(9), F.S., relating to
25 collaborative agreements and plans with respect
26 to subsidized child care programs, effective
27 July 1, 1999; renumbering ss. 402.301,
28 402.3015, 402.302, 402.3025, 402.3026,
29 402.3051, 402.3055, 402.3057, 402.3058,
30 402.306, 402.307, 402.308, 402,309, 402.310,
31 402.311, 402.312, 402.3125, 402.313, 402.3135,
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 402.314, 402.3145, 402.315, 402.316, 402.318,
2 402.319, and 402.45, F.S.; requiring amendment
3 recommendations regarding s. 411.301, F.S.,
4 relating to legislative intent with respect to
5 child care facilities, s. 411.3015, F.S.,
6 relating to the subsidized child care program,
7 s. 411.302, F.S., relating to definitions, s.
8 411.3025, F.S., relating to public and
9 nonpublic schools in relation to child care
10 requirements, s. 411.3026, F.S., relating to
11 establishment of full-service schools, s.
12 411.305, F.S., relating to licensing standards
13 for child care facilities, s. 411.3051, F.S.,
14 relating to child care market rate
15 reimbursement and grants, s. 411.3052, F.S.,
16 relating to the child development associate
17 training grants program, s. 411.3055, F.S.,
18 relating to child care personnel requirements,
19 s. 411.306, F.S., relating to designation of
20 the licensing agency and dissemination of
21 information, s. 411.307, F.S., relating to
22 approval of the licensing agency, s. 411.308,
23 F.S., relating to issuance of a license, s.
24 411.309, F.S., relating to provisional
25 licenses, s. 411.310, F.S., relating to
26 disciplinary actions, s. 411.311, F.S.,
27 relating to inspection of facilities, s.
28 411.312, F.S., relating to injunctive relief,
29 s. 411.3125, F.S., relating to display and
30 appearance of license, s. 411.313, F.S.,
31 relating to family day care homes, s. 411.3135,
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 F.S., relating to the subsidized child care
2 case management program, s. 411.314, F.S.,
3 relating to supportive services, s. 411.3145,
4 F.S., relating to the subsidized child care
5 transportation program, s. 411.315, F.S.,
6 relating to funding and license fees, s.
7 411.316, F.S., relating to exemptions, s.
8 411.318, F.S., relating to prohibited
9 advertisement, s. 411.319, F.S., relating to
10 penalties, s. 411.33, F.S., relating to
11 authority to charge fees, s. 411.45, F.S.,
12 relating to the community resource mother or
13 father program, and s. 409.178, F.S., relating
14 to the Child Care Partnership Act, by March 1,
15 2000; requiring legislative review of such
16 recommendations; requiring review of ss.
17 230.2303, 230.2305, and 402.27, F.S., by March
18 1, 1999, and recommendation to the Legislature
19 regarding optimal coordination of Florida First
20 Start Program, the prekindergarten early
21 intervention program, and resource and referral
22 functions; providing appropriations; providing
23 for the allocation of certain funds
24 appropriated in the 1998-1999 General
25 Appropriations Act; providing effective dates.
26
27 WHEREAS, the bridge to opportunity for every child must
28 be anchored in a healthy body and a healthy mind and must lead
29 to the child's readiness to learn in school, and
30 WHEREAS, it is widely acknowledged that entering school
31 ready to learn is crucial to a child's success both in school
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HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 and in life, and
2 WHEREAS, the state's system of public education could
3 better perform its mission of educating its K-12 students if
4 more students enter school healthy and ready to learn, and
5 WHEREAS, as emphasized by the Governor, the President
6 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
7 Representatives, a child's health in both body and mind is
8 essential to the child's ability to learn, and
9 WHEREAS, we can make great strides to improve school
10 readiness by addressing child care, child health, and school
11 readiness education in one single, accountable continuum, NOW,
12 THEREFORE,
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