SB 286 — AN ACT CONCERNING EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION.

General Assembly SubstituteRaised Bill No.

286 February Session, 2024 ANLCO ACTNo. CONCERNING EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION.

2256 Referred to Committee on EDUCATION Introduced by:

(ED) AN ACT CONCERNING EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION.

(NEW) (Effective July 1, 2024) Each employee of an early childhood care and education program shall be paid an annual salary as prescribed in the compensation schedule developed pursuant to section 10-531 of the general statutes except if such employee's salary is greater than the amount prescribed in such compensation schedule, then such employee shall be paid such greater amount.

As used in this section, "early childhood care and education program" means (1) a child care center or group child care home, as those terms are described in section 19a-77 of the general statutes, (2) a private preschool program, school readiness program, as defined in section 10-16p of the general statutes, or program pursuant to section 8-210 of the general statutes, or (3) any child care services provider or school readiness program that (A) accepts state funds for infant, toddler or preschool spaces associated with such program, (B) is not required to be licensed pursuant to subsection (b) of section 19a-77 of the general statutes, and (C) is located in a public school building but is not administered by a public school system.

LCO No.

2256 1 of 6 Raised Bill No.286 Sec.

2.

[or] (2) receives cash assistance under the temporary family assistance program from the Department of LCOSocial \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00286-R01Services and is participating in an education, training or other job preparation activity approved pursuant to subsection (b) of 5section SB.docx17b- Substitute688i Billor No.subsection (b) of section 17b-689d;

286or Social(3) Services and is participating in an education,employee trainingof oran otherearly jobchildhood preparationcare activityand approvededucation pursuantprogram, toas subsectiondefined (b)in of section 17b-1 688i or subsection (b) of sectionthis 17b-689d;act.

or (3) is an employee of an early childhood care and education program.

The Commissioner of Early Childhood may institute a protective service class in which the commissioner may waive eligibilityrequirementseligibility requirements for at-risk populations that meet the guidelines prescribed by the commissioner, and subject to review by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management.

Such at-risk populations are children placed in a foster home by the Department of Children and Families and for whom the parentorlegalguardianreceivesfostercarepayments,adoptedchildrenparent or legal guardian receives foster care payments, adopted children for one year from the date of adoption and homeless childrenLCO andNo. youths, as defined in 42 USC 11434a, as amended from time to time.

The2256 Office2 of Early6 ChildhoodRaised shallBill openNo.286 children and maintainyouths, enrollmentas fordefined thein child42 careUSC subsidy11434a, programas andamended shallfrom administertime suchto programtime. within the existing budgetary resources available.

The officeOffice shallof issueEarly aChildhood noticeshall onopen theand office'smaintain Internetenrollment webforthe sitechildcare anysubsidy timeprogramandshalladminister the office closes the program to new applications, changes eligibility requirements, changes program benefits or makes any other change to the program's status or terms, except the office shall not be required to issue such notice when the office expands programeligibility.Any change intheoffice'sacceptance of new applications, eligibility requirements, program benefitswithin or any other change to the program'sexisting statusbudgetary orresources termsavailable. for which the office is required to give notice pursuant to this subsection, shall not be effective until thirty days after the office issues such notice.

The office shall issue a notice on the office's Internet web site any time the office closes the program to new applications, changes eligibility requirements, changes program benefits or makes any other change to the program's status or terms, except the office shall not be required to issue such notice when the office expands program eligibility.

Any change in the office's acceptance of new applications, eligibility requirements, program benefits or any other change to the program's status or terms for which the office is required to give notice pursuant to this subsection, shall not be effective until thirty days after the office issues such notice.

(1) [may] May increase the income level up to the maximum level allowed under federallaw, (2)upontherequestoftheCommissioner ofChildren and Families, may waive the income standards for adoptive families so LCOthat {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00282children adopted on or after October 1, 1999, from the Department of 5Children R01-SB.docxand }Families Substituteare Billeligible No.for the child care subsidy program, [and] (3) shall establish a two-tiered income eligibility threshold in accordance with 45 CFR 98.21(b), as amended from time to time, and (4) shall waive the income standards for any employee of an early childhood care and education program, as defined in section 1 of this act.

286 that children adopted on or after October 1, 1999, from the Department of Children and Families are eligible for the child care subsidy program, [and] (3) shall establish a two-tiered income eligibility threshold in accordance with 45 CFR 98.21(b), as amended from time to time, and (4) shall waive the income standards for any employee of an early childhood care and education program, as defined in section 1 of this act.

