SF 2

Introduction - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002)

Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00 a.m.

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; modifying at-home infant child 
  1.3             care program; expanding eligibility and increasing 
  1.4             revenue for certain early childhood education 
  1.5             programs; appropriating money; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 2000, sections 119B.061, subdivision 1; 
  1.7             124D.13, subdivision 2; 124D.135, subdivision 1; 
  1.8             124D.15, subdivision 2; and 124D.16, subdivision 2. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 119B.061, 
  1.11  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A family in which a parent 
  1.13  provides care for the family's infant child may receive a 
  1.14  subsidy in lieu of assistance if the family is eligible for, or 
  1.15  is receiving assistance under the basic sliding fee program.  An 
  1.16  eligible family must meet the eligibility factors under section 
  1.17  119B.09, the income criteria under section 119B.12, and the 
  1.18  requirements of this section.  The income criteria under section 
  1.19  119B.12 must be based on family income when one parent leaves 
  1.20  work to stay at home with the infant.  Subject to federal match 
  1.21  and maintenance of effort requirements for the child care and 
  1.22  development fund, the commissioner shall establish a pool of up 
  1.23  to seven percent of the annual appropriation for the basic 
  1.24  sliding fee program to provide assistance under the at-home 
  1.25  infant child care program.  At the end of a fiscal year, the 
  1.26  commissioner may carry forward any unspent funds under this 
  1.27  section to the next fiscal year within the same biennium for 
  2.1   assistance under the basic sliding fee program. 
  2.2      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 124D.13, 
  2.3   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.4      Subd. 2.  [PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS.] Early childhood family 
  2.5   education programs are programs for children in the period of 
  2.6   life from birth to kindergarten, for the parents of such 
  2.7   children, and for expectant parents.  The programs may include 
  2.8   the following:  
  2.9      (1) programs to educate parents about the physical, mental, 
  2.10  and emotional development of children; 
  2.11     (2) programs to enhance the skills of parents in providing 
  2.12  for their children's learning and development; 
  2.13     (3) learning experiences for children and parents that 
  2.14  promote children's development; 
  2.15     (4) activities designed to detect children's physical, 
  2.16  mental, emotional, or behavioral problems that may cause 
  2.17  learning problems; 
  2.18     (5) activities and materials designed to encourage 
  2.19  self-esteem, skills, and behavior that prevent sexual and other 
  2.20  interpersonal violence; 
  2.21     (6) educational materials which may be borrowed for home 
  2.22  use; 
  2.23     (7) information on related community resources; 
  2.24     (8) programs to prevent child abuse and neglect; 
  2.25     (9) other programs or activities to improve the health, 
  2.26  development, and school readiness of children; or 
  2.27     (10) activities designed to maximize development during 
  2.28  infancy; or 
  2.29     (11) programs to mentor and provide ongoing training for 
  2.30  early childhood caregivers.  
  2.31     The programs must not include activities for children that 
  2.32  do not require substantial involvement of the children's 
  2.33  parents.  The programs must be reviewed periodically to assure 
  2.34  the instruction and materials are not racially, culturally, or 
  2.35  sexually biased.  The programs must encourage parents to be 
  2.36  aware of practices that may affect equitable development of 
  3.1   children. 
  3.2      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 124D.135, 
  3.3   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  3.4      Subdivision 1.  [REVENUE.] The revenue for early childhood 
  3.5   family education programs for a school district equals $113.50 
  3.6   for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 and $120 $246 for 2002 and later 
  3.7   fiscal years times the greater of: 
  3.8      (1) 150; or 
  3.9      (2) the number of people under five years of age residing 
  3.10  in the district on October 1 of the previous school year. 
  3.11     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 124D.15, 
  3.12  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  3.13     Subd. 2.  [CHILD ELIGIBILITY.] (a) A child is eligible to 
  3.14  participate in a school readiness program offered by the 
  3.15  resident district or another district if the child is:  
  3.16     (1) at least 3-1/2 zero to five years old but has not 
  3.17  entered kindergarten; and 
  3.18     (2) receives developmental screening under section 121A.17 
  3.19  within 90 days of enrolling in the program or by the child's 
  3.20  fourth birthday.  
  3.21     (b) A child younger than 3-1/2 years old may participate in 
  3.22  a school readiness program if the district or group of districts 
  3.23  that establishes the program determines that the program can 
  3.24  more effectively accomplish its purpose by including children 
  3.25  younger than 3-1/2 years old. 
  3.26     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 124D.16, 
  3.27  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  3.28     Subd. 2.  [AMOUNT OF AID.] (a) A district is eligible to 
  3.29  receive school readiness aid if the program plan as required by 
  3.30  subdivision 1 has been approved by the commissioner. 
  3.31     (b) For fiscal year 1998 and thereafter, a district must 
  3.32  receive school readiness aid equal to: 
  3.33     (1) the number of eligible four-year old children in the 
  3.34  district times the ratio of 50 percent of the total school 
  3.35  readiness aid for that year to the total number of eligible 
  3.36  four-year old children reported to the commissioner for that 
  4.1   year; plus 
  4.2      (2) the number of pupils enrolled in the school district 
  4.3   from families eligible for the free or reduced school lunch 
  4.4   program times the ratio of 50 percent of the total school 
  4.5   readiness aid for that year to the total number of pupils in the 
  4.6   state from families eligible for the free or reduced school 
  4.7   lunch program. 
  4.8      Sec. 6.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.9      $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  4.10  commissioner of children, families, and learning for the fiscal 
  4.11  biennium ending June 30, 2003, for a grant to a development 
  4.12  corporation for children to provide information, technical 
  4.13  assistance, and to solicit private resources to develop and 
  4.14  improve child care facilities.