Quality child care.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL HOUSE

BILL

NO.
0095

ENROLLED ACT NO. 103, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FIFTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2007 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to child caring facilities; providing reporting requirements as specified; providing for professional development grants as specified; providing for business management services; providing for family strengthening programs; repealing executed and inconsistent provisions;
repealing provisions regarding quality rating of child caring facilities and quality incentive payments to facilities; requiring reports;
and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 14
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4
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207 is created to read:

14
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4
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207.

Reporting requirements.

(a)

The department of workforce services shall report annually to the joint education interim committee, the joint labor, health and social services interim committee and the joint appropriations interim committee by October 1. The report shall include:

(i)

The department's progress in establishing the system under this article;

(ii)

The participating child caring facilities;

(iii)

Information that demonstrates the impacts of the services provided by the system on children, families and communities and how the department plans to measure these impacts;

(iv)

Public awareness activities;

(v)

The collaborative efforts of the departments of education, family services, health, workforce services and others to provide comprehensive early childhood development experiences for children while meeting the needs of Wyoming's workforce and economic development;

(vi)

System expenditures of public and private funds; and

(vii)

Recommendations for changes in the system's operation.

Section 2.

W.S. 14
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4
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201(a)(intro), (iii), (iv), (c), (f) and (g)(ii), 14
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204(a)(intro), (b) and by creating new subsections (c) and (d), 14
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205(b) and by creating a new subsection (c) and 14
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206(a) by creating a new paragraph (vi) are amended to read:

14
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201.

Quality child care system established.

(a)

A quality child care system is created for the purpose of
supplementing
assisting the working families of the state by encouraging the availability of
high quality care
to
for
children in licensed child caring facilities
.

consisting
The system may consist
of:

(iii)

Scholarships
Grants
for professional

educational
development;

(iv)

Technical assistance
,

and quality
support
business management services and family strengthening programs
.

(c)

The department of workforce services is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations for the purpose of implementing
all or any portion of
this article. All rules and regulations shall be promulgated in consultation with the department of education, the department of family services, the department of health, University of Wyoming and early childhood specialists from the private sector.

(f)

In the delivery of services, facilities that receive funds under this article shall not discriminate against any individual on the basis of sex, color, race, religion, national origin, disability or age other than the age of the qualifying child. Notwithstanding this subsection, facilities shall retain the ability to refer
developmentally disabled
children
with developmental disabilities
to
regional developmental preschools supported by state funding
appropriate services
.

(g)

Upon approval of the application for funds as provided in this article, the facility shall enter into a contract with the state, wherein the facility shall agree:

(ii)

To serve children from families eligible for support for child care under programs, other than the program created by this article, managed by the department
of family services
;

14
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204.

Educational
development grants.

(a)

The department by rule and regulation shall
establish incentives
provide educational grants
to
encourage
assist
the
owners or

staff of
participating
child caring

facilities to attain certificates or degrees in early childhood development or a related field.
These incentives may include scholarships and salary enhancements.
Payments under this
section
subsection
shall be conditioned upon
:

the recipient of the
grant
entering into a written agreement to work for a child caring facility in this state for a period as provided in subsection (d) of this section after receiving the certificate or degree.

(b)

A recipient of
an incentive payment
a grant
pursuant to this section shall immediately repay all funds provided to the recipient pursuant to this article, together with attorney fees and costs incurred in collection, if the recipient breaches the contract required by
paragraph
subsection
(a)
(i)
or paragraph (c)(i)
of this section.

(c)

The department by rule and regulation shall provide staff development grants to child caring facilities to assist the owners or staff of those facilities to obtain continuing education training in early childhood development or related topics. Payments under this subsection shall be conditioned on the following:

(i)

The recipient of the continuing education training provided through the grant entering into a written agreement to work for a child caring facility in this state for a period as provided in subsection (d) of this section after receiving the training; and

(ii)

An in-cash cost sharing contribution of at least ten percent (10%) from the facility employing the staff member at the time of continuing education training.

(d)

The department shall set a formula for duration of contractual commitments under this section through rule and regulation. Commitment duration shall be based on the value of the educational opportunity and shall be commensurate with the magnitude of the grant.

14
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205.

Technical assistance and business management assistance; quality support; family strengthening program.

(b)

The
department of family services and
department
of workforce services
shall provide technical assistance to facilities on best practices for
management
quality operational improvements
and business management services
of child caring facilities.

(c)

The department of health shall contract for delivery of voluntary family strengthening educational programs to promote family involvement in children's development.

14
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206.

Parental education and public awareness.

(a)

The department shall develop and distribute materials to:

(iv)

Promote parent involvement in their child's development and provide information and activities to parents or caretakers to promote early childhood learning and development at home;
and

(v)

Emphasize the importance of parental responsibility and the involvement of the family in quality early childhood development
;
.

and

(vi)

Inform parents about choices available in childcare programs and how to choose an appropriate child caring facility.

Section 3.

W.S. 14
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201(j) and (m)(iii), 14
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202, 14
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203, 14
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204(a)(i) and (ii) and 2006 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 64, Sections 2 and 3 are repealed.

Section 4.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

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