103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4728

 

Introduced 2/6/2024, by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 1305/1-90 new

    Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to implement a Child Care Collaboration Program by no later than July 1, 2024 to facilitate high quality collaborative programming between child care and other early care and education providers and funding streams in order to increase, through collaboration, the quality and quantity of early care and education for families in Illinois who are eligible to receive child care assistance under the Department's Child Care Assistance Program. Provides that to be eligible to participate in the Child Care Collaboration Program a provider must meet certain eligibility requirements, including: (i) be a profit or nonprofit early childhood center or licensed family child care home; (ii) receive or be eligible to receive child care assistance funding; and (iii) be a part of an existing or pending collaborative arrangement with a Head Start or Early Head Start Program or with a pre-kindergarten program funded by the Illinois State Board of Education through the Early Childhood Block Grant. Sets forth approvable models of collaboration and application requirements for providers seeking approval of their existing or proposed child care collaboration program. Provides that each eligible provider that receives Department approval of its existing or proposed child care collaboration program shall receive an annual contract from the Department that allows for the advance payment of child care services at a rate that is based on the license capacity of the program. Provides that a family's eligibility for collaboration services under the approved child care collaboration program shall be determined in accordance with all current child care rules, with certain exceptions, including, but not limited to: (1) a family's eligibility period for collaboration services shall be up to 36 months to coincide with the family's eligibility for a Head Start or Early Head Start Program or an early childhood or preschool program funded through the Early Childhood Block Grant; and (2) no child care co-payments shall be assigned or collected from the family. Effective immediately.


LRB103 39119 KTG 69259 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4728LRB103 39119 KTG 69259 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is amended
5by adding Section 1-90 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 1305/1-90 new)
7    Sec. 1-90. Child Care Collaboration Program.
8    (a) As used in this Section:
9    "Child care collaboration" means any braiding of Illinois
10child care subsidy funds or programs with other early
11childhood funds or programs to create higher quality full day,
12full year services for eligible families with young children.
13    "License capacity" means the maximum number of day care
14children under the age of 6 permitted in the facility at any
15one time.
16    (b) The Department shall implement a Child Care
17Collaboration Program by no later than July 1, 2024 to
18facilitate high quality collaborative programming between
19child care and other early care and education providers and
20funding streams in order to increase, through collaboration,
21the quality and quantity of early care and education for
22families in Illinois who are eligible to receive child care
23assistance under the Department's Child Care Assistance

 

 

HB4728- 2 -LRB103 39119 KTG 69259 b

1Program. To be eligible to participate in the Child Care
2Collaboration Program a provider must:
3        (1) be a profit or nonprofit early childhood center or
4    licensed family child care home;
5        (2) receive or be eligible to receive child care
6    funding under the Department's Child Care Assistance
7    Program through a child care contract or a child care
8    certificate;
9        (3) be a part of an existing or pending collaborative
10    arrangement with a Head Start or Early Head Start Program
11    or with a Preschool for All Program, Preschool for All
12    Expansion Program, or Prevention Initiative program funded
13    by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) through
14    the Early Childhood Block Grant as authorized under
15    Section 1C-2 of the School Code;
16        (4) serve children under the collaborative arrangement
17    in one location for their full day of care; and
18        (5) use child care subsidy funds braided with other
19    early childhood funds to cover day services not just
20    auxiliary services such as parental training services.
21    (c) Approvable models of collaboration include the
22following:
23        (1) Two or more center-based agencies. Collaborative
24    arrangements between child care and Head Start or ISBE
25    pre-kindergarten centers in which services are provided
26    and children receive their care in one location.

