Article
9.5. California School Age Family Families Education Program
8253.
This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the California School Age Families Education Program (Cal-SAFE).8253.1.
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that school-based programs for pregnant expectant and parenting teens pupils and their children offering a wide range of educational and support services, including early learning and educational support services, which begin during pregnancy and continue after childbirth, have been successful in increasing school enrollment and high school graduation rates, and reducing the incidence
of low birth weight babies and repeat pregnancies.(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the operation of comprehensive, continuous, and community linked school-based programs that focus on youth development, reduction of chronic school-based absenteeism, and dropout prevention for pregnant expectant and parenting pupils and on early learning and educational support services for their children for the purpose of improving results for pupils and their children.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that these programs achieve all the following goals:
(1) Pupils served who receive program services for one or more years will earn a high school diploma or its equivalent or demonstrate progress toward completion of educational goals.
(2) Pupils served who graduate will transition to postsecondary education, including a technical school, or into the world of work.
(3) Pupils served and their children will not live their lives in poverty.
(4) Pupils served will demonstrate effective parenting skills.
(5) Pupils served will not have a repeat birth or father a repeat pregnancy before graduation from high school.
(6) Pregnant Expectant pupils served will not have a low birth weight baby.
(7) Children of enrolled teen parents in early learning and educational support programs will receive services based upon the assessed developmental and health needs of each child.
(8) Children of enrolled teen parents served will receive health screening and immunizations except when the custodial parent annually provides a written request for an exemption pursuant to Section 49451 and Section 120365 of the Health and Safety Code.
(9) Children of enrolled teen parents served will have
enhanced school readiness, and demonstrate progress toward meeting their assessed developmental goals.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that Cal-SAFE programs should be integrated coordinated with any local Adolescent Family Life programs, Nurse Family Partnership Home Visiting programs, and Cal-Learn programs in a manner that avoids duplication of services.
8253.2.
For the purposes of this article, the following definitions terms have the following meanings:(a) “Cal-SAFE” means the California School Age Families Education Program.
(b) “Children” or “child” means the children or child of a teen parent from the time of the child’s birth until enrollment either in transitional kindergarten or kindergarten.
(c) “Early learning and educational support program” means developmentally appropriate learning activities
for the children of teen parents that are provided when the child’s teen parent is, or parents are, enrolled in and participating in a school-approved activity during the school day.
(d) “Intake process” means the interactive process upon enrollment into the Cal-SAFE program to assess the services needed by the teen parent that are deemed necessary to meet program goals.
(d)
(e) “Local Control Funding Formula” means the funding provided to county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter
schools as provided pursuant to Chapter 12.5 (commencing with Section 2574) of Part 2 and Article 2 (commencing with Section 42238.02) of Chapter 7 of Part 24 of Division 3 of Title 2.
(e)
(f) “Teen parent” means a female who is pregnant or a male who voluntarily identifies himself as the parent of an unborn child, or who is the parent of a child, and is a minor of any age or a dependent adult, and who is enrolled in a school in the school district or,
charter school, or school of the county superintendent of schools that provides services.
(g) “Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Regulations” means Public Law 92-318 and the regulations set forth in Section 106.1 and following of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which, among other things, prohibit discrimination against pupils because of their pregnant or parenting status.
8253.3.
(a) As provided for in this article, a Cal-SAFE program may provide any or all of the supportive services for teen parents set forth in Section 8253.4 that are assessed to be needed through an intake process relative to pupils who voluntarily enroll in the program, and may provide an early learning and educational support program for the voluntarily enrolled children of teen parents.(b) Participation by a school district, charter school, or county superintendent of schools in a Cal-SAFE program is voluntary and may be paid for
with local control funding formula funds appropriated to the school district, charter school, or county superintendent of schools.
