HB 0193 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to school readiness programs; amending s.
3	411.01, F.S., relating to the Florida Partnership for
4	School Readiness and school readiness coalitions;
5	requiring plans for implementing school readiness programs
6	to provide access to school-based prekindergarten programs
7	for all 4-year-old children at no cost to the children's
8	parents; providing for funding; providing an effective
9	date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (5) and subsection
14	(6) of section 411.01, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
15	411.01 Florida Partnership for School Readiness; school
16	readiness coalitions.--
17	(5) CREATION OF SCHOOL READINESS COALITIONS.--
18	(d) Implementation.--
19	1. The school readiness program is to be phased in. Until
20	the coalition implements its plan, the county shall continue to
21	receive the services identified in subsection (3) through the
22	various agencies that would be responsible for delivering those
23	services under current law. Plan implementation is subject to
24	approval of the coalition and the plan by the Florida
25	Partnership for School Readiness.
26	2. Each school readiness coalition shall develop a plan
27	for implementing the school readiness program to meet the
28	requirements of this section and the performance standards and
29	outcome measures established by the partnership. The plan must
30	include a written description of the role of the program in the
31	coalition's effort to meet the first state education goal,
32	readiness to start school, including a description of the plan
33	to involve the prekindergarten early intervention programs, Head
34	Start Programs, programs offered by public or private providers
35	of child care, preschool programs for children with
36	disabilities, programs for migrant children, Title I programs,
37	subsidized child care programs, and teen parent programs. The
38	plan must also demonstrate how the program will ensure that each
39	3-year-old and 4-year-old child in a publicly funded school
40	readiness program receives scheduled activities and instruction
41	designed to prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to
42	learn. Prior to implementation of the program, the school
43	readiness coalition must submit the plan to the partnership for
44	approval. The partnership may approve the plan, reject the plan,
45	or approve the plan with conditions. The Florida Partnership for
46	School Readiness shall review coalition plans at least annually.
47	3. The plan for the school readiness program must include
48	the following minimum standards and provisions:
49	a. A sliding fee scale establishing a copayment for
50	parents based upon their ability to pay, which is the same for
51	all program providers, to be implemented and reflected in each
52	program's budget, provided that school-based prekindergarten
53	programs shall be available to all 4-year-old children at no
54	cost to the children's parents.
55	b. A choice of settings and locations in licensed,
56	registered, religious-exempt, or school-based programs to be
57	provided to parents.
58	c. Instructional staff who have completed the training
59	course as required in s. 402.305(2)(d)1., as well as staff who
60	have additional training or credentials as required by the
61	partnership. The plan must provide a method for assuring the
62	qualifications of all personnel in all program settings.
63	d. Specific eligibility priorities for children within the
64	coalition's county pursuant to subsection (6).
65	e. Performance standards and outcome measures established
66	by the partnership or alternatively, standards and outcome
67	measures to be used until such time as the partnership adopts
68	such standards and outcome measures.
69	f. Reimbursement rates that have been developed by the
70	coalition. Reimbursement rates shall not have the effect of
71	limiting parental choice or creating standards or levels of
72	services that have not been authorized by the Legislature.
73	g. Systems support services, including a central agency,
74	child care resource and referral, eligibility determinations,
75	training of providers, and parent support and involvement.
76	h. Direct enhancement services to families and children.
77	System support and direct enhancement services shall be in
78	addition to payments for the placement of children in school
79	readiness programs.
80	i. A business plan, which must include the contract with a
81	school readiness agent if the coalition is not a legally
82	established corporate entity. Coalitions may contract with other
83	coalitions to achieve efficiency in multiple-county services,
84	and such contracts may be part of the coalition's business plan.
85	j. Strategies to meet the needs of unique populations,
86	such as migrant workers.
87
88	As part of the plan, the coalition may request the Governor to
89	apply for a waiver to allow the coalition to administer the Head
90	Start Program to accomplish the purposes of the school readiness
91	program. If any school readiness plan can demonstrate that
92	specific statutory goals can be achieved more effectively by
93	using procedures that require modification of existing rules,
94	policies, or procedures, a request for a waiver to the
95	partnership may be made as part of the plan. Upon review, the
96	partnership may grant the proposed modification.
97	4. Persons with an early childhood teaching certificate
98	may provide support and supervision to other staff in the school
99	readiness program.
100	5. The coalition may not implement its plan until it
101	submits the plan to and receives approval from the partnership.
102	Once the plan has been approved, the plan and the services
103	provided under the plan shall be controlled by the coalition
104	rather than by the state agencies or departments. The plan shall
105	be reviewed and revised as necessary, but at least biennially.
106	6. The following statutes will not apply to local
107	coalitions with approved plans: ss. 125.901(2)(a)3., 411.221,
108	and 411.232. To facilitate innovative practices and to allow
109	local establishment of school readiness programs, a school
110	readiness coalition may apply to the Governor and Cabinet for a
111	waiver of, and the Governor and Cabinet may waive, any of the
112	provisions of ss. 411.223, 411.232, and 1003.54 if the waiver is
113	necessary for implementation of the coalition's school readiness
114	plan.
115	7. Two or more counties may join for the purpose of
116	planning and implementing a school readiness program.
117	8. A coalition may, subject to approval of the partnership
118	as part of the coalition's plan, receive subsidized child care
119	funds for all children eligible for any federal subsidized child
120	care program and be the provider of the program services.
121	9. Coalitions are authorized to enter into multiparty
122	contracts with multicounty service providers in order to meet
123	the needs of unique populations such as migrant workers.
124	(6) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.--The school readiness program
125	shall be established for children under the age of kindergarten
126	eligibility. Priority for participation in the school readiness
127	program shall be given to children who meet one or more of the
128	following criteria:
129	(a) Children under the age of kindergarten eligibility who
130	are:
131	1. Children determined to be at risk of abuse, neglect, or
132	exploitation and who are currently clients of the Family Safety
133	Program Office of the Department of Children and Family
134	Services.
135	2. Children at risk of welfare dependency, including
136	economically disadvantaged children, children of participants in
137	the welfare transition program, children of migrant farmworkers,
138	and children of teen parents.
139	3. Children of working families whose family income does
140	not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
141	4. Children for whom the state is paying a relative
142	caregiver payment under s. 39.5085.
143	(b) Three-year-old children and 4-year-old children who
144	may not be economically disadvantaged but who have disabilities,
145	have been served in a specific part-time or combination of part-
146	time exceptional education programs with required special
147	services, aids, or equipment, and were previously reported for
148	funding part time with the Florida Education Finance Program as
149	exceptional students.
150	(c) Economically disadvantaged children, children with
151	disabilities, and children at risk of future school failure,
152	from birth to 4 years of age, who are served at home through
153	home visitor programs and intensive parent education programs
154	such as the Florida First Start Program.
155	(d) Children who meet federal and state requirements for
156	eligibility for the migrant preschool program but who do not
157	meet the criteria of economically disadvantaged.
158	(e) Four-year-old children who do not meet the criteria in
159	paragraphs (a)-(d).
160
161	An "economically disadvantaged" child means a child whose family
162	income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
163	Notwithstanding any change in a family's economic status, but
164	subject to additional family contributions in accordance with
165	the sliding fee scale, a child who meets the eligibility
166	requirements upon initial registration for the program shall be
167	considered eligible until the child reaches kindergarten age.
168	Section 2.The Legislature shall appropriate funds to the
169	Agency for Workforce Innovation for implementation of the
170	provisions of this act.
171	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.
172