Senate Bill sb1756c1
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By the Committees on Transportation and Economic Development
Appropriations; and Commerce and Consumer Services
606-2343-05
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to early learning; amending s.
3 411.01, F.S.; requiring early learning
4 coalitions to provide parents with profiles of
5 school readiness providers; deleting
6 authorization for coalitions to receive
7 subsidized child care funds for all children
8 eligible for certain federal programs;
9 requiring early learning coalitions to
10 competively solicit nondirect services;
11 authorizing the Agency for Workforce Innovation
12 to allow coalitions to pay a rate differential
13 to providers under certain circumstances;
14 revising eligibility criteria and priorities
15 for participation in school readiness programs;
16 conforming provisions; creating s. 411.0101,
17 F.S.; authorizing early learning coalitions to
18 establish school-age readiness services under
19 certain circumstances; providing requirements
20 for these services; establishing eligibility
21 criteria and priorities for participation in
22 school-age readiness services; limiting the use
23 of school readiness funds for school-age
24 readiness services; transferring, renumbering,
25 and amending s. 402.3145, F.S.; revising
26 requirements for transportation services in
27 school readiness programs; conforming
28 provisions; authorizing contracts; deleting
29 obsolete references to a repealed program;
30 transferring, renumbering, and amending s.
31 402.3017, F.S.; providing requirements for
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1 school readiness quality initiatives; revising
2 requirements for the Teacher Education and
3 Compensation Helps scholarship program;
4 establishing requirements for the Home
5 Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters
6 Program; transferring, renumbering, and
7 amending s. 409.178, F.S.; revising
8 requirements for the Child Care Executive
9 Partnership Program; deleting a short title and
10 legislative intent; revising requirements for
11 family income; deleting obsolete references to
12 a repealed program; requiring the Agency for
13 Workforce Innovation to provide for staff;
14 revising provisions for the administration of
15 purchasing pools; providing for the adoption of
16 rules; amending s. 411.0105, F.S.; revising
17 federal lead agency responsibilities; requiring
18 a contract; transferring, renumbering, and
19 amending s. 402.27, F.S.; revising provisions
20 for the statewide resource and referral
21 network; conforming provisions; transferring,
22 renumbering, and amending s. 402.3051, F.S.;
23 revising definitions for purposes of child care
24 market rate reimbursement; revising
25 requirements for calculating the market rate
26 and prevailing market rate; requiring the
27 adoption of a prevailing market-rate schedule;
28 transferring, renumbering, and amending s.
29 402.3018, F.S.; providing for technical
30 assistance to child care and early learning
31 providers; conforming provisions; transferring,
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1 renumbering, and amending s. 402.25, F.S.;
2 revising requirements for activities to foster
3 brain development in infants and toddlers in
4 certain state-funded programs; conforming
5 provisions; amending s. 411.011, F.S.,
6 conforming a cross-reference; transferring,
7 renumbering, and amending s. 402.3016, F.S.;
8 revising provisions for Early Head Start
9 collaboration grants; providing an effective
10 date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of subsection
15 (5), and subsections (6) and (11) of section 411.01, Florida
16 Statutes, as amended by section 2 of chapter 2004-484, Laws of
17 Florida, are amended to read:
18 411.01 School readiness programs; early learning
19 coalitions.--
20 (5) CREATION OF EARLY LEARNING COALITIONS.--
21 (c) Program expectations.--
22 1. The school readiness program must meet the
23 following expectations:
24 a. The program must, at a minimum, enhance the
25 age-appropriate progress of each child in the development of
26 the school readiness skills required under paragraph (4)(j),
27 as measured by the performance standards and outcome measures
28 adopted by the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
29 b. The program must provide extended-day and
30 extended-year services to the maximum extent possible to meet
31 the needs of parents who work.
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1 c. There must be coordinated staff development and
2 teaching opportunities.
3 d. There must be expanded access to community services
4 and resources for families to help achieve economic
5 self-sufficiency.
6 e. There must be a single point of entry and unified
7 waiting list. As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term
8 "single point of entry" means an integrated information system
9 that allows a parent to enroll his or her child in the school
10 readiness program at various locations throughout the county
11 or multicounty region served by an early learning coalition,
12 that may allow a parent to enroll his or her child by
13 telephone or through an Internet website, and that uses a
14 unified waiting list to track eligible children waiting for
15 enrollment in the school readiness program. The Agency for
16 Workforce Innovation shall establish a single statewide
17 information system that integrates each early learning
18 coalition's single point of entry, and each coalition must use
19 the statewide system.
20 f. Each early learning coalition shall provide each
21 parent enrolling a child in the coalition's school readiness
22 program with a profile of every school readiness provider
23 delivering the program within the coalition's county or
24 multicounty region. The profiles shall be provided to parents
25 in a format prescribed by the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
26 The profiles must include, at a minimum, the following
27 information about each provider:
28 (I) The provider's services, curriculum, instructor
29 credentials, and instructor-to-student ratio;
30 (II) Whether the provider delivers the Voluntary
31 Prekindergarten Education Program; and
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1 (III) If the provider delivers the Voluntary
2 Prekindergarten Education Program, the provider's kindergarten
3 readiness rate calculated in accordance with s. 1002.69, based
4 upon the most recent available results of the statewide
5 kindergarten screening.
6 g.f. The Agency for Workforce Innovation must consider
7 the access of eligible children to the school readiness
8 program, as demonstrated in part by waiting lists, before
9 approving a proposed increase in payment rates submitted by an
10 early learning coalition. In addition, early learning
11 coalitions shall use school readiness funds made available due
12 to enrollment shifts from school readiness programs to the
13 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program for increasing the
14 number of children served in school readiness programs before
15 increasing payment rates.
16 h.g. There must be a community plan to address the
17 needs of all eligible children.
18 i.h. The program must meet all state licensing
19 guidelines, where applicable.
20 2. The early learning coalition must implement a
21 comprehensive program of school readiness services that
22 enhance the cognitive, social, and physical development of
23 children to achieve the performance standards and outcome
24 measures adopted by the Agency for Workforce Innovation. At a
25 minimum, these programs must contain the following elements:
26 a. Developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to
27 enhance the age-appropriate progress of children in attaining
28 the performance standards adopted by the Agency for Workforce
29 Innovation under subparagraph (4)(d)8.
30 b. A character development program to develop basic
31 values.
