Bill Amendment: IL HB1822 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly
NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List
Bill Title: EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM ELIGIB
Status: 2021-04-23 - House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB1822 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HB1822-House_Amendment_001.html
Bill Title: EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM ELIGIB
Status: 2021-04-23 - House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB1822 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HB1822-House_Amendment_001.html
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1 | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1822
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2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1822 by replacing | ||||||
3 | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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4 | "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Early | ||||||
5 | Childhood Program Recruitment and Eligibility Screening Pilot | ||||||
6 | Program Act.
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7 | Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: | ||||||
8 | "Blended classroom" means a classroom that is operated | ||||||
9 | under a program that gives the provider the option to operate | ||||||
10 | classrooms that are shared by a Head Start program and an early | ||||||
11 | childhood program in which children enrolled in the program | ||||||
12 | are financially supported through several funding sources and | ||||||
13 | agencies. Classrooms may be partially blended in which one or | ||||||
14 | more classrooms are blended at one or more program locations | ||||||
15 | but not all classrooms are blended, or classrooms may be fully | ||||||
16 | blended in which every classroom is offered by a Head Start |
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1 | program and receives 90% of its funding from State or federal
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2 | sources. However, other sources such as Title I and private | ||||||
3 | tuition may also be used to support the enrollment of | ||||||
4 | children. | ||||||
5 | "Classroom", with respect to a Head Start program, means a | ||||||
6 | group of children who are supervised and taught by 2 paid staff | ||||||
7 | members, both of whom are teachers or one of whom is a teacher | ||||||
8 | and one of whom is a teacher's aide, and, if possible, a | ||||||
9 | volunteer. | ||||||
10 | "Communication" means a discussion by an early childhood | ||||||
11 | program provider with the parents or guardians of all eligible | ||||||
12 | participants in the program that must describe the program to | ||||||
13 | the parents or guardians to ensure that the parents or | ||||||
14 | guardians are made aware of and are informed about the program | ||||||
15 | and their right to participate in the program. | ||||||
16 | "Full utilization" means an Early Head Start program's | ||||||
17 | funded enrollment numbers for children from birth to 3 years | ||||||
18 | of age are met or exceeded or a Head Start program's funded | ||||||
19 | enrollment numbers for children 3 or 4 years of age are met or | ||||||
20 | exceeded per federal requirements, whichever is applicable. | ||||||
21 | "Funded enrollment" means the number of participants that | ||||||
22 | a Head Start or Early Head Start grantee is to serve as | ||||||
23 | indicated on its federal grant award. | ||||||
24 | "Head Start or Early Head Start program" means a program | ||||||
25 | that provides services to children and their families who live | ||||||
26 | in extreme poverty, as set by guidelines established by the |
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1 | federal government that are tied to the poverty guidelines
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2 | updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. | ||||||
3 | Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of
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4 | 42 U.S.C. 9902(2), or to children who are homeless or in foster | ||||||
5 | care; provides the skills those children need to be successful | ||||||
6 | in school and life; promotes the school readiness of those | ||||||
7 | children by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional | ||||||
8 | development in a learning environment that supports children's | ||||||
9 | growth in language, literacy, mathematics, science, social and | ||||||
