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Florida Senate - 2025 CS for SB 1102 By the Committee on Fiscal Policy; and Senator Calatayud 594-03696-25 20251102c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the school readiness program; 3 amending s. 1002.87, F.S.; revising the criteria for a 4 child to receive priority for participation in the 5 school readiness program; amending s. 1002.89, F.S.; 6 providing requirements for a school readiness program 7 provider to be eligible for specified funding 8 beginning on a specified date; providing an effective 9 date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13 Section 1.Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and subsection 14 (2) of section 1002.87, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 15 1002.87School readiness program; eligibility and 16 enrollment. 17 (1)Each early learning coalition shall give priority for 18 participation in the school readiness program as follows: 19 (c)Subsequent priority shall be given, based on the early 20 learning coalitions local priorities identified under s. 21 1002.85(2)(i), to children who meet the following criteria: 22 1.A child from birth to the beginning of the school year 23 for which the child is eligible for admission to kindergarten in 24 a public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. who is from a working 25 family that is economically disadvantaged, and may include such 26 childs eligible siblings, beginning with the school year in 27 which the sibling is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a 28 public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. until the beginning of 29 the school year in which the sibling is eligible to begin 6th 30 grade, provided that the first priority for funding an eligible 31 sibling is local revenues available to the coalition for funding 32 direct services. 33 2.A child of a parent who transitions from the work 34 program into employment as described in s. 445.032 from birth to 35 the beginning of the school year for which the child is eligible 36 for admission to kindergarten in a public school under s. 37 1003.21(1)(a)2. 38 3.An at-risk child who is at least 9 years of age but 39 younger than 13 years of age. An at-risk child whose sibling is 40 enrolled in the school readiness program within an eligibility 41 priority category listed in paragraphs (a) and (b) and 42 subparagraph 1. shall be given priority over other children who 43 are eligible under this paragraph. 44 4.A child who is younger than 13 years of age from a 45 working family that is economically disadvantaged. 46 5.A child of a parent who transitions from the work 47 program into employment as described in s. 445.032 who is 48 younger than 13 years of age. 49 6.A child who has special needs and, has been determined 50 eligible as a student who requires additional accommodations 51 beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. 52 The childs special needs and associated accommodations must be 53 validated by a licensed health care professional, a licensed 54 mental health professional, or an educational psychologist. Such 55 person may not be the childs parent or relative or a person 56 employed by a child care provider. The following documentation 57 must be used to determine the childs eligibility for such 58 accommodations: 59 a.with a disability, has A current individual education 60 plan with a Florida school district;, and is not younger than 3 61 years of age. 62 b.A current individualized family support plan; 63 c.A diagnosed special need; or 64 d.A written determination of required accommodations by a 65 licensed health care professional, a licensed mental health 66 professional, or an educational psychologist needs child 67 eligible under this paragraph remains eligible until the child 68 is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a public school 69 under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. 70 7.A child who otherwise meets one of the eligibility 71 criteria in paragraphs (a) and (b) and subparagraphs 1. and 2. 72 but who is also enrolled concurrently in the federal Head Start 73 Program and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. 74 (2)A school readiness program provider may be paid only 75 for authorized hours of care provided for a child in the school 76 readiness program. A child enrolled in the Voluntary 77 Prekindergarten Education Program may receive care from the 78 school readiness program if the child is eligible according to 79 the eligibility priorities and criteria established in 80 subsection (1). The school readiness program provider of a child 81 who meets the requirements of subsection (6) may be eligible for 82 additional funding through the special needs differential 83 allocation to implement the special needs rate as determined in 84 s. 1002.89(1)(d). 85 Section 2.Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 86 1002.89, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 87 1002.89School readiness program; funding. 88 (1)DETERMINATION OF EARLY LEARNING COALITION SCHOOL 89 READINESS PROGRAM FUNDING.Funding for the school readiness 90 program shall be used by the early learning coalitions in 91 accordance with this part and the General Appropriations Act. 92 (d)Special needs differential allocation.There is created 93 the special needs differential allocation to assist eligible 94 school readiness program providers to implement the special 95 needs rate provisions defined in the states approved Child Care 96 and Development Fund Plan. Subject to legislative appropriation, 97 each early learning coalition shall be reimbursed based on 98 actual expenditures. All expenditures from the special needs 99 differential allocation shall be used by the department to help 100 meet federal targeted requirements for improving quality to the 101 extent allowable in the states approved plan. A school 102 readiness program provider is eligible for funding through the 103 allocation to implement the special needs differential rate upon 104 meeting all of the following requirements beginning July 1, 105 2027: 106 1.The provider has met or exceeded the minimum program 107 assessment composite score required for contracting as 108 determined by the department, as applicable. 109 2.Instructional staff employed or contracted by the 110 provider has completed training on early identification of 111 social and communication delays as specified by the department. 112 3.The instructor assigned by the provider to the child in 113 need of additional accommodations under s. 1002.87(1)(c)6. has 114 completed 10 hours of training in inclusive early childhood or 115 inclusive school-age education practices within the first 90 116 days after the childs enrollment or within 90 days after the 117 hiring of a new instructor assigned by the provider to a child 118 in need of additional accommodations under s. 1002.87(1)(c)6. 119 120 After the initial determination of eligibility, the provider 121 must maintain the required program composite score and the 122 instructor assigned by the provider to a child who needs 123 additional accommodations under s. 1002.87(1)(c)6. must complete 124 a minimum of 2 hours of relevant training in each subsequent 125 year after the initial determination of eligibility in order to 126 remain eligible to implement the special needs differential 127 rate. 128 Section 3.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
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