 

 

HB4728- 3 -LRB103 39119 KTG 69259 b

1        (2) Early childhood providers and family child care
2    homes or networks. Collaborative arrangements between
3    child care and Head Start or ISBE pre-kindergarten
4    programs using family child care homes or home networks in
5    which services are provided and children receive their
6    care in one location.
7        (3) One early childhood provider, 2 types of funding.
8    Child care and Head Start or ISBE pre-kindergarten
9    programs that receive the other type of funding to provide
10    services and children receive their care in one location.
11        (4) Use of child care certificates. Collaborative
12    arrangements in which Head Start or ISBE pre-kindergarten
13    programs use the child care certificate system in which
14    services are provided and children receive their care in
15    one location.
16    (d) To obtain Department approval of its existing or
17proposed child care collaboration program, a provider must
18submit an application as prescribed by the Department and
19provide the following information:
20        (1) Program enhancements. A detailed explanation of
21    how the collaboration improves or will improve the quality
22    of early care and education under the existing or proposed
23    child care collaboration program, including, but not
24    limited to, improvements in staffing patterns and
25    qualifications, enhanced curriculum and educational
26    experiences, outcomes for children, comprehensive services

 

 

HB4728- 4 -LRB103 39119 KTG 69259 b

1    and family engagement, and compliance with additional
2    quality standards, such as Head Start Program Performance
3    Standards, Illinois Early Learning and Development
4    Standards, National Early Childhood Program Accreditation,
5    NAEYC Early Learning Program Accreditation Standards and
6    Assessment Items, or ExceleRate Illinois. A description of
7    any unique features of the collaboration and a clear
8    explanation on how program enhancements are a direct
9    result of the collaboration.
10        (2) Continuity of care. A description of how the
11    schedule of care in the collaboration model enhances
12    services to families, including how the hours of care and
13    days of the week are determined. A description of how
14    children served by the collaboration program are ensured
15    stability and continuity of care, both in location and
16    staffing.
17        (3) Community collaboration. A detailed explanation of
18    how the collaboration is coordinated with the local early
19    childhood community, including, but not limited to,
20    service referrals, communication or information sharing,
21    shared training, and shared resources. A description of
22    how the collaboration is based on a community assessment,
23    the community assessment process used, the need for child
24    care slots in the community, the availability of other
25    services, and how the collaboration coordinates, rather
26    than competes, with other providers.

 

 

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1        (4) Service information. A brief description of the
2    provider's total operations, including, but not limited
3    to, locations, overall number of classrooms or homes, and
4    all other programs the provider operates.
5        (5) Organizational capacity. A brief description on
6    how long the provider or child care collaboration program
7    has been in operation, the provider's previous work with
8    partners, the provider's recordkeeping, reporting, and
9    monitoring systems, and the provider's plan for continuous
10    quality improvement.
11    (e) Each eligible provider that receives Department
12approval of its existing or proposed child care collaboration
13program shall receive an annual contract from the Department
14that allows for the advance payment of child care services at a
15rate that is based on the license capacity of the existing or
16proposed program.
17    (f) If the conditions of provider eligibility in
18subsection (b) are met and the provider's child care
19collaboration program is approved by the Department, a
20family's eligibility for collaboration services under the
21approved program shall be determined in accordance with all
22current child care rules under 89 Ill. Adm. Code 50.230 and
2350.235, with the following exceptions:
24        (1) a family's eligibility period for collaboration
25    services shall be up to 36 months to coincide with the
26    family's eligibility for a Head Start or Early Head Start

 

 

HB4728- 6 -LRB103 39119 KTG 69259 b

1    Program or an early childhood or preschool program funded
2    through the Early Childhood Block Grant;
3        (2) all eligible children shall receive a full day of
4    care and collaboration services regardless of whether the
5    child's parent or other responsible adult is employed on a
6    full-time or part-time basis;
7        (3) no child care co-payments shall be assigned or
8    collected from the family; and
9        (4) a family may meet the training and education
10    activity requirement for child care assistance after
11    enrolling in a Head Start, Early Head Start, or ISBE
12    pre-kindergarten program and participating in any training
13    or education activities or services referred to the family
14    by the Head Start, Early Head Start, or ISBE
15    pre-kindergarten center, subject to Department approval.
 
16    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17becoming law.