FL
Florida House Bill H0877

Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0877 Compare Versions

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1010 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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1414 A bill to be entitled 1
1515 An act relating to the school readiness program; 2
1616 amending s. 1002.87, F.S.; revising the criteria for a 3
1717 child to receive priority for participation in the 4
1818 school readiness program; amending s. 1002.89, F.S.; 5
1919 providing requirements for a school readiness program 6
2020 provider to be eligible for specified funding 7
2121 beginning on a specified date; providing an effective 8
2222 date. 9
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2424 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the Stat e of Florida: 11
2525 12
2626 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and subsection 13
2727 (2) of section 1002.87, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 14
2828 1002.87 School readiness program; eligibility and 15
2929 enrollment.— 16
3030 (1) Each early learning coalition shall give prio rity for 17
3131 participation in the school readiness program as follows: 18
3232 (c) Subsequent priority shall be given, based on the early 19
3333 learning coalition's local priorities identified under s. 20
3434 1002.85(2)(i), to children who meet the following criteria: 21
3535 1. A child from birth to the beginning of the school year 22
3636 for which the child is eligible for admission to kindergarten in 23
3737 a public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. who is from a working 24
3838 family that is economically disadvantaged, and may include such 25
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4747 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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5151 child's eligible siblings, beginning with the school year in 26
5252 which the sibling is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a 27
5353 public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. until the beginning of 28
5454 the school year in which the sibling is eligible to begin 6th 29
5555 grade, provided that the first priority for funding an eligible 30
5656 sibling is local revenues available to the coalition for funding 31
5757 direct services. 32
5858 2. A child of a parent who transitions from the work 33
5959 program into employment as described in s. 445.032 from birth to 34
6060 the beginning of the school year for which the child is eligible 35
6161 for admission to kindergarten in a public school under s. 36
6262 1003.21(1)(a)2. 37
6363 3. An at-risk child who is at least 9 years of age but 38
6464 younger than 13 years of age. An at -risk child whose sibling is 39
6565 enrolled in the school readiness program within an eligibility 40
6666 priority category listed in paragraphs (a) and (b) and 41
6767 subparagraph 1. shall be given priority over other children who 42
6868 are eligible under this paragraph. 43
6969 4. A child who is younger than 13 years of age from a 44
7070 working family that is economically disadvantaged. 45
7171 5. A child of a parent who transitions from the work 46
7272 program into employment as described in s. 445.032 who is 47
7373 younger than 13 years of age. 48
7474 6. A child who has special needs and, has been determined 49
7575 eligible as a student who requires additional accommodations 50
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8484 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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8888 beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. 51
8989 The child's special needs and associated accommodations must be 52
90-validated by a licensed health care professional, a licensed 53
91-mental health professional, or an educational psychologist. Such 54
92-person may not be the child's parent or relative or a person 55
93-employed by a child care provider. The following documentation 56
94-must be used to determine the child's eligibility for such 57
95-accommodations: 58
96- a. with a disability, has A current individual education 59
97-plan with a Florida school district ;, and is not younger than 3 60
98-years of age. 61
99- b. A current individualized family support plan; 62
100- c. A diagnosed special need; or 63
101- d. A written determination of required accommodations by a 64
102-licensed health care professional, a licensed mental health 65
103-professional, or an educational psychologist needs child 66
104-eligible under this paragraph remains eligible until the child 67
105-is eligible for admission to k indergarten in a public school 68
106-under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2 . 69
107- 7. A child who otherwise meets one of the eligibility 70
108-criteria in paragraphs (a) and (b) and subparagraphs 1. and 2. 71
109-but who is also enrolled concurrently in the federal Head Start 72
110-Program and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. 73
111- (2) A school readiness program provider may be paid only 74
112-for authorized hours of care provided for a child in the school 75
90+validated by a licensed health care professional, licensed 53
91+mental health professional, or educational psychologist. Such 54
92+person may not be the child's parent or a person employed by a 55
93+child care provider. The following documentation must be used to 56
94+determine the child's eligibility for such accommodations: 57
95+ a. with a disability, has A current individual education 58
96+plan with a Florida school district ;, and is not younger than 3 59
97+years of age. 60
98+ b. A current individualized family support plan; 61
99+ c. A diagnosed special need; or 62
100+ d. A determination of required accommodations needs child 63
101+eligible under this paragraph remains eligible until the child 64
102+is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a public school 65
103+under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2 . 66
104+ 7. A child who otherwise meets one of the eligibility 67
105+criteria in paragraphs (a) and (b) and subparagraphs 1. and 2. 68
106+but who is also enrolled concurrently in the federal Head Start 69
107+Program and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. 70
108+ (2) A school readiness program provider may be paid only 71
109+for authorized hours of care pro vided for a child in the school 72
