California Assembly Bill AB598 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 598AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 31, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 21, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 14, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 4, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Calderon (Coauthor: Assembly Member Rendon) FEBRUARY 24, 2015 An act to amend Sections 8245 and 8246 of, to add Section 8248 to, and to repeal and add Section 8247 of, the Education Code, relating to child care. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 598, as amended, Calderon. Child care: family child care home education networks. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to contract with entities organized to operate family child care home education networks that support educational objectives for children in licensed family child care homes that serve families eligible for subsidized care. Existing law requires the family child care home education network programs to include certain  things,   components,  including an assessment of each family child care home provider to ensure that services are of high quality and are educationally and developmentally appropriate.  Existing law also requires each family child care home education network to do certain things, including assess the educational quality of the program offered in each family child care home in the network and ensure that a developmental profile is completed for each child in consultation with the provider.  This bill would require that tools used to make these assessments be appropriate to family child care home  settings. The bill would require the network to complete the developmental profile in collaboration with the provider by doing certain things, including conducting a parent survey of a child's developmental progress as directed by the department and incorporating it into the profile. The bill   settings and  would require a family child care home education network  program  to include the maintenance of a developmental  portfolio,   portfolio for each child,  as provided.  The bill would also require a family child care home education network to conduct a minimum of 9 site visits to each affiliated provider in a calendar year, as provided, among other things.   Existing law provides that the above laws do not impose any new requirements on a family child care home education network nor does it require any increase in reimbursement rates.   Existing law imposes various requirements on family child care home education network contractors, including ensuring that a developmental profile is completed for each child.   This bill would impose additional requirements on those contractors, including that the developmental profiles specified above be completed in accordance with the provider's observations, conducting site visits, and offering training and technical assistance, as specified.  This bill would delete  this law.   a provision specifying that the provisions relating to family child care home education networks do not impose any new requirements on a family child care home education network or require any increase in reimbursement rates.  The bill would  require a provider in a   also impose various duties on  family child care home education network  providers, including requiring those providers  to adopt and use a curriculum  or curricula of the provider's choosing that is appropriate for the age range of children in the home. The bill would also impose additional duties on providers, including providing   and to provide  age and developmentally appropriate educational activities for children. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 8245 of the Education Code is amended to read: 8245. (a) The Superintendent, with funds appropriated for this purpose, shall contract with  contracting   authorized  entities to operate family child care home education networks that support educational objectives for children in licensed family child care homes that serve families eligible for subsidized child care. (b) Family child care home education network programs shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (1) 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.   (5) Nutrition education and training.  (6) Training and support for the family child care home education network's family home providers and staff. (7) Assessment of each family child care home 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 child care home settings. (8) Developmental profiles for children enrolled in the program. (9) 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 by the provider, the child development specialist, or both.   child.  (10)  Parent   Opportunities for parent  involvement. SEC. 2. Section 8246 of the Education Code is amended to read: 8246.  (a)    A family child care home education network contractor, in addition to the requirements set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 8245, shall do all of the following:  (a)   (1)  Recruit, enroll, and certify eligible families.  (b)   (2)  Recruit, train, support, and reimburse licensed family home providers.  (c)   (3)   Collect   Ensure collection of  family fees in accordance with contract requirements.  (d)   (4)  Assess, according to standards set by the department, the educational quality of the program offered in each family child care home in the network using assessment tools that are appropriate to family child care home settings.  (e)   (5)   Ensure that   Complete  a developmental profile  is completed  for each child based upon observations of network staff,  and  in  collaboration   accordance  with the  provider,   provider's observations,  by doing at least  all   both  of the following:  (1)   (A)   Collaboratively   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.  (2)   (B)  Utilizing the developmental portfolio, as described in paragraph (9) of subdivision (b) of Section 8245, maintained by the provider, including provider observations of each child.  (3) Conducting   (6)     Conduct  a parent survey  concerning his or her child's developmental progress  as directed by the  department and incorporate it into the developmental profile.   department.   (f)   (7)  Ensure that parent conferences are offered to the parent of each enrolled child. The parent may decline a parent conference.  (g) Monitor requirements, including quality standards, and conduct periodic assessments of program quality in each family child care home affiliated with the network.   (h) Ensure that basic health and nutrition requirements are met.   (8) Monitor each family child care home affiliated with the network to ensure that requirements are met, including, but not limited to, basic health, nutrition, and quality standards.   (i)   (9)  Provide data and reporting in accordance with contract requirements.  (j)   (10)  Conduct  a minimum of nine   no less than six  site visits to each affiliated provider in a  calendar   program  year for purposes of conducting assessments and providing technical assistance, training, and support.  (k)   (11)  Support the affiliated providers in meeting the standards for program quality by reviewing, observing, and assessing the providers' program components, and providing technical assistance, training, and coaching.  (l)   (12)  Offer providers at least 12 hours  annually  of training and technical assistance in group or individual settings.  Trainings   Training  may include, but  are   is  not limited to, the following:  (1)   (A)  Age and developmentally appropriate educational practices and activities for children.  (2)   (B)  Appropriate care and supervision of children.  (3) Parenting and parent involvement in the development of children.   (C) Engaging parents in the program and providing parenting information on age-appropriate child development and activities.   (4)   (D)  Menu planning and nutrition  information, unless this is provided by a United States Department of Food and Agriculture-funded program.   information.   (5)   (E)  Provider and family communication.  (6)   (F)  Understanding the developmental measures of the developmental profile child assessment instrument.  (7)   (G)  Individualizing the provider's program to meet the needs of each child in the provider's care by using the results of the developmental profile.  (m)   (13)  Employ at least one child development  specialist, who shall have   specialist who has  educational qualifications equivalent to a child development teacher permit, to provide training, technical assistance, and coaching to providers. Notwithstanding any other law, family child care home education network  contractors   providers  shall not be required to employ individuals with child development teacher permits.  (n)   (14)  Maintain a signed, written agreement with each affiliated provider and an authorized representative of the family child care home education network. The agreement shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:  (1)   (A)  The provider's status as an independent contractor with the family child care home education network.  (2)   (B)  The provider's nondiscrimination policy.  (3)   (C) The established reimbursement rates.  (b) A family child care home education network contractor is not required to maintain a parent advisory committee.  SEC. 3. Section 8247 of the Education Code is repealed. SEC. 4. Section 8247 is added to the Education Code, to read: 8247. (a) A provider in a family child care 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 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   provider-developed  curricula if they are educational and appropriate for the age ranges of children in the homes. SEC. 5. Section 8248 is added to the Education Code, to read: 8248. (a) A provider shall do all of the following: (1) Provide age 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 contractor. (5) Provide nutrition that is consistent with standards of the Child and Adult Care Food Program of the United States Department of Agriculture. (6)  Collaborate   Work in consultation  with the contractor  in completion of   to complete  the developmental profile for each child, including doing all of the following: (A)  Collaborating in completion of   In consultation with the contractor, complete  the developmental profile child assessment instrument. (B)  Maintaining   Maintain  a developmental portfolio, as described in paragraph (9) of subdivision (b) of Section 8245, for each child that includes items produced by the child. A copy of this portfolio shall be shared with the family child care home education network contractor for purposes of department review. (C)  Maintaining   Maintain  observations  of the child,  and other documentation of the child's skills. (D)  Conducting or participating   Conduct or participate  in parent  conferences,   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. (8) Obtain no less than 12 hours of professional training per year, and maintain documentation of the training for three years. Training may include group or individual training provided by the contractor, or training provided by other qualified individuals or organizations. (b) A provider may, but is not required to, encourage parent involvement in the provider's  home   family child care  program. (c) A provider is not required to maintain a parent advisory  committee, as required by center contractors.   committee.