House File 531
HOUSE FILE
BY GREIMANN, PETERSEN, and
OLDSON
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act requiring the departments of human services and education
2 to provide information to parents and other consumers
3 regarding child care and preschool programs.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 2801HH 80
6 jp/cf/24
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 237A.31 CONSUMER INFORMATION ON
1 2 CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOLS.
1 3 1. The department shall develop consumer information
1 4 material to assist parents in selecting a child care provider
1 5 or a preschool, as defined in section 256A.6. In developing
1 6 the material, the department shall consult with department of
1 7 human services staff, department of education staff, the state
1 8 child care advisory council, the Iowa empowerment board, and
1 9 child care resource and referral services. In addition, the
1 10 department may consult with other entities at the local,
1 11 state, and national level.
1 12 2. The consumer information material developed by the
1 13 department for parents and other consumers of preschool and
1 14 child care programs shall include but is not limited to all of
1 15 the following:
1 16 a. A pamphlet or other printed material containing
1 17 consumer=oriented information on locating a quality preschool
1 18 or child care provider.
1 19 b. Information explaining important considerations a
1 20 consumer should look for in a licensed, registered, regulated,
1 21 or unregulated preschool or child care program.
1 22 c. Information explaining how a consumer can identify
1 23 quality programs, including what questions to ask of providers
1 24 and what a consumer might expect or demand to know before
1 25 selecting a provider.
1 26 d. An explanation of the applicable laws and regulations
1 27 written in layperson's terms.
1 28 e. An explanation of what it means for a provider to be
1 29 licensed, registered, or regulated.
1 30 f. An explanation of the information considered in
1 31 registry and record background checks.
1 32 g. Other information deemed relevant to consumers.
1 33 3. The department of human services shall implement and
1 34 publicize an internet page or site that provides all of the
1 35 following:
2 1 a. The written information developed pursuant to
2 2 subsections 1 and 2.
2 3 b. The preschool ratings developed by the department of
2 4 education pursuant to section 256.6.
2 5 c. Regular informational updates, including when a
2 6 preschool or child care provider facility was last subject to
2 7 a state quality review or inspection and the results of the
2 8 review or inspection.
2 9 d. Other information deemed appropriate by the department.
2 10 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 256A.6 PRESCHOOL RATING SYSTEM.
2 11 1. For the purposes of this section, "preschool" means a
2 12 facility which provides to children ages three through five,
2 13 for periods of time not exceeding three hours per day,
2 14 programs designed to help the children to develop intellectual
2 15 skills, social skills, and motor skills, and to extend the
2 16 children's interest and understanding of the children's
2 17 surroundings. A "preschool" includes but is not limited to a
2 18 child care facility licensed under chapter 237A, a facility
2 19 operated or contracted for by a board of directors of a school
2 20 corporation under section 279.49, a facility operated or
2 21 contracted for by the authorities in charge of an accredited
2 22 nonpublic school under section 280.3A, or another preschool
2 23 program which is not defined as child care under section
2 24 237A.1.
2 25 2. The department of education shall develop and implement
2 26 a system for rating preschool programs operating in the state.
2 27 The purpose of the rating system is to provide comparative
2 28 information to consumers regarding the relative quality of
2 29 preschool programs. Each program's rating shall be public
2 30 information and shall be made available to consumers.
2 31 3. a. In developing the rating system, the department of
2 32 education shall consult with the department of human services,
2 33 the state child care advisory council, the child development
2 34 coordinating council, and the Iowa empowerment board. The
2 35 department may also consult with other entities at the local,
3 1 state, and national level.
3 2 b. The rating system shall incorporate qualitative
3 3 factors, including health and safety standards, use of best
3 4 practices, history of regulatory compliance, staff
3 5 qualifications, and documented outcomes for children.
3 6 4. The rating system and the ratings of preschools shall
3 7 be included in the information regarding child care and
3 8 preschools posted on the internet by the department of human
3 9 services pursuant to section 237A.31.
3 10 EXPLANATION
3 11 This bill requires the departments of human services and
3 12 education to provide information to parents and other
3 13 consumers regarding child care and preschool programs.
3 14 New Code section 237A.31 requires the department of human
3 15 services to develop brochures and other written materials to
3 16 assist consumers in identifying and selecting child care and
3 17 preschool providers. Although "preschool" is a defined term
3 18 in Code chapter 237A for a child care facility that is
3 19 licensed or registered by the department and provides
3 20 preschool services, the bill uses a broader definition that is
3 21 also applicable to programs that are not regulated by the
3 22 department. The bill requires the department of human
3 23 services to implement and publicize an internet page or site
3 24 that provides the written information, regulatory review
3 25 information, and preschool ratings developed by the department
3 26 of education pursuant to the bill.
3 27 New Code section 256A.6 amends the Code chapter pertaining
3 28 to child development programs to require the department of
3 29 education to develop and implement a rating system for
3 30 preschools. The department is directed to consult with
3 31 various agencies in developing the system. The purpose of the
3 32 rating system is to provide comparative information to
3 33 consumers regarding the relative quality of preschool programs
3 34 and the ratings are to be included on the internet site to be
3 35 implemented by the department of human services pursuant to
4 1 the bill. The term "preschool" is defined to mean a facility
4 2 providing programs to children ages three through five, not
4 3 more than three hours per day, and includes facilities
4 4 regulated by the department of human services, school boards,
4 5 and private schools, and unregulated facilities.
4 6 LSB 2801HH 80
4 7 jp/cf/24