| 47 | | - | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022-2023, more than fifteen thousand families received child care connection Hawaii subsidies to help them afford care for children ages six weeks to thirteen years. The legislature also finds that families face the greatest difficulty finding child care when children are infants and toddlers due to the shortage of child care providers caring for those age groups. The legislature further finds that child care providers can be disrupted and face possible closure when their operating costs are funded by tuition fees because their revenues depend upon ever-changing enrollment figures. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to: (1) Establish a two-year infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program to develop and implement procedures to subsidize child care slots in licensed infant and toddler child care settings; and (2) Appropriate funds for the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program. SECTION 2. (a) The department of human services shall establish and implement a two-year infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program no later than six months after the effective date of this Act. (b) The department of human services shall develop standards, policies, and procedures to contract directly with child care providers to serve child care connection Hawaii families. (c) The pilot program shall, at a minimum, meet the following requirements: (1) The pilot program shall provide infant and toddler slots in licensed infant and toddler child care centers and registered family child care homes; (2) The pilot program shall provide for at least one hundred slots with at least one slot contracted for on each of the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu; and (3) Contracts with child care providers shall last a minimum of two years. (d) The department of human services may contract with a service provider in accordance with chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to operate the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program. (e) The pilot program shall cease to exist on June 30, 2026. SECTION 3. (a) The department of human services shall submit annual reports on the development and implementation of the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program, including impacts to child care provider stability, family satisfaction, and any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2024, 2025, and 2026. (b) The department of human services shall submit a final report on the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program, including impacts to child care provider stability, family satisfaction, and any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2027. SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program established by section 2 of this Act. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on June 30, 3000. |
|---|
| 47 | + | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022-2023, more than fifteen thousand families received child care connection Hawaii subsidies to help them afford care for children ages six weeks to thirteen years. The legislature also finds that families face the greatest difficulty finding child care when children are infants and toddlers due to the shortage of child care providers caring for those age groups. The legislature further finds that child care providers can be disrupted and face possible closure when their operating costs are funded by tuition fees because their revenues depend upon ever-changing enrollment figures. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to: (1) Establish a two-year infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program to develop and implement procedures to subsidize child care slots in licensed infant and toddler child care settings; and (2) Appropriate funds for the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program. SECTION 2. (a) The department of human services shall establish and implement a two-year infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program no later than six months after the effective date of this Act. (b) The department of human services shall develop standards, policies, and procedures to contract directly with child care providers to serve child care connection Hawaii families. (c) The pilot program shall, at a minimum, meet the following requirements: (1) The pilot program shall provide infant and toddler slots in licensed infant and toddler child care centers and registered family child care homes; (2) The pilot program shall provide for at least one hundred slots with at least one slot contracted for on each of the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu; and (3) Contracts with child care providers shall last a minimum of two years. (d) The department of human services may contract with a service provider in accordance with chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to operate the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program. SECTION 3. (a) The department of human services shall submit annual reports on the development and implementation of the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program, including impacts to child care provider stability, family satisfaction, and any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2024, 2025, and 2026. (b) The department of human services shall submit a final report on the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program, including impacts to child care provider stability, family satisfaction, and any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2027. SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program established by section 2 of this Act. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2023, and shall be repealed on June 30, 2026. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________ |
|---|