Senate File 192 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY TINSMAN and RAGAN Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act requiring the department of human services to develop and 2 implement a voluntary child care quality rating system. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1325SS 81 5 jp/pj/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 237A.30, Code 2005, is amended by 1 2 striking the section and inserting in lieu thereof the 1 3 following: 1 4 237A.30 CHILD CARE QUALITY RATING SYSTEM. 1 5 1. The department shall work with the community 1 6 empowerment office of the department of management established 1 7 in section 28.3 and the state child care advisory council in 1 8 designing and implementing a quality rating system for each 1 9 provider type of child care facility. 1 10 2. The quality rating system shall be voluntary and 1 11 composed of multiple ratings based upon the rating criteria 1 12 adopted for the system. The initial system shall provide for 1 13 five levels; however, the department may periodically revise 1 14 the system to change the number of levels and make other 1 15 changes to improve the system. The department shall identify 1 16 the period for which a rating is awarded and the means by 1 17 which a rating may be withdrawn or modified. 1 18 3. The criteria utilized for the rating system may include 1 19 but are not limited to any of the following: facility type; 1 20 provider staff experience, education, training, and 1 21 credentials; facility director education and training; an 1 22 environmental rating score or other direct assessment 1 23 environmental methodology; national accreditation; facility 1 24 history of compliance with law and rules; child=to=staff 1 25 ratio; curriculum; business practices; staff retention rates; 1 26 evaluation of staff members and program practices; staff 1 27 compensation and benefit practices; provider and staff 1 28 membership in professional early childhood organizations; and 1 29 parental involvement with the facility. 1 30 4. The department may directly administer or contract for 1 31 the administration of the quality rating system. A facility's 1 32 quality rating may be included on the internet page and in the 1 33 consumer information provided by the department pursuant to 1 34 section 237A.25 and shall be identified in the child care 1 35 provider referrals made by child care resource and referral 2 1 service grantees under section 237A.26. 2 2 5. For reimbursement paid under the state child care 2 3 assistance program established in section 237A.13, the 2 4 department may implement a reimbursement rate methodology 2 5 applicable to child care facilities participating in the 2 6 rating system in which the reimbursement rate varies based 2 7 upon the rating of a facility. In addition, as part of the 2 8 quality rating system, the department may pay an achievement 2 9 bonus to providers that are awarded a quality rating. 2 10 Sec. 2. PHASED IMPLEMENTATION. 2 11 1. Effective July 1, 2005, the department of human 2 12 services shall no longer accept applications for the gold seal 2 13 quality designation for child care providers under section 2 14 237A.30, Code 2005. However, if a child care provider has 2 15 been awarded the designation prior to July 1, 2005, the 2 16 designation may continue to be utilized for that provider 2 17 until the designated period of nationally recognized 2 18 accreditation for which the gold seal designation was awarded 2 19 has ended. 2 20 2. The department of human services shall commence 2 21 implementation of the child care quality rating system under 2 22 section 237A.30, as amended by this Act, by awarding ratings 2 23 beginning on or after January 1, 2006. The department may 2 24 modify implementation of the rating system and the rating 2 25 system itself as necessary to conform to the funding made 2 26 available for the rating system for the fiscal year beginning 2 27 July 1, 2005. 2 28 EXPLANATION 2 29 This bill requires the department of human services to 2 30 develop and implement a voluntary child care quality rating 2 31 system. 2 32 Code section 237A.30, providing for recognition of high= 2 33 quality child care providers with a gold seal quality child 2 34 care provider designation, is stricken and replaced with a new 2 35 child care quality rating system for child care facilities. 3 1 Code chapter 237A defines the term "child care facility" to 3 2 mean a child care center, preschool, or registered child 3 3 development home. The new rating system is required to be 3 4 voluntary and to include multiple ratings. The initial system 3 5 is required to have five rating levels for each provider type 3 6 but the system may be revised by the department to improve it. 3 7 The department is required to develop the rating system by 3 8 working with the community empowerment office of the 3 9 department of management and the state child care advisory 3 10 council. The bill lists various criteria that the department 3 11 may use in developing the multiple ratings to be used in the 3 12 quality rating system. 3 13 The bill requires the department to stop accepting 3 14 applications for the gold seal quality child care provider 3 15 designation effective July 1, 2005. However, the designation 3 16 may continue to be used until the designated period of 3 17 nationally recognized accreditation has ended. 3 18 The department is required to commence implementation of 3 19 the quality rating system by awarding ratings beginning on or 3 20 after January 1, 2006. The department is authorized to modify 3 21 the implementation of the rating system and the rating system 3 22 itself as necessary to conform to the funding available for 3 23 the rating system for fiscal year 2005=2006. 3 24 LSB 1325SS 81 3 25 jp:rj/pj/5