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1 c. An age-appropriate assessment of each child's
2 development.
3 d. A pretest administered to children when they enter
4 a program and a posttest administered to children when they
5 leave the program.
6 e. An appropriate staff-to-children ratio.
7 f. A healthy and safe environment.
8 g. A resource and referral network to assist parents
9 in making an informed choice.
10 (d) Implementation.--
11 1. An early learning coalition may not implement the
12 school readiness program until the coalition is authorized
13 through approval of the coalition's school readiness plan by
14 the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
15 2. Each early learning coalition shall develop a plan
16 for implementing the school readiness program to meet the
17 requirements of this section and the performance standards and
18 outcome measures adopted by the Agency for Workforce
19 Innovation. The plan must demonstrate how the program will
20 ensure that each 3-year-old and 4-year-old child in a publicly
21 funded school readiness program receives scheduled activities
22 and instruction designed to enhance the age-appropriate
23 progress of the children in attaining the performance
24 standards adopted by the Agency for Workforce Innovation under
25 subparagraph (4)(d)8. Before implementing the school readiness
26 program, the early learning coalition must submit the plan to
27 the Agency for Workforce Innovation for approval. The Agency
28 for Workforce Innovation may approve the plan, reject the
29 plan, or approve the plan with conditions. The Agency for
30 Workforce Innovation shall review school readiness plans at
31 least annually.
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1 3. If the Agency for Workforce Innovation determines
2 during the annual review of school readiness plans, or through
3 monitoring and performance evaluations conducted under
4 paragraph (4)(l), that an early learning coalition has not
5 substantially implemented its plan, has not substantially met
6 the performance standards and outcome measures adopted by the
7 agency, or has not effectively administered the school
8 readiness program or Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
9 Program, the Agency for Workforce Innovation may dissolve the
10 coalition and temporarily contract with a qualified entity to
11 continue school readiness and prekindergarten services in the
12 coalition's county or multicounty region until the coalition
13 is reestablished through resubmission of a school readiness
14 plan and approval by the agency.
15 4. The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall adopt
16 criteria for the approval of school readiness plans. The
17 criteria must be consistent with the performance standards and
18 outcome measures adopted by the agency and must require each
19 approved plan to include the following minimum standards and
20 provisions:
21 a. A sliding fee scale establishing a copayment for
22 parents based upon their ability to pay, which is the same for
23 all program providers, to be implemented and reflected in each
24 program's budget.
25 b. A choice of settings and locations in licensed,
26 registered, religious-exempt, or school-based programs to be
27 provided to parents.
28 c. Instructional staff who have completed the training
29 course as required in s. 402.305(2)(d)1., as well as staff who
30 have additional training or credentials as required by the
31 Agency for Workforce Innovation. The plan must provide a
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1 method for assuring the qualifications of all personnel in all
2 program settings.
3 d. Specific eligibility priorities for children within
4 the early learning coalition's county or multicounty region in
5 accordance with subsection (6).
6 e. Performance standards and outcome measures adopted
7 by the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
8 f. Payment rates adopted by the early learning
9 coalition and approved by the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
10 Payment rates may not have the effect of limiting parental
11 choice or creating standards or levels of services that have
12 not been authorized by the Legislature.
13 g. Systems support services, including a central
14 agency, child care resource and referral, eligibility
15 determinations, training of providers, and parent support and
16 involvement.
17 h. Direct enhancement services to families and
18 children. System support and direct enhancement services shall
19 be in addition to payments for the placement of children in
20 school readiness programs.
21 i. The business organization of the early learning
22 coalition, which must include the coalition's articles of
23 incorporation and bylaws if the coalition is organized as a
24 corporation. If the coalition is not organized as a
25 corporation or other business entity, the plan must include
26 the contract with a fiscal agent. An early learning coalition
27 may contract with other coalitions to achieve efficiency in
28 multicounty services, and these contracts may be part of the
29 coalition's school readiness plan.
30 j. Strategies to meet the needs of unique populations,
31 such as migrant workers.
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2 As part of the school readiness plan, the early learning
3 coalition may request the Governor to apply for a waiver to
4 allow the coalition to administer the Head Start Program to
5 accomplish the purposes of the school readiness program. If a
6 school readiness plan demonstrates that specific statutory
7 goals can be achieved more effectively by using procedures
8 that require modification of existing rules, policies, or
9 procedures, a request for a waiver to the Agency for Workforce
10 Innovation may be submitted as part of the plan. Upon review,
11 the Agency for Workforce Innovation may grant the proposed
12 modification.
13 5. Persons with an early childhood teaching
14 certificate may provide support and supervision to other staff
15 in the school readiness program.
16 6. An early learning coalition may not implement its
17 school readiness plan until it submits the plan to and
18 receives approval from the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
19 Once the plan is approved, the plan and the services provided
20 under the plan shall be controlled by the early learning
21 coalition. The plan shall be reviewed and revised as
22 necessary, but at least biennially. An early learning
23 coalition may not implement the revisions until the coalition
24 submits the revised plan to and receives approval from the
25 Agency for Workforce Innovation. If the Agency for Workforce
26 Innovation rejects a revised plan, the coalition must continue
27 to operate under its prior approved plan.
28 7. Sections 125.901(2)(a)3., 411.221, and 411.232 do
29 not apply to an early learning coalition with an approved
30 school readiness plan. To facilitate innovative practices and
31 to allow the regional establishment of school readiness
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1 programs, an early learning coalition may apply to the
2 Governor and Cabinet for a waiver of, and the Governor and
3 Cabinet may waive, any of the provisions of ss. 411.223,
4 411.232, and 1003.54, if the waiver is necessary for
5 implementation of the coalition's school readiness plan.
6 8. Two or more counties may join for purposes of
7 planning and implementing a school readiness program.
8 9. An early learning coalition may, subject to
9 approval by the Agency for Workforce Innovation as part of the
10 coalition's school readiness plan, receive subsidized child
11 care funds for all children eligible for any federal
12 subsidized child care program.
13 9.10. An early learning coalition may enter into
14 multiparty contracts with multicounty service providers in
15 order to meet the needs of unique populations such as migrant
16 workers.
