RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 223 (HB 395) 2019 Regular Session Steve Carter
Existing law establishes the La. Early Childhood Education Fund as a special treasury fund
administered by the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Provides
that the fund shall be credited with appropriations, public or private grants, or donations
received by the state or the Dept. of Education for such purpose except federal funds for the
Child Care and Development Fund Program.
Existing law provides that money from the fund shall be used to award funding to local
entities for early childhood care and education. Prior law provided that such funding would
be provided through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). New law provides instead
that such funding shall be used for families who are eligible for CCAP.
Existing law requires that the local entity provide matching funds from nonstate sources.
Prior law required that matching funds be provided at a rate of at least 2:1. New law changes
the minimum match rate to 1:1 and provides that federal funds may not be used as matching
funds.
New law requires that each local entity establish eligibility criteria for the early childhood
care and education opportunities financed with its matching funds; requires that one criterion
be that the child is from an economically disadvantaged family.
New law authorizes BESE, if there is money in the fund after the board has funded every
qualifying project pursuant to present law, to award remaining monies in the fund for the
exclusive use of Type III early learning centers to provide quality care for children who are
eligible for CCAP and who are ages birth through two. Requires BESE to consider the
following in selecting recipients of such an award: the CCAP waiting list, child poverty rates,
child care needs in terms of the economic development needs of the parish where the center
is located, and increasing the availability of high quality early learning centers statewide.
Prior law authorized BESE to award additional funding in accordance with CCAP in a local
entity's jurisdiction. Prohibited such an additional award from exceeding 50% of the
nonstate funds. New law removes prior law.
Effective Aug. 1, 2019.
(Amends R.S. 17:407.30(D) and (E))