10 | emotional functioning, the creative arts, and physical skills; | ||||||
11 | provides approaches to learning to low-income children and | ||||||
12 | their families; and provides health, educational, nutritional, | ||||||
13 | social, and other services that are determined based on a | ||||||
14 | family needs assessment. | ||||||
15 | "Head Start or Early Head Start program eligibility" means | ||||||
16 | that families who live in extreme poverty, as determined by | ||||||
17 | the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal | ||||||
18 | Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | ||||||
19 | under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2), families who are | ||||||
20 | homeless, children in foster care, and children from families | ||||||
21 | who receive public assistance from this State's Temporary | ||||||
22 | Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program or from | ||||||
23 | Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are eligible regardless of | ||||||
24 | income. | ||||||
25 | "Participating entity" means a Head Start or Early Head | ||||||
26 | Start program, Preschool for All or Preschool for All |
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1 | Expansion program, or Prevention Initiative program located | ||||||
2 | (i) in any of the following zip codes for Pilot Program One: | ||||||
3 | 62001, 62002, 62010, 62232, 62018, 62021, 62024, 62025, 62034, | ||||||
4 | 62040, 62046, 62048, 62249, 62058, 62060, 62061, 62062, 62067, | ||||||
5 | 62074, 62084, 62281, 62087, 62294, 62090, 62095, or 62097; or | ||||||
6 | (ii) in any of the following zip codes for Pilot Program Two: | ||||||
7 | 60406, 60419, 60422, 60426, 60428, 60429, 60430, 60445, 60452, | ||||||
8 | 60469, 60477, or 60827. | ||||||
9 | "Scientifically valid research" includes applied research, | ||||||
10 | basic research, and field-initiated research in which the | ||||||
11 | rationale, design, and interpretation are soundly developed in
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12 | accordance with the principles of scientific research. | ||||||
13 | "Universal Early Childhood Program Application" means an
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14 | application form for services that is required to be utilized | ||||||
15 | by each early childhood program in this State that receives | ||||||
16 | 90% or more of its funding through federal and State funds and | ||||||
17 | that provides services to children from birth to 5 years of | ||||||
18 | age.
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19 | Section 10. Findings. | ||||||
20 | (a) Every young child and family has the right to | ||||||
21 | equitable learning opportunities that help them achieve their | ||||||
22 | full potential as engaged learners and valued members of | ||||||
23 | society regardless of race, ethnicity, and social | ||||||
24 | circumstances. Early childhood programs, including Head Start | ||||||
25 | and Early Head Start programs, provide essential support, |
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1 | structure, and opportunities for young children and blended | ||||||
2 | classroom structures that provide support, encourage learning, | ||||||
3 | and promote a healthy child. | ||||||
4 | (b) Head Start and Early Head Start programs: | ||||||
5 | (1) provide support for the whole child by promoting | ||||||
6 | school readiness and actively ensuring each child is | ||||||
7 | healthy, including nutrition, oral health, and mental | ||||||
8 | health, and is ready to learn; | ||||||
9 | (2) provide comprehensive health, educational, | ||||||
10 | nutritional, social, and other services needed to aid | ||||||
11 | participating children in attaining their full potential
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12 | and to prepare children to succeed in school; | ||||||
13 | (3) attract and retain qualified staff who are capable | ||||||
14 | of delivering and implementing a high-quality and | ||||||
15 | comprehensive program, including the ability to carry out | ||||||
16 | a research-based curriculum aligned with State early | ||||||
17 | learning standards; | ||||||
18 | (4) have child-to-teacher ratios, group size, and | ||||||
19 | family service worker caseloads that reflect best | ||||||
20 | practices and are tied to high-quality service delivery; | ||||||
21 | (5) are based on scientifically valid research, | ||||||
22 | including: | ||||||
23 | (A) curricula that are based on scientifically | ||||||
