Senate File 414 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN
RESOURCES
(SUCCESSOR TO SF 179)
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for a pilot project supporting high=quality
2 child care for low=income children.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 1976SV 83
5 jp/nh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 237A.13, Code 2009, is amended by
1 2 adding the following new subsection:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 7A. a. The department shall implement a
1 4 pilot project to support high=quality child care for
1 5 low=income children. The implementation shall be limited to
1 6 the extent of the funding designated for the pilot program.
1 7 b. To participate in the pilot project, a child care
1 8 facility must comply with all of the following:
1 9 (1) The facility is accredited by the national association
1 10 for the education of young children or the national
1 11 association for family child care, meets or exceeds the Iowa
1 12 quality preschool program standards adopted by the department
1 13 of education, has demonstrated a high degree of quality under
1 14 the voluntary child care quality rating system under section
1 15 237A.30, or is a federally funded head start program that
1 16 meets or exceeds head start performance standards.
1 17 (2) At least sixty percent of the children receiving child
1 18 care from the facility are participating in the state child
1 19 care assistance program.
1 20 (3) The facility offers a comprehensive set of services in
1 21 addition to child care for the parents and other family
1 22 members of the children receiving child care from the
1 23 facility.
1 24 c. The components of the pilot project may include but are
1 25 not limited to the following:
1 26 (1) Income eligibility for participating families is
1 27 redetermined twelve months from the date of the initial
1 28 eligibility determination and every twelve months thereafter.
1 29 (2) Participating families are exempt from any waiting
1 30 list applied under this section during the period of
1 31 participation.
1 32 (3) Participating families thought to be eligible for
1 33 state child care assistance based upon prima facie review have
1 34 a period of presumptive eligibility of not more than thirty
1 35 days while eligibility is being determined.
2 1 (4) Participating families who are also participating in
2 2 the family investment, food assistance, or medical assistance
2 3 programs or whose children are receiving free or reduced price
2 4 meals under the federal National School Lunch Act and the
2 5 federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. } 1751=1785,
2 6 have twelve months of continuous, categorical eligibility for
2 7 the state child care assistance program.
2 8 (5) The reimbursement methodology for facilities utilizes
2 9 a tiered approach based upon the quality rating of a facility
2 10 and allows reimbursement rates above the usual rate paid under
2 11 the state child care assistance program.
2 12 d. The pilot project design shall incorporate outcome
2 13 measures for assessing and annually reporting on the results
2 14 of the pilot project. To the extent feasible, the unique
2 15 student identifier system developed by the department of
2 16 education may be utilized for the assessment process.
2 17 EXPLANATION
2 18 This bill provides for a pilot project supporting
2 19 high=quality child care for low=income children under the
2 20 state child care assistance program in Code section 237A.13.
2 21 The state child care assistance program is funded through a
2 22 federal block grant and state funds.
2 23 To participate in the pilot project, a child care facility
2 24 (defined by Code chapter 237A as a child care center,
2 25 preschool, or a registered child development home) must meet
2 26 certain existing quality standards, have at least 60 percent
2 27 of the children receiving child care participating in the
2 28 state child care assistance program, and provide comprehensive
2 29 services to the families of the children receiving child care.
2 30 The pilot project components may include an annual
2 31 eligibility redetermination period, exemption from waiting
2 32 list requirements under the state child care assistance
2 33 program, a 30=day period of presumptive eligibility, state
2 34 child care assistance program continuous, categorical
2 35 eligibility based on family eligibility for other public
3 1 programs, and tiered reimbursement based on a facility's
3 2 quality rating.
3 3 The pilot project design is required to incorporate outcome
3 4 measures for assessing and annually reporting on the pilot
3 5 program results.
3 6 LSB 1976SV 83
3 7 jp/nh/8