Today's Law As Amended


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AB-2949 Family childcare home education networks. (2023-2024)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.

 Section 10250 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

10250.
 (a) The department, with funds appropriated for this purpose, shall contract with entities organized under law  authorized entities  to operate family child care  childcare  home education networks that support educational objectives for children in licensed family child care  childcare  homes that serve families eligible for subsidized child care. childcare. 
(b) Family child care  childcare  home education network programs shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Age Age-  and developmentally appropriate activities for children.
(2) Care and supervision of children.
(3) Parenting education.
(4) Identification of child and family social or health needs and referral of the child or the family to the appropriate social or health services.
(5) Nutrition. Nutrition education and training. 
(6) Training and support for the family child care home education  network’s family child care childcare home  providers and staff.
(7) Assessment of each family child care  childcare  provider to ensure that services are of high quality and are educationally and developmentally appropriate. Tools used to make an assessment shall be appropriate to family childcare home settings. 
(8) Developmental profiles for children enrolled in the program.
(9) Parent involvement. Maintenance of a folder, known as a developmental portfolio, for each child that includes, among other items, a child’s work product and observations of the child. 
(10) Opportunities for parent involvement.

SEC. 2.

 Section 10251 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

10251.
 Each (a)  A  family child care  childcare  home education network contractor, in addition to the requirements set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 10250, shall do all of the following:
(a) (1)  Recruit, enroll, and certify eligible families.
(b) (2)  Recruit, train, support, and reimburse licensed family child care  childcare  providers.
(c) (3)  Collect  Ensure collection of  family fees in accordance with contract requirements.
(4) Develop and implement a plan for timely payment to providers.
(d) (5)  Assess, according to standards set by the department, the educational quality of the program offered in each family child care  childcare  home in the network. network using assessment tools that are appropriate to family childcare home settings. 
(e) (6)  Assure that  Complete  a developmental profile is completed  for each child based upon observations of network staff, and  in consultation with the provider. accordance with the provider’s observations, by doing at least both of the following: 
(A) In consultation with the provider, completing the developmental child assessment profile selected by the department. The contractor’s child development specialist shall sign the developmental profile.
(B) Utilizing the developmental portfolio described in paragraph (9) of subdivision (b) of Section 10250 maintained by the provider, including provider observations of each child.
(7) Conduct a parent survey, as directed by the department.
(8) Ensure that parent conferences are offered to the parent of each enrolled child. The parent may decline a parent conference.
(f) (9)  Monitor requirements, including quality standards, and conduct periodic assessments of program quality in each family child care home affiliated with the network. each family childcare home affiliated with the network to ensure that requirements are met, including, but not limited to, basic health, nutrition, and quality standards. 
(g) Ensure that basic health and nutrition requirements are met.
(h) (10)  Provide data and reporting in accordance with contract requirements.
(11) Support the affiliated providers in meeting the standards for program quality by reviewing, observing, and assessing the providers’ program components.
(12) Maintain a signed, written agreement with each affiliated provider and an authorized representative of the family childcare home education network. The agreement shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(A) The provider’s status as an independent contractor with the family childcare home education network.
(B) The provider’s nondiscrimination policy.
(C) The established reimbursement rates.
(b) A family childcare home education network contractor is not required to maintain a parent advisory committee.

SEC. 3.

 Section 10253 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

10253.
 (a) A provider in a family childcare home education network shall adopt and use a curriculum or curricula, of the provider’s choosing, appropriate for the age range of children in the home.
(b) In order to ensure educational quality for children, the family childcare home education network contractor may adopt a policy limiting the curricula acceptable within its network. The policy shall include not less than three curricula, and the contractor may approve provider-developed curricula if they are educational and appropriate for the age ranges of children in the homes.

SEC. 4.

 Section 10254 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

10254.
 (a) A provider in a family childcare home education network shall do all of the following:
(1) Provide age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate educational activities for children.
(2) Provide care and supervision of children.
(3) Provide parenting education to parents. Parenting education may include, but is not limited to, general program information and formal or informal parent conferences and exchange of information about the development, needs, and skills of the parents’ child or children.
(4) Identify child and family social service or health needs, and share those needs with the family childcare home education network contractor.
(5) Provide nutrition that is consistent with standards of the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program of the United States Department of Agriculture.
(6) Work in consultation with the contractor to complete the developmental profile for each child, including doing all of the following:
(A) In consultation with the contractor, complete the developmental profile child assessment instrument.
(B) Maintain a developmental portfolio, as described in paragraph (9) of subdivision (b) of Section 10250, for each child that includes items produced by the child. A copy of this portfolio shall be shared with the contractor for purposes of department review.
(C) Maintain observations and other documentation of the child’s skills.
(D) Conduct or participate in parent conferences per contractor policies.
(7) Provide the contractor with copies of all citations issued to the provider by the Community Care Licensing Division of the State Department of Social Services within five calendar days of the issuing date of the citation.
(b) A provider may, but is not required to, encourage parent involvement in the provider’s family childcare home education network program.
(c) A provider is not required to maintain a parent advisory committee.