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90_SB1330
30 ILCS 105/5.480 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14.1 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14.2 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14.3 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14.4 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14.5 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14.6 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14.7 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14.8 new
305 ILCS 5/9-14.9 new
Amends the State Finance Act and the Public Aid Code.
Directs the Department of Human Services to establish a
Neighbor-to-Neighbor Child Care Training and Education Pilot
Program to train and educate public aid recipients for jobs
in child care or assist them in securing appropriate licenses
or permits to operate a child care facility. Provides for
grants to local community-based agencies to implement
training and education programs. Creates the Child Care
Training and Education Pilot Program Fund in connection with
financing of the pilot program. Effective immediately.
LRB9008682DJcd
LRB9008682DJcd
1 AN ACT concerning child care, amending named Acts.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
5 Section 5.480 as follows:
6 (30 ILCS 105/5.480 new)
7 Sec. 5.480. The Child Care Training and Education Pilot
8 Program Fund.
9 Section 10. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
10 adding Sections 9-14, 9-14.1, 9-14.2, 9-14.3, 9-14.4, 9-14.5,
11 9-14.6, 9-14.7, 9-14.8, and 9-14.9 as follows:
12 (305 ILCS 5/9-14 new)
13 Sec. 9-14. Neighbors Program; findings. The General
14 Assembly finds and declares that the State lacks an adequate
15 number of affordable, safe, and reliable child care
16 facilities, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, and
17 needs more trained child care workers. The General Assembly
18 further finds that public aid recipients could become
19 employed as child care workers or become licensed family
20 child care providers if they had the proper training and
21 education.
22 The General Assembly declares that implementation of the
23 Neighbor-to-Neighbor Child Care Training and Education Pilot
24 Program will help public aid recipients begin to attain
25 self-sufficiency while increasing the supply of trained child
26 care workers.
27 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.1 new)
28 Sec. 9-14.1. Neighbors Program; definitions. As used in
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1 Sections 9-14 through 9-14.9:
2 "Neighbors Program" means the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Child
3 Care Training and Education Pilot Program authorized under
4 Sections 9-14 through 9-14.9.
5 "Participant" means a person who is participating in one
6 of the training and education programs as part of the
7 Neighbors Program pursuant to a grant awarded under Section
8 9-14.2.
9 "Pilot site agency" means a local public or private
10 community-based agency that is awarded a grant to implement a
11 training and education program under Section 9-14.2.
12 "Training and education program" means a program that a
13 pilot site agency operates under a grant awarded under
14 Section 9-14.2 to train participants in the area of child
15 care.
16 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.2 new)
17 Sec. 9-14.2. Neighbors Program; proposals; grants.
18 (a) On or before January 1, 1999, the Illinois
19 Department shall issue a request for proposals statewide for
20 training and education programs that have the features
21 described in Section 9-14.3. The request for proposals shall
22 include, but not be limited to, the following components:
23 (1) A description of the design and purpose of the
24 training and education program.
25 (2) A description of how the pilot site agency will
26 recruit and assess participants pursuant to subsection
27 (d) of Section 9-14.3.
28 (3) The type of training programs, including
29 on-the-job training programs, that the pilot site agency
30 will provide.
31 (4) Methods for encouraging the use of other
32 community resources for training.
33 (5) Methods for ensuring support for participants
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1 who successfully complete the training and education
2 program to be able to seek independent employment in
3 child care.
4 (6) Methods for providing for the child care needs
5 of the participants.
6 (b) A local public or private community-based
7 organization that is interested in becoming a pilot site
8 agency shall respond to the request for proposals no later
9 than April 1, 1999.
10 (c) No later than September 1, 1999, the Illinois
11 Department shall select not more than 10 pilot site agencies
12 located throughout the State. In selecting the pilot site
13 agencies, the Illinois Department shall consider the criteria
14 set forth in Section 9-14.3. The Illinois Department shall
15 award a grant of not more than $25,000 to each pilot site
16 agency selected.
17 (d) Pilot site agencies shall begin their training and
18 education programs no later than 30 days after the date of
19 the grant award or by October 1, 1999, whichever is later.
20 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.3 new)
21 Sec. 9-14.3. Neighbors Program; training and education
22 program features.
23 (a) Training and education programs that demonstrate the
24 features described in subsections (b) through (d) are
25 eligible to receive a grant under Section 9-14.2.
26 (b) The training and education program shall be designed
27 as a one-year program, and a budget for implementation of the
28 program shall be prepared. Allowable budget expenditures
29 shall be limited to the costs of implementing the training
30 and education program. Those costs may include, but shall
31 not be limited to, the costs of trainers, training materials,
32 and equipment needed to start a day care center, day care
33 home, or group day care home as defined in the Child Care Act
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1 of 1969.
2 (c) The training and education program shall be designed
3 to train and educate participants for jobs in child care or
4 assist them in securing appropriate State and local licenses
5 and permits to operate a day care center, day care home, or
6 group day care home, including the process for seeking any
7 local variances or State waivers that may be needed to
8 operate such a child care facility. The training and
9 education program shall, to the extent practicable, utilize
10 community resources, including but not limited to local
11 agencies, county departments of public aid, or other
12 appropriate community groups, in recruiting participants and
13 marketing the training and education program.