17 10.a. An early learning coalition may provide
18 nondirect services using staff employed by the coalition or by
19 contracting with a vendor. However, a coalition may not
20 provide nondirect services using staff employed by the
21 coalition unless the coalition issues a competitive
22 solicitation under s. 287.057 and one of the following
23 applies:
24 (I) Fewer than two vendors submit responses determined
25 to be acceptable in accordance with the criteria set forth in
26 the solicitation;
27 (II) The Agency for Workforce Innovation determines
28 that the coalition's use of staff employed by the coalition
29 would result in the best value to the state compared to the
30 coalition's contracting with the vendor whose response was
31
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1 determined by the coalition, among those responses received,
2 to result in the best value to the state; or
3 (III) The nondirect services are provided using
4 sources other than state or federal school readiness funds or
5 are provided using school readiness funds matched by local
6 funds derived from a county, municipality, charitable
7 foundation, or other sources.
8 b. As used in this subparagraph, the term "nondirect
9 services" means eligibility determination for school readiness
10 services, child care resource and referral, health screening,
11 developmental screening, payment of providers for school
12 readiness services, monitoring of child attendance in the
13 school readiness program, monitoring of providers for
14 compliance with school readiness program requirements, system
15 support and direct enhancement services to families and
16 children, and technical assistance and training for school
17 readiness providers. The term does not include inclusion
18 services for children with disabilities, including, but not
19 limited to, training of providers on methods and strategies to
20 effectively serve children with disabilities. The term also
21 does not include the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
22 Program.
23 c. Sub-subparagraph a. does not apply to an early
24 learning coalition until July 1, 2008, if:
25 (I) On May 1, 2005, the coalition was providing
26 nondirect services using staff employed by the coalition; or
27 (II) On or before May 1, 2005, the coalition notified
28 the Agency for Workforce Innovation and each of its vendors of
29 nondirect services in writing that the coalition is not
30 renewing the contract.
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1 d. This subparagraph does not apply to nondirect
2 services provided by a county or municipality under contract
3 with an early learning coalition.
4 e. An early learning coalition, in order to continue
5 using staff employed by the coalition to provide nondirect
6 services, at least once every 3 years, must issue a
7 competitive solicitation in accordance with sub-subparagraph
8 a.
9 f. The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall adopt
10 rules under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this
11 subparagraph.
12 (e) Requests for proposals; payment schedule.--
13 1. Each early learning coalition must comply with s.
14 287.057 for the procurement of commodities or contractual
15 services from the funds described in paragraph (9)(d). The
16 period of a contract for purchase of these commodities or
17 contractual services, together with any renewal of the
18 original contract, may not exceed 3 years.
19 2. Each early learning coalition shall adopt a payment
20 schedule that encompasses all programs funded by the coalition
21 under this section. The payment schedule must take into
22 consideration the prevailing market-rate schedule adopted
23 under s. 411.0107 relevant market rate, must include the
24 projected number of children to be served, and must be
25 submitted for approval by the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
26 Informal child care arrangements shall be reimbursed at not
27 more than 50 percent of the rate developed for a family day
28 care home. The Agency for Workforce Innovation may authorize
29 early learning coalitions to use school readiness funds for
30 providing a rate differential or stipend to school readiness
31 providers that:
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1 a. Hold a current Gold Seal Quality Care designation
2 under s. 402.281; and
3 b. Demonstrate, as verified by the early learning
4 coalition, that the provider complies with each of the
5 requirements of the coalition's school readiness program and
6 this section, including, but not limited to, the program
7 elements listed in subparagraph (5)(c)2.
8
9 The rate differential may not exceed 20 percent of the payment
10 rate for providers that do not qualify for the rate
11 differential under sub-subparagraphs a. and b.
12 (6) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.--Each early learning
13 coalition's school readiness program shall be established for
14 children from birth to the beginning of the school year for
15 which a child is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a
16 public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. Each early learning
17 coalition shall give priority for participation in its the
18 school readiness program, as follows:
19 (a) Priority shall be given first to children from
20 families in which there is an adult receiving temporary cash
21 assistance who is subject to federal work requirements.
22 (b) Priority shall be given next to children age 3
23 years to school entry who are served by the Family Safety
24 Program Office of the Department of Children and Family
25 Services or a community-based lead agency under chapter 39 and
26 for whom child care is needed to minimize risk of further
27 abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Other eligible populations
28 include children who meet one or more of the following
29 criteria:
30 (c) Subsequent priority shall be given to children who
31 meet one or more of the following criteria:
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1 1.(a) Children under the age of kindergarten
2 eligibility who are:
3 1. Children determined to be at risk of abuse,
4 neglect, or exploitation who are currently clients of the
5 Family Safety Program Office of the Department of Children and
6 Family Services, but who are not otherwise given priority
7 under this subsection.
8 a.2. Children at risk of welfare dependency, including
9 economically disadvantaged children, children of participants
10 in the welfare transition program, children of migrant
11 farmworkers, and children of teen parents.
12 b.3. Children of working families whose family income
13 does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
14 c.4. Children for whom the state is paying a relative
15 caregiver payment under s. 39.5085.
16 2.(b) Three-year-old children and 4-year-old children
17 who may not be economically disadvantaged but who have
18 disabilities, have been served in a specific part-time or
19 combination of part-time exceptional education programs with
20 required special services, aids, or equipment, and were
21 previously reported for funding part time with the Florida
22 Education Finance Program as exceptional students.
23 3.(c) Economically disadvantaged children, children
24 with disabilities, and children at risk of future school
25 failure, from birth to 4 years of age, who are served at home
26 through home visitor programs and intensive parent education
27 programs.
28 4.(d) Children who meet federal and state eligibility
29 requirements for the migrant preschool program but who do not
30 meet the criteria of economically disadvantaged.
31
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1 As used in this subsection, the term "economically
2 disadvantaged" child means a child whose family income does
3 not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
4 Notwithstanding any change in a family's economic status, but
5 subject to additional family contributions in accordance with
6 the sliding fee scale, a child who meets the eligibility
7 requirements upon initial registration for the program remains
8 eligible until the beginning of the school year for which the
9 child is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a public
10 school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2.