110+readiness program. A child enrolled in the Voluntary 73
111+Prekindergarten Education Program may receive care from the 74
112+school readiness program if the child is eligible according to 75
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121121 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125-readiness program. A child enrolled in the Voluntary 76
126-Prekindergarten Education Program m ay receive care from the 77
127-school readiness program if the child is eligible according to 78
128-the eligibility priorities and criteria established in 79
129-subsection (1). The school readiness program provider of a child 80
130-who meets the requirements of subsection (6) may be eligible for 81
131-additional funding through the special needs differential 82
132-allocation to implement the special needs rate as determined in 83
133-s. 1002.89(1)(d). 84
134- Section 2. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 85
135-1002.89, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 86
136- 1002.89 School readiness program; funding. — 87
137- (1) DETERMINATION OF EARLY LEARNING COALITION SCHOOL 88
138-READINESS PROGRAM FUNDING. —Funding for the school readiness 89
139-program shall be used by the early learning coalitions in 90
140-accordance with this part and t he General Appropriations Act. 91
141- (d) Special needs differential allocation. —There is 92
142-created the special needs differential allocation to assist 93
143-eligible school readiness program providers to implement the 94
144-special needs rate provisions defined in the state 's approved 95
145-Child Care and Development Fund Plan. Subject to legislative 96
146-appropriation, each early learning coalition shall be reimbursed 97
147-based on actual expenditures. All expenditures from the special 98
148-needs differential allocation shall be used by the dep artment to 99
149-help meet federal targeted requirements for improving quality to 100
125+the eligibility priorities and criteria establis hed in 76
126+subsection (1). The school readiness program provider of a child 77
127+who meets the requirements of subsection (6) may be eligible for 78
128+additional funding through the special needs differential 79
129+allocation to implement the special needs rate as determined in 80
130+s. 1002.89(1)(d). 81
131+ Section 2. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 82
132+1002.89, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 83
133+ 1002.89 School readiness program; funding. — 84
134+ (1) DETERMINATION OF EARLY LEARNING COALITION SCHOOL 85
135+READINESS PROGRAM FUNDING. —Funding for the school readiness 86
136+program shall be used by the early learning coalitions in 87
137+accordance with this part and the General Appropriations Act. 88
138+ (d) Special needs differential allocation. —There is 89
139+created the special needs differential allocation t o assist 90
140+eligible school readiness program providers to implement the 91
141+special needs rate provisions defined in the state's approved 92
142+Child Care and Development Fund Plan. Subject to legislative 93
143+appropriation, each early learning coalition shall be reimburse d 94
144+based on actual expenditures. All expenditures from the special 95
145+needs differential allocation shall be used by the department to 96
146+help meet federal targeted requirements for improving quality to 97
147+the extent allowable in the state's approved plan. A school 98
148+readiness program provider is eligible for funding through the 99
149+allocation to implement the special needs differential rate upon 100
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158158 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162-the extent allowable in the state's approved plan. A school 101
163-readiness program provider is eligible for funding through the 102
164-allocation to implement the special needs differential ra te upon 103
165-meeting all of the following requirements beginning July 1, 104
166-2027: 105
167- 1. The provider has met or exceeded the minimum program 106
168-assessment composite score required for contracting as 107
169-determined by the department, as applicable. 108
170- 2. Instructional staff employed or contracted by the 109
171-provider has completed training on early identification of 110
172-social and communication delays as specified by the department. 111
173- 3. The instructor assigned by the provider to the child in 112
174-need of additional accommodations under s . 1002.87(1)(c)6. has 113
175-completed 10 hours of training in inclusive early childhood or 114
176-inclusive school-age education practices within the first 90 115
177-days after the child's enrollment or within 90 days after hiring 116
178-of a new instructor assigned by the provider to a child in need 117
179-of additional accommodations under s. 1002.87(1)(c)6. 118
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181-After the initial determination of eligibility, the provider 120
182-must maintain the required program composite score and the 121
183-instructor assigned by the provider to a child in need of 122
184-additional accommodations under s. 1002.87(1)(c)6. must complete 123
185-a minimum of 2 hours of relevant training in each subsequent 124
186-year after the initial determination of eligibility in order to 125
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195-F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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199-remain eligible to implement the special needs differential 126
200-rate. 127
201- Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 128
162+meeting all of the following requirements by July 1, 2027: 101
163+ 1. The provider has met or exceeded the minimum program 102
164+assessment composite score required for contracting as 103
165+determined by the department, as applicable. 104
166+ 2. The provider has completed training on early 105
167+identification of social and communication delays as specified 106
168+by the department. 107
169+ 3. The provider has completed 10 hours of training in 108
170+inclusive early childhood or inclusive school -age education 109
171+practices within the preceding 2 -year period with the provider 110
172+completing an additional 10 hours of such training each 111
173+subsequent 5-year period as specified by the department. 112
174+ Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2027. 113