24 | valid research, are developmentally appropriate, and | ||||||
25 | promote the school readiness of children participating | ||||||
26 | in the program involved; and |
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1 | (B) teaching practices that are based, as | ||||||
2 | appropriate, on scientifically valid research, that | ||||||
3 | are developmentally appropriate, and that promote the | ||||||
4 | school readiness of children participating in the | ||||||
5 | programs. | ||||||
6 | (6) maintain strong fiscal controls and cost-effective | ||||||
7 | fiscal management; | ||||||
8 | (7) coordinate and collaborate with other public or | ||||||
9 | private entities providing early childhood education and | ||||||
10 | developmental programs and services for young children in | ||||||
11 | the community; | ||||||
12 | (8) coordinate with public and private entities that | ||||||
13 | are willing to commit resources to assist the programs in | ||||||
14 | meeting their program needs; | ||||||
15 | (9) facilitate the involvement of parents, | ||||||
16 | grandparents, and kinship caregivers, as appropriate, of | ||||||
17 | children participating in the programs and in activities | ||||||
18 | at home and, if practicable, at the location of the | ||||||
19 | programs, which is designed to help such persons become | ||||||
20 | full partners in the education of their children; | ||||||
21 | (10) provide an opportunity for parents to participate | ||||||
22 | in the development and overall conduct of the programs at | ||||||
23 | the local level; | ||||||
24 | (11) provide parenting-skills training; | ||||||
25 | (12) perform a family needs assessment with respect to | ||||||
26 | each participating family that includes consultation with |
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1 | parents, foster parents, grandparents, and kinship | ||||||
2 | caregivers, as applicable, in a manner and language that | ||||||
3 | such persons can understand, to the extent practicable, | ||||||
4 | about the benefits of parental involvement; | ||||||
5 | (13) meet the diverse needs of the population served, | ||||||
6 | including, but not limited to: | ||||||
7 | (A) meeting the needs of limited | ||||||
8 | English-proficient children and their families by | ||||||
9 | implementing procedures to identify such children, | ||||||
10 | implementing plans to provide trained personnel, and | ||||||
11 | implementing plans to provide services to assist these
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12 | children in making progress toward the acquisition of | ||||||
13 | the English language, while making meaningful progress | ||||||
14 | in attaining knowledge, skills, abilities, and | ||||||
15 | development; and | ||||||
16 | (B) meeting the needs of children with | ||||||
17 | disabilities by implementing procedures to identify | ||||||
18 | such children and implementing procedures for referral | ||||||
19 | of these children for evaluation to State or local | ||||||
20 | agencies providing services and plans for | ||||||
21 | collaboration with those State or local agencies; | ||||||
22 | (14) reserve a percentage of their funding, as | ||||||
23 | required and set by federal guidelines, for the enrollment | ||||||
24 | of children with disabilities; and | ||||||
25 | (15) meet the needs of homeless children, including | ||||||
26 | their transportation needs, and the needs of children in |
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1 | foster care. | ||||||
2 | (c) Blended classrooms in early childhood programs share | ||||||
3 | all of the following characteristics: | ||||||
4 | (1) Costs are shared in that costs are prorated from | ||||||
5 | each funding source. | ||||||
6 | (2) Separate audit trails are maintained for each | ||||||
7 | funding source. | ||||||
8 | (3) A classroom must meet the operating requirements | ||||||
9 | of all funding sources. If classroom standards are not | ||||||
10 | comparable or the same between 2 or more classrooms, the | ||||||
11 | most stringent standard applies. | ||||||
12 | (4) Children receive all services for which they are | ||||||
13 | eligible. | ||||||
14 | (5) Wrap-around services provide before-school and | ||||||
15 | after-school child care that is coordinated with child | ||||||
16 | care providers and family resource centers. | ||||||
17 | (6) Head Start and Early Head Start programs | ||||||
18 | coordinate with medical, health, mental health, and social | ||||||
19 | service agencies to meet the comprehensive needs of | ||||||
20 | children and families.