11 (11) PLACEMENTS.--Notwithstanding any other provision
12 of this section to the contrary, the first children to be
13 placed in the school readiness program shall be those from
14 families receiving temporary cash assistance and subject to
15 federal work requirements. Subsequent placements shall be made
16 in accordance with subsection (6).
17 Section 2. Section 411.0101, Florida Statutes, is
18 created to read:
19 411.0101 School-age readiness services.--
20 (1) Notwithstanding the age requirements of s.
21 411.01(5)(b) and (6), each early learning coalition, if
22 approved by the Agency for Workforce Innovation as part of the
23 coalition's school readiness plan, may establish school-age
24 readiness services for children who meet the age requirements
25 for services under federal regulations governing the federal
26 Child Care and Development Fund, 45 C.F.R. parts 98 and 99,
27 but who are ineligible for school readiness programs under s.
28 411.01(5)(b) and (6) because of age.
29 (2) School-age readiness services authorized under
30 this section are part of the early learning coalition's school
31 readiness program. Except as provided in this section, s.
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1 411.01 applies to school-age readiness services. The following
2 provisions do not apply to school-age readiness services:
3 (a) The provisions of s. 411.01(4)(j) and (5)(c)1.a.
4 which require that school readiness services must enhance the
5 age-appropriate progress of children in the development of the
6 school readiness skills listed in s. 411.01(4)(j).
7 (b) The provisions of s. 411.01(5)(c)2.d. which
8 require pretests and posttests.
9 (3) Each early learning coalition shall give priority
10 for participation in its school-age readiness services, as
11 follows:
12 (a) Priority shall be given first to a child from a
13 family in which there is an adult receiving temporary cash
14 assistance who is subject to federal work requirements.
15 (b) Priority shall be given next to a child who is
16 served by the Family Safety Program Office of the Department
17 of Children and Family Services or a community-based lead
18 agency under chapter 39 and for whom school-age readiness
19 services are needed to minimize the risk of further abuse,
20 neglect, or abandonment.
21 (c) Subsequent priority shall be given to a child who
22 meets one or more of the criteria, notwithstanding the age
23 requirements, in s. 411.01(6)(c).
24 (4)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), an early
25 learning coalition may not expend for school-age readiness
26 services more than 25 percent of the total school readiness
27 funds paid by the coalition to providers for school readiness
28 services.
29 (b) An early learning coalition may expend a larger
30 percentage of its school readiness funds for school-age
31 readiness services than authorized under paragraph (a) if
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1 necessary to serve each child who is eligible under paragraphs
2 (3)(a) and (b). If, under this paragraph, a coalition expends
3 a larger percentage of its school readiness funds for
4 school-age readiness services than authorized under paragraph
5 (a), the coalition may not provide school-age readiness
6 services for children eligible under paragraph (3)(c).
7 Section 3. Section 402.3145, Florida Statutes, is
8 transferred, renumbered as section 411.0102, Florida Statutes,
9 and amended to read:
10 411.0102 402.3145 School readiness Subsidized child
11 care transportation services program.--
12 (1) The Agency for Workforce Innovation may
13 department, pursuant to chapter 427, shall establish school
14 readiness a subsidized child care transportation services
15 system for children, including children at risk of abuse or
16 neglect, participating in an early learning coalition's school
17 readiness the subsidized child care program. If approved by
18 the Agency for Workforce Innovation as part of the coalition's
19 school readiness plan, an early learning coalition may state
20 community child care coordination agencies shall contract for
21 the provision of the transportation services authorized as
22 required by this section. Contracts awarded under this section
23 must comply with the competitive procurement requirements in
24 s. 411.01(5)(e)1.
25 (2) If provided for by an early learning coalition,
26 these The transportation services may system shall provide
27 transportation for children to each child participating in the
28 coalition's school readiness program subsidized child care
29 when, and only if when, transportation is necessary to provide
30 school readiness services that child care opportunities which
31 otherwise would not be available to a child whose home is more
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1 than a reasonable walking distance from the nearest school
2 readiness provider child care facility or family day care
3 home.
4 Section 4. Section 402.3017, Florida Statutes, is
5 transferred, renumbered as section 411.0103, Florida Statutes,
6 and amended to read:
7 411.0103 402.3017 School readiness quality initiatives
8 Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (TEACH) scholarship
9 program.--
10 (1) The Legislature finds that the level of early
11 child care teacher education and training is a key predictor
12 for determining program quality. The Legislature also finds
13 that low wages for child care workers prevent many from
14 obtaining increased training and education and contribute to
15 high turnover rates. The Legislature therefore intends to
16 help fund a program which links teacher training and education
17 to compensation and commitment to the field of early childhood
18 education.
19 (1)(2) The Agency for Workforce Innovation may
20 Department of Children and Family Services is authorized to
21 contract for the administration of the Teacher Education and
22 Compensation Helps (TEACH) Early Childhood Project. The
23 project shall be based on its national model and shall provide
24 scholarship program, which provides educational scholarships
25 to directors or operators and caregivers and administrators of
26 early childhood programs, family day care homes, and large
27 family child care personnel as defined in s. 402.302 and
28 prekindergarten directors and prekindergarten instructors as
29 defined in s. 1002.51 homes.
30 (2) The Agency for Workforce Innovation may contract
31 for the administration of the Home Instruction for Parents of
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1 Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program. The program shall be
2 based on its national model and shall encourage parental
3 involvement in early learning programs by providing parents
4 with assistance in preparing their children for school.
5 (3) The Agency for Workforce Innovation may department
6 shall adopt rules under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 as necessary
7 to administer implement this section.
8 (4) For the 2004-2005 fiscal year only, the Agency for
9 Workforce Innovation shall administer this section. This
10 subsection expires July 1, 2005.
11 Section 5. Section 409.178, Florida Statutes, is
12 transferred, renumbered as section 411.0104, Florida Statutes,
13 and amended to read:
14 411.0104 409.178 Early Learning Child Care Executive
15 Partnership Act; findings and intent; grant; limitation;
16 rules.--
17 (1) This section may be cited as the "Child Care
18 Executive Partners Act."
19 (2)(a) The Legislature finds that when private
20 employers provide onsite child care or provide other child
21 care benefits, they benefit by improved recruitment and higher
22 retention rates for employees, lower absenteeism, and improved
23 employee morale. The Legislature also finds that there are
24 many ways in which private employers can provide child care
25 assistance to employees: information and referral, vouchering,
26 employer contribution to child care programs, and onsite care.