14 (d) The training and education program shall recruit
15 persons who are 18 years of age or older and who are
16 recipients of one or more of the following forms of public
17 aid:
18 (1) Aid to families with dependent children under
19 Article IV of this Code, or its successor program.
20 (2) Medical assistance under Article V of this
21 Code.
22 (3) Food stamps.
23 (e) Persons selected for training shall be assessed to
24 ensure that they are capable of working in the child care
25 field and are committed to working in that field. The
26 pre-training assessment shall include, but need not be
27 limited to, an assessment of each of the following factors:
28 (1) Interest. Whether the person is interested in
29 working with children to promote healthy development and
30 readiness for school and has a desire to care for
31 children; and whether the person's interest is based on
32 experience or exposure to children.
33 (2) Capability. Whether the person is capable of
34 working in or operating a child care facility; whether
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1 the person is able to work independently in his or her
2 own home or whether he or she is better suited to work
3 in a supervised, structured setting; and whether the
4 person can care for a group of children at the same time
5 and has the capacity to provide quality care.
6 (3) Emotional capacity. Whether the person
7 possesses the emotional capacity to cope with the
8 stresses of child care; and whether the stresses of the
9 person's personal life will impact his or her ability to
10 care for children.
11 (4) Stability. Whether the person's personal life
12 is stable; whether it is probable that the person will
13 complete the training and seek employment; and whether
14 the person has moved frequently in the preceding 2 years.
15 This factor is especially important with respect to a
16 person who wants to be self-employed as an operator of a
17 child care facility.
18 (5) Self-sufficiency. Whether the person can
19 support his or her family as a child care worker; and the
20 amount and nature of the person's expenses and sources of
21 income.
22 (6) Home assessment. If the person is interested
23 in operating a child care facility, whether it is
24 possible to provide child care in the person's current
25 dwelling; and whether that dwelling is likely to be
26 licensed as required by law.
27 (7) Health. Whether the person has the physical
28 stamina to work with children and lift young children;
29 and whether the person has the mental and emotional
30 maturity and stability to work with children.
31 Persons selected for training shall authorize a criminal
32 background investigation as required for child care facility
33 license applicants and employees under Section 4.1 of the
34 Child Care Act of 1969. If a person would be precluded from
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1 obtaining a child care facility license or employment in a
2 child care facility based upon the results of the
3 investigation, the person's participation in the training
4 program shall be terminated.
5 Persons selected for training shall have a reading level
6 of at least 8th grade in order to understand written
7 instructions and to be able to read to children. A person
8 with a lower reading level may be considered for
9 participation in the training if the person enrolls in
10 remedial reading classes in order to increase his or her
11 reading level.
12 The Illinois Department shall by rule establish screening
13 procedures to be used by individuals or entities when
14 recruiting training participants. These procedures shall be
15 employed before persons are referred to training sites for
16 assessments as required in this subsection.
17 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.4 new)
18 Sec. 9-14.4. Neighbors Program; no direct cash
19 assistance. In no case may any grant awarded under Section
20 9-14.2, or any part of such a grant, be used to provide
21 direct cash assistance to a participant.
22 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.5 new)
23 Sec. 9-14.5. Neighbors Program; effect on other
24 programs. Nothing in Sections 9-14 through 9-14.9 shall be
25 construed to waive the requirements of any other mandatory
26 employment or training program.
27 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.6 new)
28 Sec. 9-14.6. Neighbors Program; Illinois Department
29 duties. The Illinois Department shall do the following:
30 (1) Oversee the administration of the Neighbors
31 Program.
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1 (2) Provide technical assistance to the pilot site
2 agencies.
3 (3) Prepare a final report that evaluates the
4 Neighbors Program and file the report with the General
5 Assembly no later than January 1, 2001.
6 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.7 new)
7 Sec. 9-14.7. Neighbors Program; pilot site agency
8 duties. Each pilot site agency shall do the following:
9 (1) Train the participants and monitor their
10 progress throughout the course of the training and
11 education program.
12 (2) Report to the Illinois Department monthly on
13 the progress of the participants and the training and
14 education program's adherence to its budget.
15 (3) Prepare a final report and file it with
16 Illinois Department no later than November 1, 2000.
17 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.8 new)
18 Sec. 9-14.8. Neighbors Program; funding sources.
19 (a) The Illinois Department may receive contributions,
20 grants, services, and in-kind donations from any public or
21 private entity for the direct or indirect costs associated
22 with the implementation of the Neighbors Program.
23 (b) All contributions and grants received by the
24 Illinois Department pursuant to subsection (a) shall be
25 transmitted to the State Treasurer, who shall credit those
26 amounts to the Child Care Training and Education Pilot
27 Program Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury.
28 The moneys in the Fund shall be subject to annual
29 appropriation by the General Assembly for the direct and
30 indirect costs associated with the implementation of the
31 Neighbors Program. Any interest derived from the deposit and
32 investment of moneys in the Fund shall be credited to the
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1 Fund. At the end of the fiscal year, all unexpended and
2 unencumbered moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and
3 shall not be credited or transferred to the General Revenue
4 Fund or any other fund.
5 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.9 new)
6 Sec. 9-14.9. Neighbors Program; repeal. Sections 9-14
7 through 9-14.9 are repealed on July 1, 2001.
8 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9 becoming law.