Bill Text: NJ A4221 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DHS to conduct review of reimbursement rates paid by State's child care assistance program to certain child care providers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-02 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee [A4221 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4221-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Rodriguez
SYNOPSIS
Requires DHS to conduct review of reimbursement rates paid by the State's child care assistance program to certain child care providers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the State child care assistance program.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. No later than 90 days after the effective date of this act, the Department of Human Services shall conduct a review of the reimbursement rates paid by the State's child care assistance program to child care providers participating in the program to ensure that the reimbursement rates adequately compensate child care providers offering services during non-traditional hours, including, but not limited to, early morning and late evening hours.
b. If, based on the review, the department determines that the reimbursement rates are not adequate to compensate child providers offering services during non-traditional hours, the department shall seek out and apply for all sources of federal funding as may be necessary to allow the State's child care assistance program to compensate such providers, including, but limited to, applying for such State plan amendments or waivers as may necessary to secure federal financial participation for State expenditures under the Child Care and Development Block Grant.
c. The Department of Human Services shall prepare a written report of the review conducted pursuant to subsection a. of this section, post a copy of the report on its Internet website, and, upon request, provide a copy of the report to child care providers participating in the State's child care assistance program.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the issuance of the report of the review conducted pursuant to section 1 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to conduct a review of the reimbursement rates paid by the State's child care assistance program to child care providers participating in the program to ensure that the reimbursement rates adequately compensate child care providers offering services during non-traditional hours, including, but not limited to, early morning and late evening hours.
If, based on the review, the DHS determines that the reimbursement rates are not adequate to compensate child providers offering services during non-traditional hours, the DHS is to seek out and apply for all sources of federal funding necessary to allow the State's child care assistance program to compensate such providers, including, but limited to, applying for such State plan amendments or waivers as may necessary to secure federal financial participation for State expenditures under the Child Care and Development Block Grant.
The bill also stipulates the DHS to: 1) prepare a written report of the review conducted pursuant to the bill; 2) post a copy of the report on its Internet website, and 3) upon request, provide a copy of the report to child care providers participating in the State's child care assistance program.
The bill is to expire upon issuance of the written report of review conducted pursuant to its provisions.
Currently, reimbursement rates paid by the child care assistance program to child care providers participating in the program compensate such providers for approximately seven hours of operation.
However child care providers offering services during non-traditional hours, including, but not limited to, early morning and late evening hours, to accommodate working parents, face additional expenses because they do not receive reimbursement to operate extended hours.
It is the sponsor's intent to allow the State to pursue additional funding if the review required under this bill reveals that the reimbursement rates paid by the child care assistance program do not adequately compensate child care providers offering services during non-traditional hours.