27 Private employers can offer child care as part of a menu of
28 employee benefits. The Legislature recognizes that flexible
29 compensation programs providing a child care option are
30 beneficial to the private employer through increased
31 productivity, to the private employee in knowing that his or
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1 her children are being cared for in a safe and nurturing
2 environment, and to the state in more dollars being available
3 for purchasing power and investment.
4 (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to promote
5 public/private partnerships to ensure that the children of the
6 state be provided safe and enriching child care at any time,
7 but especially while parents work to remain self-sufficient.
8 It is the intent of the Legislature that private employers be
9 encouraged to participate in the future of this state by
10 providing employee child care benefits. Further, it is the
11 intent of the Legislature to encourage private employers to
12 explore innovative ways to assist employees to obtain quality
13 child care.
14 (c) The Legislature further recognizes that many
15 parents need assistance in paying the full costs of quality
16 child care. The public and private sectors, by working in
17 partnership, can promote and improve access to quality child
18 care and early education for children of working families who
19 need it. Therefore, a more formal mechanism is necessary to
20 stimulate the establishment of public-private partnerships. It
21 is the intent of the Legislature to expand the availability of
22 scholarship options for working families by providing
23 incentives for employers to contribute to meeting the needs of
24 their employees' families through matching public dollars
25 available for child care.
26 (1)(a)(3) There is created as a body politic and
27 corporate known as the Early Learning Child Care Executive
28 Partnership, which shall establish and govern the Early
29 Learning Child Care Executive Partnership Program.
30 (b) The purpose of the Early Learning Child Care
31 Executive Partnership Program is to use utilize state and
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1 federal funds as incentives for matching local funds derived
2 from local governments, employers, charitable foundations, and
3 other sources, in order so that Florida communities in this
4 state may create local flexible partnerships with employers.
5 (c) The Early Learning Child Care Executive
6 Partnership Program funds shall be used at the discretion of
7 local communities to meet the needs of working parents. An
8 early learning A child care purchasing pool shall be developed
9 with the state, federal, and local funds to provide subsidies
10 to low-income working parents whose family income does not
11 exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty level who are
12 eligible for subsidized child care with a dollar-for-dollar
13 match from employers, local government, and other matching
14 contributions. The funds used from the early learning child
15 care purchasing pool must be used to supplement or extend the
16 use of existing public or private funds.
17 (2)(4) The Early Learning Child Care Executive
18 Partnership, staffed by the department, shall consist of a
19 representative of the Executive Office of the Governor and
20 nine members of the corporate or early learning child care
21 community, appointed by the Governor.
22 (a) Members shall serve for a period of 4 years,
23 except that the representative of the Executive Office of the
24 Governor shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
25 (b) The Early Learning Child Care Executive
26 Partnership shall be chaired by a member chosen by a majority
27 vote and shall meet at least quarterly and at other times upon
28 the call of the chair.
29 (c) Members shall serve without compensation, but may
30 be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses in accordance
31 with s. 112.061.
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1 (d) The Early Learning Child Care Executive
2 Partnership has shall have all the powers and authority, not
3 explicitly prohibited by law statute, necessary to administer
4 carry out and effectuate the purposes of this section, as well
5 as the functions, duties, and responsibilities of the
6 partnership, including, but not limited to, the following:
7 1. Assisting in the formulation and coordination of
8 the state's early learning child care policy.
9 2. Adopting an official seal.
10 3. Soliciting, accepting, receiving, investing, and
11 expending funds from public or private sources.
12 4. Contracting with public or private entities as
13 necessary.
14 5. Approving an annual budget.
15 6. Carrying forward any unexpended state
16 appropriations into succeeding fiscal years.
17 7. Providing a report to the Governor, the Speaker of
18 the House of Representatives, and the President of the Senate,
19 on or before December 1 of each year.
20 (e) The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall provide,
21 or shall contract with a qualified entity using a request for
22 proposals to provide, staff for the Early Learning Executive
23 Partnership.
24 (3)(5)(a) The Legislature shall annually determine the
25 amount of state and or federal funds low-income child care
26 moneys which shall be used to create the Early Learning Child
27 Care Executive Partnership Program's Program child care
28 purchasing pools in counties chosen by the Early Learning
29 Child Care Executive Partnership and statewide purchasing
30 pools established by the Agency for Workforce Innovation. A
31 purchasing pool must be created in, provided that at least two
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1 of the counties that have populations of no more than 300,000
2 or fewer persons. The Legislature shall annually review the
3 effectiveness of the early learning child care purchasing pool
4 program and reevaluate the percentage of additional state or
5 federal funds, if any, that may can be used for the program's
6 expansion.
7 (b) The Agency for Workforce Innovation To ensure a
8 seamless service delivery and ease of access for families, the
9 community coordinated child care agencies or the state
10 resource and referral agency shall administer the statewide
11 child care purchasing pool funds, and the respective early
12 learning coalition shall administer the purchasing pool funds
13 of a county served by the coalition.
14 (c) The Agency for Workforce Innovation department, in
15 conjunction with the Early Learning Child Care Executive
16 Partnership, shall develop procedures for disbursement of
17 funds through the early learning child care purchasing pools.
18 In order to be considered for funding, the entity
19 administering the purchasing pool community coordinated child
20 care agency or the statewide resource and referral agency must
21 commit to:
22 1. Matching the state and federal purchasing pool
23 funds allocated to the purchasing pool on a dollar-for-dollar
24 basis; and
25 2. Expending only those state and federal public funds
26 that which are matched by employers, local government, and
27 other matching contributors who contribute to the purchasing
28 pool. Parents shall also pay a fee, which must shall be not be
29 less than the amount identified in the department's subsidized
30 child care sliding fee scale adopted by the early learning
31 coalition for its school readiness program.
