HB1822 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 04053 CMG 14069 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB1822

Introduced 2/17/2021, by Rep. William Davis

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Early Childhood Program Eligibility Screening Act. Establishes the Early Childhood Program Eligibility Screening Program to coordinate the enrollment of children into early childhood programs that receive 90% or more of their funding through federal and State funds and that provide services to children from birth to 5 years of age. Sets forth requirements for the program. Provides that the program shall be implemented and administered by the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development, which shall act in cooperation with other programs serving young children in the community. Requires the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development to develop a Universal Early Childhood Program Application. Provides that each early childhood program in a community that receives 90% or more of its funding through federal and State funds and that provides services to children from birth to 5 years of age shall use the application to determine a family's eligibility for any and all of the community's early childhood programs. Sets forth what must be included on the application. Contains provisions concerning enrollment and placement. Provides for rulemaking.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning children.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Early Childhood Program Eligibility Screening Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Blended classroom" means a classroom that is operated under a program that gives the provider the option to operate classrooms that are shared by a Head Start program and an early childhood program in which children enrolled in the program are financially supported through several funding sources and agencies. Classrooms may be partially blended in which one or more classrooms are blended at one or more program locations but not all classrooms are blended, or classrooms may be fully blended in which every classroom is offered by a Head Start program and receives 90% of its funding from State or federal sources. However, other sources such as Title I and private tuition may also be used to support the enrollment of children.

"Classroom", with respect to a Head Start program, means a group of children who are supervised and taught by 2 paid staff members, both of whom are teachers or one of whom is a teacher and one of whom is a teacher's aide, and, if possible, a volunteer.

"Communication" means a discussion by an early childhood program provider with the parents or guardians of all eligible participants in the program that must describe the program to the parents or guardians to ensure that the parents or guardians are made aware of and are informed about the program and their right to participate in the program.

"Full utilization" means an Early Head Start program's funded enrollment numbers for children from birth to 3 years of age are met or exceeded or a Head Start program's funded enrollment numbers for children 3 or 4 years of age are met or exceeded per federal requirements, whichever is applicable.

"Funded enrollment" means the number of participants that a Head Start or Early Head Start grantee is to serve as indicated on its federal grant award.

"Head Start or Early Head Start program" means a program that provides services to children and their families who live in extreme poverty, as set by guidelines established by the federal government that are tied to the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2), or to children who are homeless or in foster care; provides the skills those children need to be successful in school and life; promotes the school readiness of those children by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development in a learning environment that supports children's growth in language, literacy, mathematics, science, social and emotional functioning, the creative arts, and physical skills; provides approaches to learning to low-income children and their families; and provides health, educational, nutritional, social, and other services that are determined based on a family needs assessment.

"Head Start or Early Head Start program eligibility" means that families who live in extreme poverty, as determined by the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2), families who are homeless, children in foster care, and children from families who receive public assistance from this State's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program or from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are eligible regardless of income.

"Scientifically valid research" includes applied research, basic research, and field-initiated research in which the rationale, design, and interpretation are soundly developed in accordance with the principles of scientific research.

"Universal Early Childhood Program Application" means an application form for services that is required to be utilized by each early childhood program in this State that receives 90% or more of its funding through federal and State funds and that provides services to children from birth to 5 years of age.

Section 10. Findings.

(a) Every young child and family has the right to equitable learning opportunities that help them achieve their full potential as engaged learners and valued members of society regardless of race, ethnicity, and social circumstances. Early childhood programs, including Head Start and Early Head Start programs, provide essential support, structure, and opportunities for young children and blended classroom structures that provide support, encourage learning, and promote a healthy child.

(b) Head Start and Early Head Start programs:

(1) provide support for the whole child by promoting school readiness and actively ensuring each child is healthy, including nutrition, oral health, and mental health, and is ready to learn;

(2) provide comprehensive health, educational, nutritional, social, and other services needed to aid participating children in attaining their full potential and to prepare children to succeed in school;

(3) attract and retain qualified staff who are capable of delivering and implementing a high-quality and comprehensive program, including the ability to carry out a research-based curriculum aligned with State early learning standards;

(4) have child-to-teacher ratios, group size, and family service worker caseloads that reflect best practices and are tied to high-quality service delivery;

(5) are based on scientifically valid research, including:

(A) curricula that are based on scientifically valid research, are developmentally appropriate, and promote the school readiness of children participating in the program involved; and

(B) teaching practices that are based, as appropriate, on scientifically valid research, that are developmentally appropriate, and that promote the school readiness of children participating in the programs.

