Senate Bill sb2400

    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2400

    By Senator Wilson





    33-194B-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to child care services;

  3         providing legislative intent that a child under

  4         the jurisdiction of the circuit court receive

  5         priority consideration for placement into a

  6         quality child care center; defining the term

  7         "quality child care center"; requiring a

  8         quality child care center to immediately notify

  9         the legal guardian of a child if the child care

10         center is unable to accept a child into its

11         program due to the center's limited capacity;

12         requiring the district office of the Department

13         of Children and Family Services to inform each

14         appropriate community-based care lead agency of

15         the licensing capacity of quality child care

16         centers in the district; providing an effective

17         date.

18  

19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

20  

21         Section 1.  (1)  It is the intent of the Legislature

22  that a child under the jurisdiction of the circuit court

23  receive priority consideration for placement into a quality

24  child care center that serves children under the school

25  readiness programs under chapter 411, Florida Statutes.

26         (2)  As used in this section, the term "quality child

27  care center" means a child care center that:

28         (a)  Holds a current Gold Seal Quality Care designation

29  under s. 402.281, Florida Statutes; or

30         (b)  Has been designated as a high-quality program that

31  has a quality rating of at least 3 by a professional quality

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2400
    33-194B-07




 1  rating system if such a rating system exists in the county in

 2  which the child is being served.

 3  

 4  A quality child care center must maintain accreditation or

 5  quality designation through a quality rating system throughout

 6  the year in order to be designated an approved provider.

 7         (3)  If a quality child care center is unable to accept

 8  a child into its program due to the child care center's

 9  limited capacity, the center must immediately notify the legal

10  guardian of the child of this fact and the estimated

11  enrollment date for the child.

12         (4)  The district office of the Department of Children

13  and Family Services must inform each community-based care lead

14  agency serving the department's district of the licensing

15  capacity of quality child care centers in the district.

16         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

17  

18            *****************************************

19                          SENATE SUMMARY

20    Provides legislative intent that a child under
      jurisdiction of the circuit court receive priority
21    consideration for placement into a quality child care
      center. Provides a definition of "quality child care
22    center." Requires a quality child care center to
      immediately notify the legal guardian of a child if the
23    child care center is unable to accept the child into its
      program due to the center's limited capacity. Requires
24    the district office of the Department of Children and
      Family Services to inform each appropriate
25    community-based care lead agency of the licensing
      capacity of quality child care centers in the district.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.