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1 (d) Each early learning coalition must community
2 coordinated child care agency shall be required to establish a
3 community child care task force for each early learning child
4 care purchasing pool. The task force must be composed of
5 employers, parents, private child care providers, and one
6 representative from the local children's services council, if
7 one exists in the area of the purchasing pool. The early
8 learning coalition shall community coordinated child care
9 agency is expected to recruit the task force members from
10 existing child care councils, commissions, or task forces
11 already operating in the area of the a purchasing pool. A
12 majority of the task force shall consist of employers. Each
13 task force shall develop a plan for the use of the early
14 learning child care purchasing pool funds. The plan must
15 demonstrate show how many children will be served by the
16 purchasing pool, how many will be new to receiving early
17 learning child care services, and how the early learning
18 coalition community coordinated child care agency intends to
19 attract new employers and their employees to the program.
20 (4)(6) The Agency for Workforce Innovation may
21 Department of Children and Family Services shall adopt any
22 rules under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer necessary
23 for the implementation and administration of this section.
24 Section 6. Section 411.0105, Florida Statutes, is
25 amended to read:
26 411.0105 Federal Early Learning Opportunities Act and
27 Even Start Family Literacy Programs; lead agency
28 responsibilities.--
29 (1) The Governor may designate the Agency for
30 Workforce Innovation as the lead agency for purposes of
31 administering the federal Child Care and Development Fund, 45
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1 C.F.R. parts 98 and 99, and the federal Early Learning
2 Opportunities Act, 20 U.S.C. ss. 9401-9413. If designated as
3 the lead agency, the Agency for Workforce Innovation must
4 comply with the lead agency responsibilities under federal
5 law.
6 (2)(a) For purposes of administration of the William
7 F. Goodling Early Learning Opportunities Act and the Even
8 Start Family Literacy Programs, 20 U.S.C. ss. 6381-6381k
9 pursuant to Pub. L. No. 106-554, the Department of Education
10 Agency for Workforce Innovation is designated as the lead
11 agency and must comply with the lead agency responsibilities
12 under pursuant to federal law.
13 (b) The Department of Education shall contract with
14 the Agency for Workforce Innovation to administer the William
15 F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs.
16 Section 7. Section 402.27, Florida Statutes, is
17 transferred, renumbered as section 411.0106, Florida Statutes,
18 and amended to read:
19 411.0106 402.27 Child care and early learning
20 childhood resource and referral.--The Agency for Workforce
21 Innovation Department of Children and Family Services shall
22 establish a statewide child care resource and referral
23 network. The network shall be composed of a state resource and
24 referral agency and a system of local agencies. Preference
25 shall be given to using the already established central
26 agencies for subsidized child care as the child care resource
27 and referral agency. If the agency cannot comply with the
28 requirements to offer the resource information component or
29 does not want to offer that service, The Agency for Workforce
30 Innovation Department of Children and Family Services shall
31 select the state resource and referral information agency
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1 using based upon a request for proposals proposal. Each early
2 learning coalition shall establish at least one local child
3 care resource and referral agency must be established in each
4 county or multicounty region served by the coalition district
5 of the department, but no more than one local agency may be
6 established in a any county. Child care Resource and referral
7 agencies shall provide the following services:
8 (1) Identification of existing public and private
9 child care and early learning providers childhood education
10 services, including child care services by public and private
11 employers, and the development of a database resource file of
12 those providers services. These providers services may include
13 a family day care, public and private child care provider that
14 is licensed, exempt from licensure, or registered under ss.
15 402.301-402.319; a private prekindergarten provider or public
16 school delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
17 Program under part V of chapter 1002; a school readiness
18 provider participating in an early learning coalition's school
19 readiness program; a programs, Head Start program;,
20 prekindergarten early intervention programs, special education
21 programs for prekindergarten handicapped children with
22 disabilities;, services for children with developmental
23 disabilities;, full-time and part-time programs; school-age
24 readiness program;, before-school and after-school programs,
25 vacation care programs;, parent education; a welfare
26 transition, the WAGES program;, and related family support
27 services. The database resource file shall include, but not be
28 limited to, the following information:
29 (a) Type of child care and early learning provider
30 program.
31 (b) Hours of service.
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1 (c) Ages of children served.
2 (d) Number of children served.
3 (e) Significant program information.
4 (f) Fees and eligibility for services.
5 (g) Availability of transportation.
6 (2) The establishment of a referral process that which
7 responds to parental need for information and that which is
8 provided with full recognition of the confidentiality rights
9 of parents. Resource and referral agencies may only programs
10 shall make referrals to licensed child care providers, except
11 that a referral may facilities. Referrals shall be made to an
12 unlicensed provider child care facility or arrangement only if
13 there is no requirement that the provider is not required to
14 facility or arrangement be licensed.
15 (3) Maintenance of ongoing documentation of requests
16 for service tabulated through the internal referral process.
17 The following documentation of requests for service shall be
18 maintained by each all child care resource and referral agency
19 agencies:
20 (a) Number of calls and contacts to the resource child
21 care information and referral agency component by the type of
22 provider service requested.
23 (b) Ages of children for whom child care or early
24 learning services are service was requested.
25 (c) Time category of child care or early learning
26 requests for each child.
27 (d) Special time category, such as nights, weekends,
28 and swing shifts shift.
29 (e) Reason that the child care or early learning
30 services are is needed.
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1 (f) Name of the employer and primary focus of the
2 business.
3 (4) Provision of technical assistance to existing and
4 potential providers of child care and early learning providers
5 services. This assistance may include:
6 (a) Information on initiating new child care or early
7 learning services, zoning, and program and budget development
8 and assistance in finding the such information from other
9 sources.
10 (b) Information and resources that assist which help
11 existing child care and early learning services providers to
12 maximize their ability to serve children and parents in their
13 community.
14 (c) Information and incentives that may assist which
15 could help existing or planned child care or early learning
16 services offered by public or private employers seeking to
17 maximize their ability to serve the children of their working
18 parent employees who are working parents in their community,
19 through contractual or other funding arrangements with
20 businesses.
21 (5) Assistance to families and employers in applying
22 for various early learning programs, sources of subsidy
23 including, but not limited to, the Voluntary Prekindergarten
24 Education Program; a coalition's school readiness program; a
25 subsidized child care, Head Start program;, prekindergarten
26 early intervention programs, Project Independence, private
27 scholarships;, and the federal child and dependent care tax
28 credit.
29 (6) Assistance to state agencies in determining the
30 prevailing market rate for child care.
