Florida Senate - 2025 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1102
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LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
04/17/2025 .
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The Committee on Fiscal Policy (Calatayud) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment
2
3 Delete lines 55 - 113
4 and insert:
5 person may not be the child’s parent or relative or a person
6 employed by a child care provider. The following documentation
7 must be used to determine the child’s eligibility for such
8 accommodations:
9 a. with a disability, has A current individual education
10 plan with a Florida school district;, and is not younger than 3
11 years of age.
12 b. A current individualized family support plan;
13 c. A diagnosed special need; or
14 d. A written determination of required accommodations by a
15 licensed health care professional, a licensed mental health
16 professional, or an educational psychologist needs child
17 eligible under this paragraph remains eligible until the child
18 is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a public school
19 under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2.
20 7. A child who otherwise meets one of the eligibility
21 criteria in paragraphs (a) and (b) and subparagraphs 1. and 2.
22 but who is also enrolled concurrently in the federal Head Start
23 Program and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
24 (2) A school readiness program provider may be paid only
25 for authorized hours of care provided for a child in the school
26 readiness program. A child enrolled in the Voluntary
27 Prekindergarten Education Program may receive care from the
28 school readiness program if the child is eligible according to
29 the eligibility priorities and criteria established in
30 subsection (1). The school readiness program provider of a child
31 who meets the requirements of subsection (6) may be eligible for
32 additional funding through the special needs differential
33 allocation to implement the special needs rate as determined in
34 s. 1002.89(1)(d).
35 Section 2. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
36 1002.89, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
37 1002.89 School readiness program; funding.—
38 (1) DETERMINATION OF EARLY LEARNING COALITION SCHOOL
39 READINESS PROGRAM FUNDING.—Funding for the school readiness
40 program shall be used by the early learning coalitions in
41 accordance with this part and the General Appropriations Act.
42 (d) Special needs differential allocation.—There is created
43 the special needs differential allocation to assist eligible
44 school readiness program providers to implement the special
45 needs rate provisions defined in the state’s approved Child Care
46 and Development Fund Plan. Subject to legislative appropriation,
47 each early learning coalition shall be reimbursed based on
48 actual expenditures. All expenditures from the special needs
49 differential allocation shall be used by the department to help
50 meet federal targeted requirements for improving quality to the
51 extent allowable in the state’s approved plan. A school
52 readiness program provider is eligible for funding through the
53 allocation to implement the special needs differential rate upon
54 meeting all of the following requirements beginning July 1,
55 2027:
56 1. The provider has met or exceeded the minimum program
57 assessment composite score required for contracting as
58 determined by the department, as applicable.
59 2. Instructional staff employed or contracted by the
60 provider has completed training on early identification of
61 social and communication delays as specified by the department.
62 3. The instructor assigned by the provider to the child in
63 need of additional accommodations under s. 1002.87(1)(c)6. has
64 completed 10 hours of training in inclusive early childhood or
65 inclusive school-age education practices within the first 90
66 days after the child’s enrollment or within 90 days after the
67 hiring of a new instructor assigned by the provider to a child
68 in need of additional accommodations under s. 1002.87(1)(c)6.
69
70 After the initial determination of eligibility, the provider
71 must maintain the required program composite score and the
72 instructor assigned by the provider to a child who needs
73 additional accommodations under s. 1002.87(1)(c)6. must complete
74 a minimum of 2 hours of relevant training in each subsequent
75 year after the initial determination of eligibility in order to
76 remain eligible to implement the special needs differential
77 rate.
78 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.