Senate Bill sb1098
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1098
By Senators Dawson, Wasserman Schultz, Geller, Meek, Klein and
Holzendorf
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1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to school readiness; amending
3 s. 411.01, F.S., the "School Readiness Act";
4 providing that any copayments by parents of
5 children who participate in school readiness
6 programs are to be voluntary, rather than
7 mandatory; providing an effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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11 Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subsection (2), paragraph
12 (d) of subsection (5), subsection (6), and paragraph (f) of
13 subsection (9) of section 411.01, Florida Statutes, are
14 amended to read:
15 411.01 Florida Partnership for School Readiness;
16 school readiness coalitions.--
17 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--
18 (f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the
19 school readiness program coordinate and operate in conjunction
20 with the district school systems. However, it is also the
21 intent of the Legislature that the school readiness program
22 not be construed as part of the system of free public schools
23 but rather as a separate program for children under the age of
24 kindergarten eligibility, funded separately from the system of
25 free public schools, utilizing a mandatory sliding fee scale,
26 and providing an integrated and seamless system of school
27 readiness services for the state's birth-to-kindergarten
28 population.
29 (5) CREATION OF SCHOOL READINESS COALITIONS.--
30 (d) Implementation.--
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1098
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1 1. The school readiness program is to be phased in.
2 Until the coalition implements its plan, the county shall
3 continue to receive the services identified in subsection (3)
4 through the various agencies that would be responsible for
5 delivering those services under current law. Plan
6 implementation is subject to approval of the coalition and the
7 plan by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness.
8 2. Each school readiness coalition shall develop a
9 plan for implementing the school readiness program to meet the
10 requirements of this section and the performance standards and
11 outcome measures established by the partnership. The plan must
12 include a written description of the role of the program in
13 the coalition's effort to meet the first state education goal,
14 readiness to start school, including a description of the plan
15 to involve the prekindergarten early intervention programs,
16 Head Start Programs, programs offered by public or private
17 providers of child care, preschool programs for children with
18 disabilities, programs for migrant children, Title I programs,
19 subsidized child care programs, and teen parent programs. The
20 plan must also demonstrate how the program will ensure that
21 each 3-year-old and 4-year-old child in a publicly funded
22 school readiness program receives scheduled activities and
23 instruction designed to prepare children to enter kindergarten
24 ready to learn. Prior to implementation of the program, the
25 school readiness coalition must submit the plan to the
26 partnership for approval. The partnership may approve the
27 plan, reject the plan, or approve the plan with conditions.
28 The plan shall be reviewed, revised, and approved biennially.
29 3. The plan for the school readiness program must
30 include the following minimum standards and provisions:
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1098
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1 a. A statement that the parents of eligible children
2 must not be required to make any copayment but are encouraged
3 to contribute to the program such amounts as are set forth in
4 a sliding fee scale establishing a voluntary copayment for
5 parents based upon their ability to pay, which is the same for
6 all program providers, to be implemented and reflected in each
7 program's budget.
8 b. A choice of settings and locations in licensed,
9 registered, religious-exempt, or school-based programs to be
10 provided to parents.
11 c. Instructional staff who have completed the training
12 course as required in s. 402.305(2)(d)1., as well as staff who
13 have additional training or credentials as required by the
14 respective program provider. The plan must provide a method
15 for assuring the qualifications of all personnel in all
16 program settings.
17 d. Specific eligibility priorities for children within
18 the coalition's county pursuant to subsection (6).
19 e. Performance standards and outcome measures
20 established by the partnership or alternatively, standards and
21 outcome measures to be used until such time as the partnership
22 adopts such standards and outcome measures.
23 f. Reimbursement rates that have been developed by the
24 coalition.
25 g. Systems support services, including a central
26 agency, child care resource and referral, eligibility
27 determinations, training of providers, and parent support and
28 involvement.
29 h. Direct enhancement services to families and
30 children. System support and direct enhancement services shall
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1098
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1 be in addition to payments for the placement of children in
2 school readiness programs.
3 i. A business plan, which must include the contract
4 with a school readiness agent if the coalition is not a
5 legally established corporate entity. Coalitions may contract
6 with other coalitions to achieve efficiency in multiple-county
7 services, and such contracts may be part of the coalition's
8 business plan.