31
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1 (7) Assistance in negotiating discounts or other
2 special arrangements with child care and early learning
3 providers.
4 (8) Information and assistance to local interagency
5 councils coordinating services for prekindergarten handicapped
6 children with disabilities.
7 (9) Assistance to families in identifying summer
8 recreation camp and summer day camp programs and in evaluating
9 the health and safety qualities of summer recreation camp, and
10 summer day camp, programs and in evaluating the health and
11 safety qualities of summer camp programs. Subject to
12 legislative Contingent upon specific appropriation, a
13 checklist of important health and safety qualities that
14 parents may can use to choose their summer camp programs shall
15 be developed and distributed in a manner that will reach
16 parents interested in these such programs for their children.
17 (10) Each A child care provider facility licensed or
18 registered under ss. 402.301-402.319, and each early learning
19 provider receiving state or federal funds, s. 402.305 and
20 licensed and registered family day care homes must provide the
21 local statewide child care and resource and referral agency
22 agencies with the following information annually:
23 (a) Type of child care or early learning provider
24 program.
25 (b) Hours of service.
26 (c) Ages of children served.
27 (d) Fees and eligibility for services.
28 Section 8. Section 402.3051, Florida Statutes, is
29 transferred, renumbered as section 411.0107, Florida Statutes,
30 and amended to read:
31
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1 411.0107 402.3051 Prevailing market-rate schedule
2 Child care market rate reimbursement; child care grants.--
3 (1) As used in this section, the term:
4 (a) "Child care program assessment tool" means an
5 assessment instrument designated or developed by the
6 department to determine quality child care and other child
7 development services to children under the provision of s.
8 402.3015, Title IV-A of the Social Security Act, and the Child
9 Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990.
10 (a)(b) "Market rate" means the price that a child care
11 provider charges for daily, weekly, or monthly child care
12 services. The market rate shall:
13 1. Be established for licensed child care facilities
14 or facilities that are not subject to s. 402.305, licensed or
15 registered family day care homes, licensed large family child
16 care homes, child care providers exempt from licensure,
17 licensed before-school and after-school child care programs,
18 and informal providers of unregulated child care services
19 provided by a relative or other caretaker.
20 2. Differentiate among child care for children with
21 special needs or risk categories, infants, toddlers, and
22 preschool children, and school-age children.
23 3. Differentiate between full-time and part-time
24 services care.
25 4. Consider reductions in the cost of services care
26 for additional children in the same family.
27 (b)(c) "Prevailing market rate" means the annually
28 determined 75th percentile of a reasonable frequency
29 distribution of market rate in a predetermined geographic
30 market at which licensed child care providers charge a person
31 for child care services.
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1 (2) The Agency for Workforce Innovation department
2 shall establish procedures for the adoption of a prevailing
3 market-rate schedule, which shall be considered by each early
4 learning coalition when the coalition adopts its payment
5 schedule under s. 411.01(5)(e)2. The prevailing market-rate
6 schedule shall comprise county-by-county rates for: to
7 reimburse
8 (a) Licensed, exempt, or registered child care
9 providers that who hold a Gold Seal Quality Care designation
10 at 120 percent of the prevailing market rate for child care
11 services for children who are eligible to participate in a
12 coalition's school readiness program under s. 411.01 receive
13 subsidized child care; and
14 (b) Licensed, exempt, or registered child care
15 providers at the prevailing market rate for child care
16 services for children who are eligible to participate in a
17 coalition's school readiness program under s. 411.01 receive
18 subsidized child care, unless prohibited by federal law under
19 s. 402.3015. The department shall establish procedures to
20 reimburse providers of unregulated child care at not more than
21 50 percent of the market rate.
22
23 The prevailing market-rate schedule adopted under this
24 subsection payment system may not interfere with the parental
25 choice of school readiness providers under s. 411.01(7)
26 parents' decision as to the appropriate child care
27 arrangement, regardless of the level of available funding for
28 early learning programs child care. The prevailing market-rate
29 schedule must be based exclusively on the costs and prices
30 charged for child care services and must not be based on any
31
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1 program assessment tool may not be used to evaluate child care
2 providers determine reimbursement rates.
3 (3) The Agency for Workforce Innovation department may
4 provide child care grants to early learning coalitions central
5 agencies, community colleges, and career programs for the
6 purpose of providing support and technical assistance to
7 licensed child care providers.
8 (4) The Agency for Workforce Innovation department may
9 contract, using a request for proposals, with a qualified
10 entity use the state community child care coordination
11 agencies (central agencies), community colleges, and career
12 programs to administer implement this section.
13 (5) The Agency for Workforce Innovation department may
14 adopt rules under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 and other policy
15 provisions necessary to administer implement this section.
16 (6) This section shall be implemented only to the
17 extent that funding is available.
18 Section 9. Section 402.3018, Florida Statutes, is
19 transferred, renumbered as section 411.0108, Florida Statutes,
20 and amended to read:
21 411.0108 402.3018 Consultation to child care and early
22 learning providers centers and family day care homes regarding
23 health, developmental, disability, and special needs issues.--
24 (1) Subject to legislative appropriation Contingent
25 upon specific appropriations, the Agency for Workforce
26 Innovation shall department is directed to contract with the
27 state statewide resource information and referral agency for a
28 statewide toll-free Warm-Line for the purpose of providing
29 assistance and consultation to child care and early learning
30 providers centers and family day care homes regarding health,
31 developmental, disability, and special needs issues of the
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1 children they are serving, particularly children with
2 disabilities and other special needs.
3 (2) The purpose of the Warm-Line is to provide advice
4 to child care personnel concerning strategies, curriculum, and
5 environmental adaptations that allow a child to derive maximum
6 benefit from receiving the child care services experience.
7 (3) The early learning coalitions, coordinated by the
8 Agency for Workforce Innovation, department shall at least
9 annually inform child care and early learning providers
10 centers and family day care homes of the availability of this
11 service, on an annual basis.
12 (4) Subject to legislative appropriation Contingent
13 upon specific appropriations, the Agency for Workforce
14 Innovation department shall expand, or contract for, the
15 expansion of the Warm-Line from one statewide site to one
16 Warm-Line site in each county or multicounty child care
17 resource and referral agency region served by an early
18 learning coalition.
