General Assembly Raised Bill No. 112
February Session, 2016 LCO No. 194
*00194_______HS_*
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 112
February Session, 2016
LCO No. 194
*00194_______HS_*
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
AN ACT PROVIDING CHILD CARE FOR ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS ENROLLED IN APPROVED HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 17b-749 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(a) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall establish and operate a child care subsidy program to increase the availability, affordability and quality of child care services for families with a parent or caretaker who (1) is working or attending high school, or (2) receives cash assistance under the temporary family assistance program from the Department of Social Services and is participating in an [approved] education, training or other job preparation activity approved pursuant to subsection (b) of section 17b-688i, as amended by this act, or section 17b-689d. Services available under the child care program shall include the provision of child care subsidies for children under the age of thirteen or children under the age of nineteen with special needs. The Office of Early Childhood shall open and maintain enrollment for the child care subsidy program and shall administer such program within the existing budgetary resources available. The office shall issue a notice on the office's Internet web site any time the office closes the program to new applications, changes eligibility requirements, changes program benefits or makes any other change to the program's status or terms, provided the office shall not be required to issue such notice when the office expands program eligibility. Any change in the office's acceptance of new applications, eligibility requirements, program benefits or any other change to the program's status or terms for which the office is required to give notice pursuant to this subsection, shall not be effective until thirty days after the office issues such notice.
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 17b-688i of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(b) To the extent permitted under section 17b-688c, the Labor Department shall be responsible for the administration of employment services to recipients of temporary family assistance under the employment services program administered by the Department of Social Services pursuant to section 17-688c. The employment services provided by the Labor Department shall include appropriate basic education and occupational skills training combined with subsidized or unsubsidized work experience and employment, as deemed appropriate by the Labor Department, and any other programs or services deemed appropriate by the Labor Department, to the extent permitted under state and federal law, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) Employment; (2) work-study, internship or apprenticeship opportunities; (3) adult skills training, including literacy, mathematics and language proficiency with curriculum related to job opportunities and job search skills; (4) occupational skills training; (5) case management and counseling in successful work skills; (6) attendance at a two or four-year college or university in pursuit of a degree to increase employability; and [(6)] (7) access to state-subsidized child care and transportation, where needed. Services may be provided by existing service providers, including, but not limited to, local or regional boards of education or regional educational service centers that offer adult education programs, community-technical colleges and technical high schools.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2016 17b-749(a)
Sec. 2 July 1, 2016 17b-688i(b)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2016
17b-749(a)
Sec. 2
July 1, 2016
17b-688i(b)
Statement of Purpose:
To promote employability of persons who are receiving temporary family assistance by providing child care subsidies for those enrolled in an approved higher education program.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]