9 j. Strategies to meet the needs of unique populations,
10 such as migrant workers.
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12 As part of the plan, the coalition may request the Governor to
13 apply for a waiver to allow the coalition to administer the
14 Head Start Program to accomplish the purposes of the school
15 readiness program. If any school readiness plan can
16 demonstrate that specific statutory goals can be achieved more
17 effectively by using procedures that require modification of
18 existing rules, policies, or procedures, a request for a
19 waiver to the partnership may be made as part of the plan.
20 Upon review, the partnership may grant the proposed
21 modification.
22 4. Persons with an early childhood teaching
23 certificate may provide support and supervision to other staff
24 in the school readiness program.
25 5. The coalition may not implement its plan until it
26 submits the plan to and receives approval from the
27 partnership. Once the plan has been approved, the plan and the
28 services provided under the plan shall be controlled by the
29 coalition rather than by the state agencies or departments.
30 The plan shall be reviewed and revised as necessary, but at
31 least biennially.
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1 6. The following statutes will not apply to local
2 coalitions with approved plans: ss. 125.901(2)(a)3.,
3 228.061(1) and (2), 230.2306, 411.221, 411.222, and 411.232.
4 To facilitate innovative practices and to allow local
5 establishment of school readiness programs, a school readiness
6 coalition may apply to the Governor and Cabinet for a waiver
7 of, and the Governor and Cabinet may waive, any of the
8 provisions of ss. 230.2303, 230.2305, 230.23166, 402.3015,
9 411.223, and 411.232, if the waiver is necessary for
10 implementation of the coalition's school readiness plan.
11 7. Two or more counties may join for the purpose of
12 planning and implementing a school readiness program.
13 8. A coalition may, subject to approval of the
14 partnership as part of the coalition's plan, receive
15 subsidized child care funds for all children eligible for any
16 federal subsidized child care program and be the provider of
17 the program services.
18 9. Coalitions are authorized to enter into multiparty
19 contracts with multicounty service providers in order to meet
20 the needs of unique populations such as migrant workers.
21 (6) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.--The school readiness program
22 shall be established for children under the age of
23 kindergarten eligibility. Priority for participation in the
24 school readiness program shall be given to children who meet
25 one or more of the following criteria:
26 (a) Children under the age of kindergarten eligibility
27 who are:
28 1. Children determined to be at risk of abuse,
29 neglect, or exploitation and who are currently clients of the
30 Family Safety Program Office of the Department of Children and
31 Family Services.
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1 2. Children at risk of welfare dependency, including
2 economically disadvantaged children, children of participants
3 in the welfare transition program, children of migrant
4 farmworkers, and children of teen parents.
5 3. Children of working families whose family income
6 does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
7 (b) Three-year-old children and 4-year-old children
8 who may not be economically disadvantaged but who have
9 disabilities, have been served in a specific part-time or
10 combination of part-time exceptional education programs with
11 required special services, aids, or equipment, and were
12 previously reported for funding part time with the Florida
13 Education Finance Program as exceptional students.
14 (c) Economically disadvantaged children, children with
15 disabilities, and children at risk of future school failure,
16 from birth to 4 years of age, who are served at home through
17 home visitor programs and intensive parent education programs
18 such as the Florida First Start Program.
19 (d) Children who meet federal and state requirements
20 for eligibility for the migrant preschool program but who do
21 not meet the criteria of economically disadvantaged.
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23 The term An "economically disadvantaged" child means a child
24 whose family income is below 150 percent of the federal
25 poverty level. Notwithstanding any change in a family's
26 economic status, but subject to additional family
27 contributions in accordance with the sliding fee scale, a
28 child who meets the eligibility requirements upon initial
29 registration for the program shall be considered eligible
30 until the child reaches kindergarten age.
31 (9) FUNDING; SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM.--
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1 (f) All cost savings and all revenues received through
2 a voluntary mandatory sliding fee scale shall be used to help
3 fund the local school readiness program.
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.
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7 SENATE SUMMARY
8 Provides that the parents of children who participate in
school readiness programs under s. 411.01, F.S., must not
9 be required to pay copayments but may make copayments
voluntarily.
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