HB 5346 — AN ACT CONCERNING EARLY CHILD CARE.

General Assembly SubstituteRaised Bill No.

5346 February Session, 2024 ANLCO ACTNo. CONCERNING EARLY CHILD CARE.

2296 Referred to Committee on EDUCATION Introduced by:

(ED) AN ACT CONCERNING EARLY CHILD CARE.

(b) The state, acting by and in the discretion of the Commissioner of Early Childhood, may enter into a contract with a municipality, a group child care home or family child care home, as described in section 19a- 77, a human resource development agency or a nonprofit corporation LCO \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2024HB-05346-R011 of 5 HB.docx Substitute Bill No.

53462296 1 of 6 Raised Bill No.5346 Early Childhood, may enter into a contract with a municipality, a group child care home or family child care home, as described in section 19a- 77, a human resource development agency or a nonprofit corporation for state financial assistance in developing and operating child care centers, group child care homes and family child care homes for childrendisadvantagedbyreasonsofeconomic,socialorenvironmental conditions, provided no such financial assistance shall be available for the operating costs of any such child care center, group child care home or family child care home unless it has been licensed by the Commissioner of Early Childhood pursuant to section 19a-80.

The Commissioner of Early Childhood may authorize child care centers, groupLCO childNo. care homes and family child care homes receiving financial assistance under this subsection to apply a program surplus to the next program year.

The2296 Commissioner2 of Early6 ChildhoodRaised shallBill consultNo.5346 withgroup LCOchild {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2024HB-053462care ofhomes 5and R01-HB.docxfamily }child Substitutecare Billhomes No.receiving financial assistance under this subsection to apply a program surplus to the next program year.

5346The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall consult with directors of child care centers in establishing fees for the operation of such centers.

The commissionermayusesuchunexpendedfundsonandafterJuly1,2015, to support early childhood education programs accepting state funds in satisfyingthestaffqualificationsrequirementsofsubparagraphs(B)and (C)LCO ofNo. subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section.

The2296 commissioner3 shallof use6 anyRaised suchBill fundsNo.5346 to(C) provideof assistancesubdivision to(2) individualof staffsubsection members,(b) giving priority to those staff members (A) attending an LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2024HB-053463 of 5this R01-HB.docxsection. } Substitute Bill No.

5346The commissioner shall use any such funds to provide assistance to individual staff members, giving priority to those staff members (A) attending an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or the Office of Higher Education, and approved by the Office of Early Childhood, and regionally accredited, at a maximum of ten thousand dollars per staff member per year for the cost of higher education courses leading to a bachelor's degree or, not later than December 31, 2015, an associate degree, as such degrees are described in said subparagraphs (B) and (C), or (B) receiving noncredit competency-basedtrainingapprovedbytheoffice,atamaximumofone thousand dollars per staff member per year, provided such staff members have applied for all available federal and state scholarships and grants, and such assistance does not exceed such staff members' financial need.

The commissioner may use such funds for purposes including, but not limited to, (A) assisting local school readiness programs in meeting and maintaining accreditation requirements, (B) providing training in implementing the preschool assessment and curriculum frameworks, including training to enhance literacy teaching skills, (C) developing a state-wide preschool curriculum, (D) developing student assessments for students in grades kindergarten to two, inclusive, (E) developing and implementing best practices for parents in supporting preschool and kindergarten student learning, (F) developing and implementing strategies for children to successfully transition to preschool and from preschool to kindergarten, including through parental engagement and whole-family supports that may be utilized through the two- generational initiative, established pursuant to section 17b-112l, or through other available resources, (G) providing for professional LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2024HB-053464 of 5 R01-HB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

53462296 4 of 6 Raised Bill No.5346 whole-family supports that may be utilized through the two- generational initiative, established pursuant to section 17b-112l, or through other available resources, (G) providing for professional development, including assisting in career ladder advancement, for school readiness staff, (H) providing supplemental grants to other towns that are eligible for grants pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, and (I) developing a plan to provide spaces in an accredited school readiness program or a school readiness program seeking accreditation to all eligible children who reside in an area or town described in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of subdivision (1) of subsection (d) of this section.] Sec.

Sec.

5.

(Effective from passage) The Office of Early Childhood shall conduct a study regarding the feasibility of expanding the qualifications required for a person to be issued an early childhood teacher credential under section 10-520b of the general statutes to include experience in nontraditional child care settings and other forms of informal child care.

Not later than January 1, 2025, the office shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of the LCO No.

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5346 General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, inaccordancewiththeprovisionsofsection11-4aofthegeneralstatutes.

2 July 1, 2024 8-210(b) July 1, 2024 Sec.

3 July 1, 2024 10-16p(e) Sec.

4 from passage New section EDSec. Joint Favorable Subst.

C/R5 APPfrom LCOpassage {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2024HB-05346-New 5section Statement of 5Purpose: R01-HB.docx }

To provide the Early Childhood Education Fund with unexpended fundsfromcertainearlychildhoodprograms;torequiretheDepartment of Administrative Services to conduct a study of state-owned buildings and property for the purpose of utilizing or converting such buildings and property for early childhood care, early childhood education, housing and adult training programs;

and to require the Office of Early Childhood to study ways to include experience in nontraditional child care settings and other informal child care arrangements for purposes of issuing an early childhood teacher credential.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.

Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except underlined.]e entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not LCO No.

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