(1) A priority intake and eligibility system with preference given to serving (A) recipients of temporary family assistance who are employed or engaged in employment activities underLCO theNo. Department of Social Services' "Jobs First" program, (B) working families whose temporary family assistance was discontinued not morethanfive yearsprior to thedate ofapplicationfor thechildcare subsidy program, (C) teen parents, (D) low-income working families, (E) adoptive families of children who were adopted from the Department of Children and Families and who are granted a waiver of income standards under subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section, (F) working families who are at risk of welfare dependency, (G) parents or caretakers participating in an apprenticeship program administered by the Labor Department's office of apprenticeship training, (H) parents or caretakers enrolled in an adult education program pursuant to section 10-69 or other high school equivalency program, (I) parents or caretakers participating in a job training or employment program administered by a regional workforce development board, [and] (J) parents or caretakers enrolled in a public or independent institution of higher education, and (K) employees of early childhood care and education programs, as defined in section 1 of this act;

2256 3 of 6 Raised Bill No.286 under the Department of Social Services' "Jobs First" program, (B) working families whose temporary family assistance was discontinued not morethanfive yearsprior to thedate ofapplicationfor thechildcare subsidy program, (C) teen parents, (D) low-income working families, (E) adoptive families of children who were adopted from the Department of Children and Families and who are granted a waiver of income standards under subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section, (F) working families who are at risk of welfare dependency, (G) parents or caretakers participating in an apprenticeship program administered by the Labor Department's office of apprenticeship training, (H) parents or caretakers enrolled in an adult education program pursuant to section 10-69 or other high school equivalency program, (I) parents or caretakers participating in a job training or employment program administered by a regional workforce development board, [and] (J) parents or caretakers enrolled in a public or independent institution of higher education, and (K) employees of early childhood care and education programs, as defined in section 1 of this act;

(3) a reimbursement system for child care services which account for differences in the age of the child, number of children in the family, the LCOgeographic {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00283region andtypeof care providedby licensed and unlicensed caregivers, the cost and type of 5services R01-SB.docxprovided }by Substitutelicensed Billand No.unlicensed caregivers, successful completion of fifteen hours of annual in-service training or credentialing of child care directors and administrators, and program accreditation;

286 geographic region andtypeof care providedby licensed and unlicensed caregivers, the cost and type of services provided by licensed and unlicensed caregivers, successful completion of fifteen hours of annual in-service training or credentialing of child care directors and administrators, and program accreditation;

and (10) a waiting list for the childLCO careNo. subsidy program that (A) allows the commissioner to exercise discretion in prioritizing within and between existing priority groups, including, but not limited to, children described in 45 CFR 98.46, as amended from time to time, and households with an infant or toddler, and(B)reflectsthepriorityandeligibilitysystemsetforthinsubdivision (1) of this subsection, which is reviewed periodically, with the inclusion of this information in the annual report required to be issued annually by the office to the Governor and the General Assembly in accordance with section 17b-733.

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286 child care subsidy program that (A) allows the commissioner to exercise discretion in prioritizing within and between existing priority groups, including, but not limited to, children described in 45 CFR 98.46, as amended from time to time, and households with an infant or toddler, and(B)reflectsthepriorityandeligibilitysystemsetforthinsubdivision (1) of this subsection, which is reviewed periodically, with the inclusion of this information in the annual report required to be issued annually by the office to the Governor and the General Assembly in accordance with section 17b-733.

2.3.

(l) For the fiscal [years] year ending June 30, 2022, [to June 30, 2026, inclusive] and each fiscal year thereafter, the Commissioner of Early Childhood may issue a license to maintain a family child care home [in New Britain, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Hartford, Danbury or LCOWaterbury] {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00284anywhere in the state in accordance with the provisions of 5this R01-SB.docxchapter }to Substitutea Billperson No.or group of persons who have partnered with an association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, to provide child care services in a space provided by such association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, provided such space has been approved by the commissioner and is not in a private family home.

286The Waterbury]commissioner anywhere[shall innot] themay stateapprove inmore accordancethan withone thefacility provisionsin ofeach this[such] chaptercity to a person or grouptown of persons who have partnered with an association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, to providebe childused carefor serviceslicenses inissued aunder spacethis providedsubsection. by such association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, provided such space has been approved by the commissioner and is not in a private family home.

The commissioner shall not issue more than twenty licenses under this subsection.

The commissioner may approve more than one facility in each [such] city or town to be used for licenses issued under this subsection.

The commissioner may waive any requirement that does notLCO applyNo. to such facility.

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286 not apply to such facility.

Section 1 July 1, 2024 17b-749(a)New tosection (c) Sec.

2 July 1, 2024 19a-87b(l)17b-749(a) EDto Joint(c) FavorableSec. Subst.

C/R3 APPJuly LCO1, {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00286-52024 of19a-87b(l) 5Statement R01-SB.docxof }Purpose:

To require early childhood care and education programs to pay its employees an annual salary that is in accordance with the proposed early childhood educator compensation schedule, to make any employee of an early childhood care and education program eligible for Care 4 Kids and to expand the early childhood incubator program.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.