Florida Senate - 2024                                    SB 1400
       
       
        
       By Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       
       34-00905A-24                                          20241400__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the school readiness program;
    3         amending s. 1002.87, F.S.; revising the criteria for a
    4         child to receive priority for participation in the
    5         school readiness program; conforming provisions to
    6         changes made by the act; amending s. 1002.89, F.S.;
    7         providing requirements for a school readiness program
    8         provider to be eligible to receive specified funding;
    9         providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
   14  1002.87, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   15         1002.87 School readiness program; eligibility and
   16  enrollment.—
   17         (1) Each early learning coalition shall give priority for
   18  participation in the school readiness program as follows:
   19         (c) Subsequent priority shall be given, based on the early
   20  learning coalition’s local priorities identified under s.
   21  1002.85(2)(i), to children who meet the following criteria:
   22         1. A child from birth to the beginning of the school year
   23  for which the child is eligible for admission to kindergarten in
   24  a public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. who is from a working
   25  family that is economically disadvantaged, and may include such
   26  child’s eligible siblings, beginning with the school year in
   27  which the sibling is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a
   28  public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. until the beginning of
   29  the school year in which the sibling is eligible to begin 6th
   30  grade, provided that the first priority for funding an eligible
   31  sibling is local revenues available to the coalition for funding
   32  direct services.
   33         2. A child of a parent who transitions from the work
   34  program into employment as described in s. 445.032 from birth to
   35  the beginning of the school year for which the child is eligible
   36  for admission to kindergarten in a public school under s.
   37  1003.21(1)(a)2.
   38         3. An at-risk child who is at least 9 years of age but
   39  younger than 13 years of age. An at-risk child whose sibling is
   40  enrolled in the school readiness program within an eligibility
   41  priority category listed in paragraphs (a) and (b) and
   42  subparagraph 1. shall be given priority over other children who
   43  are eligible under this paragraph.
   44         4. A child who is younger than 13 years of age from a
   45  working family that is economically disadvantaged.
   46         5. A child of a parent who transitions from the work
   47  program into employment as described in s. 445.032 who is
   48  younger than 13 years of age.
   49         6.a. A child who has special needs and, has been determined
   50  eligible as a student who requires additional accommodations
   51  beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
   52  The child’s special needs and associated accommodations must be
   53  validated by a licensed health care professional, licensed
   54  mental health professional, or educational psychologist. Such
   55  person may not be the child’s parent or a person employed by a
   56  child care provider. The following documentation must be used to
   57  determine the child’s eligibility for such accommodations:
   58         (I)with a disability, has A current individual education
   59  plan with a Florida school district;, and is not younger than 3
   60  years of age.
   61         (II) A current individualized family support plan;
   62         (III)A diagnosed special need; or
   63         (IV)A determination of required accommodations.
   64         b.The child care provider of a child who meets the
   65  requirements of this subparagraph may be eligible for additional
   66  funding through the special needs differential allocation to
   67  implement the special needs rate as determined in s.
   68  1002.89(1)(d) needs child eligible under this paragraph remains
   69  eligible until the child is eligible for admission to
   70  kindergarten in a public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2.
   71         7. A child who otherwise meets one of the eligibility
   72  criteria in paragraphs (a) and (b) and subparagraphs 1. and 2.
   73  but who is also enrolled concurrently in the federal Head Start
   74  Program and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
   75         Section 2. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
   76  1002.89, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   77         1002.89 School readiness program; funding.—
   78         (1) DETERMINATION OF EARLY LEARNING COALITION SCHOOL
   79  READINESS PROGRAM FUNDING.—Funding for the school readiness
   80  program shall be used by the early learning coalitions in
   81  accordance with this part and the General Appropriations Act.
   82         (d) Special needs differential allocation.—There is created
   83  the special needs differential allocation to assist eligible
   84  school readiness program providers to implement the special
   85  needs rate provisions defined in the state’s approved Child Care
   86  and Development Fund Plan. Subject to legislative appropriation,
   87  each early learning coalition shall be reimbursed based on
   88  actual expenditures. All expenditures from the special needs
   89  differential allocation shall be used by the department to help
   90  meet federal targeted requirements for improving quality to the
   91  extent allowable in the state’s approved plan. A school
   92  readiness program provider is eligible for funding through the
   93  allocation to implement the special needs differential rate upon
   94  meeting all of the following requirements by July 1, 2025:
   95         1.The provider has met or exceeded the minimum program
   96  assessment composite score required for contracting as
   97  determined by the department, as applicable.
   98         2.The provider has completed 10 hours of training in
   99  inclusive early childhood or inclusive school-age education
  100  practices within the preceding 2-year period, with the provider
  101  completing an additional 10 hours of such training each
  102  subsequent 5-year period as specified by the department.
  103         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.