| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to early learning; establishing the Early |
| 3 | Learning Quality Incentives Task Force to be |
| 4 | administratively housed in the Agency for Workforce |
| 5 | Innovation; providing duties and membership; requiring |
| 6 | recommendations to the Governor and Legislature; providing |
| 7 | for termination of the task force; requiring the |
| 8 | Department of Children and Family Services, in cooperation |
| 9 | with the Agency for Workforce Innovation, to contract for |
| 10 | a study relating to the administration and regulation of |
| 11 | child care services; requiring submission of findings to |
| 12 | the task force for purposes of its final recommendations; |
| 13 | providing an effective date. |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Section 1. Early Learning Quality Incentives Task Force.-- |
| 18 | (1) There is established the Early Learning Quality |
| 19 | Incentives Task Force to be administratively housed in the |
| 20 | Agency for Workforce Innovation. The Agency for Workforce |
| 21 | Innovation is authorized to contract with one or more nationally |
| 22 | known experts on quality incentives and rating systems to serve |
| 23 | as facilitators and resources in directing the task force. The |
| 24 | task force shall perform all of the following duties: |
| 25 | (a) Identify and examine existing early learning quality |
| 26 | incentives and rating systems in the state. |
| 27 | (b) Identify and examine early learning quality incentives |
| 28 | and rating systems in other states, including, but not limited |
| 29 | to, systems in North Carolina and Oklahoma. |
| 30 | (c) Develop a recommended early learning quality |
| 31 | incentives and rating system that includes uniform standards and |
| 32 | levels of financial quality incentives for participating |
| 33 | providers. |
| 34 | (d) Recommend appropriate levels of financial commitment |
| 35 | of state resources to ensure quality early learning programs. |
| 36 | (e) Recommend initial investment of quality incentive |
| 37 | dollars for pilot programs in five counties. |
| 38 | (2)(a) The task force shall consist of representatives |
| 39 | appointed by the Governor from each of the following categories: |
| 40 | 1. One member each from a large, medium, and small |
| 41 | children's services council with an appropriate mix from urban |
| 42 | and rural counties. |
| 43 | 2. One chair each from a large, medium, and small early |
| 44 | learning coalition with an appropriate mix from urban and rural |
| 45 | counties. |
| 46 | 3. One member from an early learning services provider. |
| 47 | 4. One member from a private child care provider |
| 48 | association. |
| 49 | 5. One member from a faith-based child care provider |
| 50 | association. |
| 51 | 6. One member each from a community college and a state |
| 52 | university with a child care training component. |
| 53 | 7. One parent who currently has a child in an early |
| 54 | learning program. |
| 55 | (b) The task force shall also consist of the following |
| 56 | members: |
| 57 | 1. A member of the Senate appointed by the President of |
| 58 | the Senate. |
| 59 | 2. A member of the House of Representatives appointed by |
| 60 | the Speaker of the House of Representatives. |
| 61 | 3. A member appointed by the Secretary of Children and |
| 62 | Family Services who has expertise in child care licensing and |
| 63 | regulation. |
| 64 | 4. A member appointed by the Commissioner of Education who |
| 65 | has expertise in the education of young children. |
| 66 | (3) The members of the task force shall serve without |
| 67 | compensation but shall be entitled to receive reimbursement for |
| 68 | per diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061, Florida |
| 69 | Statutes. |
| 70 | (4) The task force shall submit its recommendations to the |
| 71 | Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the |
| 72 | House of Representatives by February 15, 2007, at which time the |
| 73 | task force shall be terminated. |
| 74 | Section 2. The Department of Children and Family Services, |
| 75 | in cooperation with the Agency for Workforce Innovation, shall |
| 76 | contract with an independent research institution to conduct a |
| 77 | study of the administrative and operational structure of the |
| 78 | Child Care Services Program Office of the Department of Children |
| 79 | and Family Services that will include a review of all resources |
| 80 | supporting the office as well as a review of child care services |
| 81 | offices in other states. The findings of the study shall include |
| 82 | a recommendation regarding the appropriate administrative and |
| 83 | operational structures and the appropriate state agency to |
| 84 | administer child care regulation functions. The findings of the |
| 85 | study shall be submitted to the Early Learning Quality |
| 86 | Incentives Task Force by January 1, 2007, for incorporation into |
| 87 | the final recommendations of the task force. |
| 88 | Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |