Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1613 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R8257 UM-D
2	2	By: Lucio S.B. No. 1613
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to establishing an Early Childhood Behavioral
8	8	Consultation Grant Program.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 3, Human Resources Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Chapter 75 to read as follows:
12	12	CHAPTER 75. EARLY CHILDHOOD BEHAVIORAL CONSULTATION GRANT PROGRAM
13	13	Sec. 75.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
14	14	(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
15	15	Commission.
16	16	(2) "Office" means the commission's Office of Early
17	17	Childhood Coordination.
18	18	Sec. 75.002. EARLY CHILDHOOD BEHAVIORAL CONSULTATION GRANT
19	19	PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall establish a grant program and
20	20	award grants for the implementation of programs to provide early
21	21	childhood behavioral consultation services to certain licensed
22	22	child-care facilities.
23	23	(b) The office shall administer the grant program and award
24	24	grants to applicants in a manner that ensures that the programs
25	25	operate in multiple communities that are geographically diverse.
26	26	Sec. 75.003. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. A program funded by a
27	27	grant awarded under this chapter must:
28	28	(1) employ an early childhood behavioral consultant
29	29	who:
30	30	(A) holds a degree, credential, or certification
31	31	related to early childhood services considered appropriate by the
32	32	grantee in accordance with the guidance of the office;
33	33	(B) provides to child-care providers services
34	34	designed to:
35	35	(i) increase and expand providers'
36	36	knowledge regarding the provision of safe and developmentally
37	37	appropriate care to children less than three years of age;
38	38	(ii) increase the child-care staff's
39	39	ability to appropriately address challenging behaviors;
40	40	(iii) increase the competencies of
41	41	caregivers and parents of at-risk children in child-care settings;
42	42	(iv) improve the social, emotional, and
43	43	behavioral functioning of at-risk children in child-care settings;
44	44	and
45	45	(v) prevent young children who display
46	46	challenging or atypical behaviors from being removed from their
47	47	child-care settings;
48	48	(C) provides additional appropriate services as
49	49	necessary, that may include:
50	50	(i) on-site consultations and technical
51	51	assistance;
52	52	(ii) program assessment;
53	53	(iii) social-emotional screening or
54	54	assessment;
55	55	(iv) training for child-care providers and
56	56	caregivers;
57	57	(v) facilitating parent-provider
58	58	conferences;
59	59	(vi) facilitating parent and provider
60	60	support groups; and
61	61	(vii) linking providers and families to
62	62	services and resources within the community; and
63	63	(D) works with regional child-care licensing
64	64	offices to identify and solicit voluntary participation of
65	65	child-care providers in the program; and
66	66	(2) facilitate or participate in a community-based
67	67	coordinating group, comprised of persons in the region with
68	68	expertise in early childhood services, including technical
69	69	assistance and support services, that shall:
70	70	(A) conduct a community assessment or
71	71	environmental survey related to early childhood services in the
72	72	region;
73	73	(B) develop a strategic plan to improve the
74	74	coordination and delivery of services and supports to child-care
75	75	facilities and the children they serve;
76	76	(C) assist in identifying potential early
77	77	childhood behavioral consultants available to assist child-care
78	78	providers;
79	79	(D) promote the development of additional early
80	80	childhood behavioral consultants in rural areas;
81	81	(E) identify local funding and other community
82	82	resources available to assist providers in improving the safety and
83	83	quality of the care provided to young children;
84	84	(F) identify challenges facing the regional
85	85	population and identify and develop solutions to address those
86	86	challenges; and
87	87	(G) help educate parents about quality infant and
88	88	toddler care.
89	89	Sec. 75.004. APPLICATION FOR GRANT. (a) A public or
90	90	private entity may apply for a grant.
91	91	(b) An applicant must submit a written application to the
92	92	office on a form prescribed by the office that requires the
93	93	applicant to provide:
94	94	(1) data on the number of child-care facilities
95	95	located in the community in which the applicant proposes to
96	96	operate;
97	97	(2) a description of existing early childhood services
98	98	available to child-care facilities in that community;
99	99	(3) a description of existing child-care partnerships
100	100	within the community in which the applicant proposes to operate;
101	101	and
102	102	(4) any other relevant information as determined by
103	103	the office.
104	104	Sec. 75.005. CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING GRANTS. (a) In
105	105	determining whether to award a grant to an applicant, the office
106	106	shall consider:
107	107	(1) the demonstrated need for an early childhood
108	108	behavioral consultation program in the community in which the
109	109	applicant proposes to operate, as determined by:
110	110	(A) the number of child-care facilities serving
111	111	children less than three years of age;
112	112	(B) the number of low-income children receiving
113	113	subsidized child-care services;
114	114	(C) the number of children retained in
115	115	kindergarten, first grade, and second grade; and
116	116	(D) the applicant's ability to participate in
117	117	ongoing monitoring and performance evaluations, including the
118	118	applicant's ability to collect and provide information requested by
119	119	the office for evaluation purposes;
120	120	(2) the applicant's demonstrated history of:
121	121	(A) on-going relationships with the child-care
122	122	provider population served;
123	123	(B) support from the child-care provider
124	124	community;
125	125	(C) developing and sustaining innovative,
126	126	high-quality programs that meet the needs of child-care providers
127	127	and communities; and
128	128	(D) conducting program assessments, on-site
129	129	consultations, meetings, training, and quality improvement
130	130	projects with the child-care provider community; and
131	131	(3) the use of evidence-based, best practices within
132	132	the applicant's program proposal.
133	133	(b) The office may require an applicant to demonstrate the
134	134	applicant's ability to match funds received through the grant
135	135	program. The office shall consult with early childhood
136	136	stakeholders in determining the level of matching required of
137	137	applicants.
138	138	Sec. 75.006. USE OF GRANT FUNDS. Grant funds awarded under
139	139	this chapter may be used to pay only those costs related to
140	140	implementing and operating an early childhood behavioral
141	141	consultation program, including costs related to:
142	142	(1) administering the program;
143	143	(2) training and managing program consultants;
144	144	(3) paying the salaries and expenses of program
145	145	consultants; and
146	146	(4) paying for services provided by outside
147	147	consultants as needed.
148	148	Sec. 75.007. PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION; ANNUAL
149	149	REPORT. (a) The office shall adopt performance indicators that are
150	150	designed to measure a grant recipient's performance with respect to
151	151	program standards adopted by the office.
152	152	(b) Not later than December 1 of each year, the office shall
153	153	prepare and submit a report to the committees of the senate and
154	154	house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over the
155	155	commission. The report must address the performance of each grant
156	156	recipient during the preceding state fiscal year with respect to
157	157	providing early childhood behavioral consultation program
158	158	services.
159	159	Sec. 75.008. GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The commission
160	160	shall actively seek and apply for any available federal funds to
161	161	assist in financing the grant program established under this
162	162	chapter.
163	163	(b) The commission may use appropriated funds from the state
164	164	government and may accept gifts, donations, and grants of money
165	165	from the federal government, local governments, private
166	166	corporations, or other persons to assist in financing the grant
167	167	program.
168	168	SECTION 2. (a) As required by Section 75.008(a), Human
169	169	Resources Code, as added by this Act, the Health and Human Services
170	170	Commission shall, as soon as practicable, apply for any available
171	171	federal funds to assist in financing the early childhood behavioral
172	172	consultation grant program under Chapter 75, Human Resources Code,
173	173	as added by this Act.
174	174	(b) Not later than December 1, 2010, the Health and Human
175	175	Services Commission shall submit the initial annual report required
176	176	by Section 75.007, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act.
177	177	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.