093_SB0379
LRB093 03313 DRJ 03330 b
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 5.595 as follows:
6 (30 ILCS 105/5.595 new)
7 Sec. 5.595. 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, 2004, the Department of
19 Human Services shall issue a request for proposals statewide
20 for training and education programs that have the features
21 described in Section 9-14.3. The request for proposals must
22 include, but need not be limited to, the following
23 components:
24 (1) A description of the design and purpose of the
25 training and education program.
26 (2) A description of how the pilot site agency will
27 recruit and assess participants pursuant to subsection
28 (d) of Section 9-14.3.
29 (3) The type of training programs, including
30 on-the-job training programs, that the pilot site agency
31 will provide.
32 (4) Methods for encouraging the use of other
33 community resources for training.
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1 (5) Methods for ensuring support for participants
2 who successfully complete the training and education
3 program to be able to seek independent employment in
4 child care.
5 (6) Methods for providing for the child care needs
6 of the participants.
7 (b) A local public or private community-based
8 organization that is interested in becoming a pilot site
9 agency must respond to the request for proposals no later
10 than April 1, 2004.
11 (c) No later than September 1, 2004, the Department of
12 Human Services must select not more than 10 pilot site
13 agencies located throughout the State. In selecting the pilot
14 site agencies, the Department must consider the criteria set
15 forth in Section 9-14.3. The Department must award a grant
16 of not more than $25,000 to each pilot site agency selected.
17 (d) Pilot site agencies must begin their training and
18 education programs no later than 30 days after the date of
19 the grant award or by October 1, 2004, 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 must be designed
27 as a one-year program, and a budget for implementation of the
28 program must be prepared. Allowable budget expenditures are
29 limited to the costs of implementing the training and
30 education program. Those costs may include, but are not
31 limited to, the costs of trainers, training materials, and
32 equipment needed to start a day care center, day care home,
33 or group day care home as defined in the Child Care Act of
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1 1969.
2 (c) The training and education program must 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. To the extent
9 practicable, the training and education program must utilize
10 community resources, including but not limited to local
11 agencies, Department of Human Services local offices, or
12 other appropriate community groups, in recruiting
13 participants and marketing the training and education
14 program.
15 (d) The training and education program must recruit
16 persons who are 18 years of age or older and who are
17 recipients of one or more of the following forms of public
18 aid:
19 (1) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
20 under Article IV of this Code.
21 (2) Medical assistance under Article V of this
22 Code.
23 (3) Food stamps.
24 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.4 new)
25 Sec. 9-14.4. Neighbors Program; no direct cash
26 assistance. In no case may any grant awarded under Section
27 9-14.2, or any part of such a grant, be used to provide
28 direct cash assistance to a participant.
29 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.5 new)
30 Sec. 9-14.5. Neighbors Program; effect on other
31 programs. Nothing in Sections 9-14 through 9-14.9 shall be
32 construed to waive the requirements of any other mandatory
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1 employment or training program.
2 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.6 new)
3 Sec. 9-14.6. Neighbors Program; Department duties. The
4 Department of Human Services must do the following:
5 (1) Oversee the administration of the Neighbors
6 Program.
7 (2) Provide technical assistance to the pilot site
8 agencies.
9 (3) Prepare a final report that evaluates the
10 Neighbors Program and file the report with the General
11 Assembly no later than January 1, 2006.
12 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.7 new)
13 Sec. 9-14.7. Neighbors Program; pilot site agency
14 duties. Each pilot site agency must do the following:
15 (1) Train the participants and monitor their
16 progress throughout the course of the training and
17 education program.
18 (2) Report to the Department of Human Services
19 monthly on the progress of the participants and the
20 training and education program's adherence to its budget.
21 (3) Prepare a final report and file it with the
22 Department of Human Services no later than November 1,
23 2005.
24 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.8 new)
25 Sec. 9-14.8. Neighbors Program; funding sources.
26 (a) The Department of Human Services may receive
27 contributions, grants, services, and in-kind donations from
28 any public or private entity for the direct or indirect costs
29 associated with the implementation of the Neighbors Program.
30 (b) All contributions and grants received by the
31 Department of Human Services under subsection (a) must be
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1 transmitted to the State Treasurer, who must credit those
2 amounts to the Child Care Training and Education Pilot
3 Program Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury.
4 The moneys in the Fund are subject to annual appropriation by
5 the General Assembly for the direct and indirect costs
6 associated with the implementation of the Neighbors Program.
7 Any interest derived from the deposit and investment of
8 moneys in the Fund must be credited to the Fund. At the end
9 of the fiscal year, all unexpended and unencumbered moneys in
10 the Fund must remain in the Fund and may not be credited or
11 transferred to the General Revenue Fund or any other fund.
12 (305 ILCS 5/9-14.9 new)
13 Sec. 9-14.9. Neighbors Program; repeal. Sections 9-14
14 through 9-14.9 are repealed on July 1, 2006.
15 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16 becoming law.