(6) maintain strong fiscal controls and cost-effective fiscal management;

(7) coordinate and collaborate with other public or private entities providing early childhood education and developmental programs and services for young children in the community;

(8) coordinate with public and private entities that are willing to commit resources to assist the programs in meeting their program needs;

(9) facilitate the involvement of parents, grandparents, and kinship caregivers, as appropriate, of children participating in the programs and in activities at home and, if practicable, at the location of the programs, which is designed to help such persons become full partners in the education of their children;

(10) provide an opportunity for parents to participate in the development and overall conduct of the programs at the local level;

(11) provide parenting-skills training;

(12) perform a family needs assessment with respect to each participating family that includes consultation with parents, foster parents, grandparents, and kinship caregivers, as applicable, in a manner and language that such persons can understand, to the extent practicable, about the benefits of parental involvement;

(13) meet the diverse needs of the population served, including, but not limited to:

(A) meeting the needs of limited English-proficient children and their families by implementing procedures to identify such children, implementing plans to provide trained personnel, and implementing plans to provide services to assist these children in making progress toward the acquisition of the English language, while making meaningful progress in attaining knowledge, skills, abilities, and development; and

(B) meeting the needs of children with disabilities by implementing procedures to identify such children and implementing procedures for referral of these children for evaluation to State or local agencies providing services and plans for collaboration with those State or local agencies;

(14) reserve a percentage of their funding, as required and set by federal guidelines, for the enrollment of children with disabilities; and

(15) meet the needs of homeless children, including their transportation needs, and the needs of children in foster care.

(c) Blended classrooms in early childhood programs share all of the following characteristics:

(1) Costs are shared in that costs are prorated from each funding source.

(2) Separate audit trails are maintained for each funding source.

(3) A classroom must meet the operating requirements of all funding sources. If classroom standards are not comparable or the same between 2 or more classrooms, the most stringent standard applies.

(4) Children receive all services for which they are eligible.

(5) Wrap-around services provide before-school and after-school child care that is coordinated with child care providers and family resource centers.

(6) Head Start and Early Head Start programs coordinate with medical, health, mental health, and social service agencies to meet the comprehensive needs of children and families.

Section 15. Early Childhood Program Eligibility Screening Program.

(a) The Early Childhood Program Eligibility Screening Program is created to coordinate the enrollment of children into early childhood programs that receive 90% or more of their funding through federal and State funds and that provide services to children from birth to 5 years of age. The Early Childhood Program Eligibility Screening Program shall provide improved program coordination to identify and serve this State's neediest children by avoiding a duplication of services and the supplanting of federal funds and shall maximize the use of Head Start and Early Head Start program funds. In addition, the Early Childhood Program Eligibility Screening Program shall prioritize families who meet Head Start or Early Head Start program eligibility guidelines for enrollment into those programs, which frees up enrollment slots for other early childhood programs in the local community that have broader eligibility guidelines.

(b) The Early Childhood Program Eligibility Screening Program shall be implemented and administered by the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development, which shall act in cooperation with other programs serving young children in the community, including public schools, child care providers, special education cooperatives, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, Preschool for All and Preschool for All Expansion programs, Prevention Initiative programs, early intervention services or programs, Child and Family Connections offices, the Child Find Project, and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.

Section 20. Universal Early Childhood Program Application; enrollment.

(a) The Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development shall develop a Universal Early Childhood Program Application. Each early childhood program in a community that receives 90% or more of its funding through federal and State funds and that provides services to children from birth to 5 years of age shall use the Universal Early Childhood Program Application to determine a family's eligibility for any and all of the community's early childhood programs. One of the eligibility criteria included on the Universal Early Childhood Program Application must be based on the family's household income level as determined by poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2).

(b) If an applicant family meets the income eligibility guidelines established by a Head Start or Early Head Start program, the applicant family must be offered the opportunity for communication about enrollment into the Head Start or Early Head Start program and to enroll in the Head Start or Early Head Start program prior to enrolling in any other community program. If the applicant family does not meet the income eligibility guidelines set forth by the Head Start or Early Head Start program, the applicant family must be offered the opportunity for communication about enrolling in another community program selected by the applicant family.

If a Head Start or Early Head Start program has met full utilization, a family may be placed in another early childhood program serving young children in the community.

Section 25. Waiting list. Each early childhood program that receives 90% or more of its funding through federal and State funds and provides services for children from birth to 5 years of age shall coordinate with similar early childhood programs in the community to ensure that a child whose household income meets the eligibility requirements of the Head Start program and early childhood programs or the eligibility requirements of local, State, or federal early childhood programs remains on a waiting list for an eligible provider for no longer than 45 days.

Section 90. Rules. The Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development may adopt any rules necessary to implement this Act.