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21 | Section 15. Early Childhood Program Recruitment and | ||||||
22 | Eligibility Screening Pilot Program. | ||||||
23 | (a) The Early Childhood Program Recruitment and | ||||||
24 | Eligibility Screening Pilot Program is created to coordinate | ||||||
25 | the enrollment of children into early childhood programs that |
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1 | receive 90% or more of their funding through federal and State | ||||||
2 | funds and that provide services to children from birth to 5 | ||||||
3 | years of age. The Early Childhood Program Recruitment and | ||||||
4 | Eligibility Screening Pilot Program shall provide improved | ||||||
5 | program coordination to identify and serve this State's | ||||||
6 | neediest children by avoiding a duplication of services and | ||||||
7 | the supplanting of federal funds and shall maximize the use of | ||||||
8 | Head Start and Early Head Start program funds. In addition, | ||||||
9 | the Early Childhood Program Recruitment and Eligibility | ||||||
10 | Screening Pilot Program shall prioritize families who meet | ||||||
11 | Head Start or Early Head Start program eligibility guidelines | ||||||
12 | for enrollment into those programs, which frees up enrollment
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13 | slots for other early childhood programs in the local | ||||||
14 | community that have broader eligibility guidelines. | ||||||
15 | (b) The Early Childhood Program Recruitment and | ||||||
16 | Eligibility Screening Pilot Program shall be implemented and | ||||||
17 | administered by the State Board of Education, which shall act | ||||||
18 | in cooperation with other programs serving young children in | ||||||
19 | the community, including public schools, child care providers, | ||||||
20 | special education cooperatives, Head Start and Early Head | ||||||
21 | Start programs, Preschool for All and Preschool for All | ||||||
22 | Expansion programs, and Prevention Initiative programs. | ||||||
23 | (c) The Early Childhood Program Recruitment and | ||||||
24 | Eligibility Screening Pilot Program shall begin with the | ||||||
25 | 2021-2022 school year and shall operate for a period of 2 | ||||||
26 | school years in which either Pilot Program One or Pilot |
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1 | Program Two shall be implemented as determined by the location | ||||||
2 | of the participating entity.
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3 | Section 20. Universal Early Childhood Program Application; | ||||||
4 | enrollment. | ||||||
5 | (a) The State Board of Education shall develop a Universal | ||||||
6 | Early Childhood Program Application. Each early childhood | ||||||
7 | program in a community that receives 90% or more of its funding | ||||||
8 | through federal and State funds and that provides services to | ||||||
9 | children from birth to 5 years of age shall use the Universal | ||||||
10 | Early Childhood Program Application to determine a family's | ||||||
11 | eligibility for any and all of the community's early childhood | ||||||
12 | programs. One of the eligibility criteria included on the | ||||||
13 | Universal Early Childhood Program Application must be based on | ||||||
14 | the family's household income level as determined by poverty | ||||||
15 | guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the | ||||||
16 | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the | ||||||
17 | authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). | ||||||
18 | (b) If an applicant family meets the income eligibility | ||||||
19 | guidelines established by a Head Start or Early Head Start | ||||||
20 | program, the applicant family must be offered the opportunity | ||||||
21 | for communication about enrollment into the Head Start or | ||||||
22 | Early Head Start program and to enroll in the Head Start or | ||||||
23 | Early Head Start program prior to enrolling in any other | ||||||
24 | community program. If the applicant family does not meet the | ||||||
25 | income eligibility guidelines set forth by the Head Start or |
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1 | Early Head Start program, the applicant family must be offered | ||||||
2 | the opportunity for communication about enrolling in another | ||||||
3 | community program selected by the applicant family. | ||||||
4 | If a Head Start or Early Head Start program has met full | ||||||
5 | utilization, a family may be placed in another early childhood | ||||||
6 | program serving young children in the community.
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7 | Section 25. Waiting list. Each early childhood program | ||||||
8 | that receives 90% or more of its funding through federal and | ||||||
9 | State funds and provides services for children from birth to 5 | ||||||
10 | years of age shall coordinate with similar early childhood | ||||||
11 | programs in the community to ensure that a child whose | ||||||
12 | household income meets the eligibility requirements of the | ||||||
13 | Head Start program and early childhood programs or the | ||||||
14 | eligibility requirements of local, State, or federal early
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15 | childhood programs remains on a waiting list for an eligible | ||||||
16 | provider for no longer than 45 days.
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17 | Section 90. Rules. The State Board of Education may adopt | ||||||
18 | any rules necessary to implement this Act.
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19 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
20 | 2021.".
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