19 (5) Each county or regional Warm-Line shall provide
20 assistance and consultation to child care and early learning
21 providers centers and family day care homes regarding health,
22 developmental, disability, and special needs issues of the
23 children they are serving, particularly children with
24 disabilities and other special needs. County or regional
25 Warm-Line staff shall provide onsite technical assistance,
26 when requested, to assist child care and early learning
27 providers centers and family day care homes with inquiries
28 relative to the strategies, curriculum, and environmental
29 adaptations the child care or early learning providers centers
30 and family day care homes may need as they serve children with
31 disabilities and other special needs.
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1 Section 10. Section 402.25, Florida Statutes, is
2 transferred, renumbered as section 411.0109, Florida Statutes,
3 and amended to read:
4 411.0109 402.25 Infants and toddlers in state-funded
5 child education and care and early learning programs; brain
6 development activities.--Each state-funded child education and
7 care and early learning program for children from birth to 5
8 years of age must provide activities to foster brain
9 development in infants and toddlers. Each A program must
10 provide an environment rich in language and music and filled
11 with objects of various colors, shapes, textures, and sizes to
12 stimulate visual, tactile, auditory, and linguistic senses in
13 the children and must include classical music and at least 30
14 minutes of reading to the children each day. A program may be
15 offered through an existing early childhood program such as
16 Healthy Start, the Title I program, contracted or directly
17 operated subsidized child care, the prekindergarten early
18 intervention program, Florida First Start, the Head Start
19 program, or a private child care program. Each A program must
20 also provide training for the infants' and toddlers' parents
21 including direct dialogue and interaction between teachers and
22 parents demonstrating the urgency of brain development in the
23 first year of a child's life. A family day care home is
24 centers are encouraged, but not required, to comply with this
25 section.
26 Section 11. Section 411.011, Florida Statutes, as
27 amended by section 9 of chapter 2004-484, Laws of Florida, is
28 amended to read:
29 411.011 Records of children in school readiness
30 programs.--The individual records of children enrolled in
31 school readiness programs provided under ss. 411.01 and
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1 411.0101 s. 411.01, when held in the possession of the early
2 learning coalition or the Agency for Workforce Innovation, are
3 confidential and exempt from s. 119.07 and s. 24(a), Art. I of
4 the State Constitution. For purposes of this section, records
5 include assessment data, health data, records of teacher
6 observations, and identifying data, including the child's
7 social security number. A parent, guardian, or individual
8 acting as a parent in the absence of a parent or guardian has
9 the right to inspect and review the individual school
10 readiness program record of his or her child and to obtain a
11 copy of the record. School readiness records may be released
12 to the United States Secretary of Education, the United States
13 Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Comptroller
14 General of the United States for the purpose of federal
15 audits; to individuals or organizations conducting studies for
16 institutions to develop, validate, or administer assessments
17 or improve instruction; to accrediting organizations in order
18 to carry out their accrediting functions; to appropriate
19 parties in connection with an emergency if the information is
20 necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or
21 other individuals; to the Auditor General in connection with
22 his or her official functions; to a court of competent
23 jurisdiction in compliance with an order of that court in
24 accordance with a lawfully issued subpoena; and to parties to
25 an interagency agreement among early learning coalitions,
26 local governmental agencies, providers of school readiness
27 programs, state agencies, and the Agency for Workforce
28 Innovation for the purpose of implementing the school
29 readiness program. Agencies, organizations, or individuals
30 that receive school readiness records in order to carry out
31 their official functions must protect the data in a manner
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1 that does not permit the personal identification of students
2 and their parents by persons other than those authorized to
3 receive the records. This section is subject to the Open
4 Government Sunset Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s.
5 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2005, unless
6 reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
7 Legislature.
8 Section 12. Section 402.3016, Florida Statutes, is
9 transferred, renumbered as section 411.0111, Florida Statutes,
10 and amended to read:
11 411.0111 402.3016 Early Head Start collaboration
12 grants.--
13 (1) Subject to legislative appropriation Contingent
14 upon specific appropriations, the Agency for Workforce
15 Innovation may Florida Partnership for School Readiness shall
16 establish a program to award collaboration grants to assist
17 local agencies in securing Early Head Start programs through
18 Early Head Start program federal grants. The collaboration
19 grants may only be used to shall provide the required matching
20 funds for public and private nonprofit agencies that have been
21 approved for Early Head Start program federal grants.
22 (2) Each public or and private nonprofit agency
23 agencies providing Early Head Start programs applying for
24 collaborative grants must:
25 (a) Ensure quality performance by meeting the
26 requirements in the Head Start program performance standards
27 and other applicable rules and regulations;
28 (b) Ensure collaboration with other service providers
29 at the local level; and
30
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1 (c) Ensure that a comprehensive array of health,
2 nutritional, and other services are provided to the program's
3 pregnant women and very young children, and their families.
4 (3) If the program is established, the Agency for
5 Workforce Innovation partnership shall report to the
6 Legislature on an annual basis the number of agencies
7 receiving Early Head Start collaboration grants and the number
8 of children served.
9 (4) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership
10 may adopt rules under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer
11 this section, including requirements as necessary for the
12 award of collaboration grants to competing agencies and the
13 administration of the collaboration grants program under this
14 section.
15 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.
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1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 Senate Bill 1756
3
4 The committee substitute for Senate Bill 1756 differs from the
bill in the following manner:
5
Allows early learning coalitions to use their own staff or
6 contract for the delivery of non-direct services for school
readiness as long as the coalitions issue a competitive
7 solicitation and
8 (1) receive fewer than 2 responses; or
9 (2) satisfy AWI that they can deliver the services at a
better value to the state than the most cost effective
10 and quality-effective vendor; or
11 (3) the services are funded by a source other than state or
federal funding.
12
Provides an exemption from competitively soliciting until July
13 1, 2008 for:
14 - coalitions that are already providing the services using
their own staff on May 1, 2005; and
15
- coalitions that inform AWI and their vendors by May 1,
16 2005 in writing of the intention not to renew the
contract.
17
Provides an exemption from competitively soliciting to
18 coalitions contracting with a county or municipality.
19 Deletes the requirement that AWI conduct a study of outcome
measures, assessment, screenings and performance
20 accountability for the early learning system.
21 Deletes an appropriation for the AWI study.
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