(c) Any school district, charter school, or county superintendent of schools choosing to provide early learning and educational support program services located on or near the schoolsite for the children of teen parents participating in the Cal-SAFE program using funds received pursuant to the local control funding formula, or any other funds, shall adhere to all of the following health, safety, and quality requirements:
(1) Each child shall have a health evaluation form signed by a physician, or the physician’s designee, before the child is allowed on the school campus or is enrolled in an early learning and educational support program. Health screening and
immunization shall not be required when the custodial parent annually files a written request as provided for in Section 49451 and Section 120365 of the Health and Safety Code.
(2) Each child shall have a developmental profile as specified in subdivision (b) of Section 8203.5. This profile shall be used by the program staff to design a program that meets the developmental needs of the child.
(3) The child care site environment shall be safe, healthy, and comfortable for children and staff, easily maintained, and appropriate for meeting the developmental needs of the individual child. Child care sites shall meet the health and safety requirements specified in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 101151) including Subchapter 2 (commencing with Section 101351) of Division 12 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
(4) The early learning and educational support component of the Cal-SAFE program shall operate pursuant to applicable sections of this chapter. In addition to meeting requirements of Section 8360, teachers shall have at least three semester units, or the equivalent number of quarter units, of coursework related to the care of infants and toddlers.
(5) The child care site shall be available as a laboratory for parenting or related courses that are offered by the funded agency with priority given to pupils whose children are enrolled in the Cal-SAFE early learning and educational support program.
(d) Cal-SAFE programs shall participate in the established data collection and evaluation system to track outcomes and effectiveness of programming.
8253.4.
(a) In addition to providing an academic program that meets applicable standards, school districts, charter schools, and county superintendents of schools may provide supportive services to teen parents in accordance with the intent of the local control funding formula to improve the outcomes of high need pupil populations, including, but not limited to, the following services:(1) Parenting education and life skills instruction.
(2) Perinatal education and care,
including childbirth preparation.
(3) Safe home-to-school transportation.
(4) Case management services.
(5) Comprehensive health education, including reproductive health.
(6) Nutrition education, counseling, and meal supplements.
(7) School safety and violence prevention strategies targeted to expectant and parenting teens and their children.
(8) Academic support and youth development services, such as tutoring, mentoring, and community service internships.
(9) Career counseling, preemployment skills, and job training.
(10) Substance abuse prevention education, counseling, and treatment services.
(11) Mental health assessment, interventions, and referrals.
(12) Crisis intervention counseling services, including suicide prevention.
(13) Peer support groups and counseling.
(14) Family support and development services, including individual and family counseling.
(15) Child and domestic abuse prevention education, counseling, and services.
(16) Enrichment and recreational activities, as appropriate.
(17) Services that
facilitate transition to postsecondary education, training, or employment.
(18) Support services for grandparents, siblings, and fathers of children not enrolled in the Cal-SAFE program.
(19) Outreach activities to identify eligible pupils and to educate the community about the realities of teen pregnancy and parenting.
(b) School districts, charter schools, and county superintendents of schools may collaborate with local Adolescent Family Life programs, Cal-Learn programs, or other local programs, regardless of fund source, to provide the services in subdivision (a).
(c) Teen parents may be enrolled in the Cal-SAFE program on an open entry and open exit basis.
(d) Although the classroom is the recommended instructional strategy, enrolled teen parents retain their right to voluntarily participate in any comprehensive school or educational alternative programs in which they could otherwise enroll and shall not experience discrimination prohibited by the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Regulations.
(e) An enrolled teen parent with an active special education individualized education plan (IEP) and who meets the eligibility criteria shall continue to receive services identified in the IEP while concurrently enrolled in a Cal-SAFE program.
(f) A pupil may not be denied initial or continuous enrollment in a Cal-SAFE program for any of the following reasons:
(1) The pupil has had multiple pregnancies.
(2) The pupil has more than one child.
(3) The pupil’s eligibility status changes from expectant to parenting.
(g) A pupil or the pupil’s family shall not be assessed any fees for services provided through the Cal-SAFE program.