Section 235.70  Terms of the Grant

a)         Each grantee shall submit evaluation information and other reports containing program-related data in a format specified by the State Board of Education, providing:

1)         descriptive statistics on the population served, eligibility, screening procedures and staff qualifications and training, including any social and emotional consultation services provided pursuant to Subpart C;

2)         descriptive information, including type and quality of the educational program, amount and extent of interagency collaboration, and parent education and involvement;

3)         the extent to which program objectives have been accomplished; and

4)         any similar program-related information that the State Superintendent of Education may request upon 30 days' written notice.

b)         At least once every four years, a program review shall be conducted for each project to ensure program quality, to assist in program improvement and to provide technical assistance.

c)         All equipment purchased by the grantee for the program with Early Childhood Block Grant funds must be documented on a form supplied by the State Board of Education and be maintained in the grantee's files.

d)         A time distribution worksheet shall be kept for any staff member in a part-time position.

e)         Grantees shall use funds provided under the Early Childhood Block Grant to supplement, not supplant, funds received from any other source.  (Sections 2-3.71 and 2-3.89 of the School Code)

f)         Grant funds may not be used to provide religious instruction, conduct worship services or engage in any form of proselytization.

g)         Prior to final funding approval, each grantee shall:

1)         present evidence that staff meet the requirements of Section 235.20(c)(9), as applicable; and

2)         if subject to licensure requirements of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), present evidence that it holds the appropriate licensure (also see Section 235.10(b)).

h)         All preschool education program grantees must electronically report the data required under this subsection (h) in the Student Information System (23 Ill. Adm. Code 1.75) no later than October 15 of each year.

1)         The percentage of children enrolled in the program who have been identified as being at risk of academic failure.

2)         The percentage of children enrolled in the program who are from families whose incomes are less than four times the federal poverty level (FPL), established by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

3)         The percentage of children enrolled in the program who do not qualify under either category.

i)          Each grantee shall enter information and other data relative to the students participating in the preschool education program into the Student Information System.

j)          Failure of a grantee to enroll the required percentage of children (80 percent) in the particular prioritization category for which the proposal was funded (i.e., at-risk status or income levels) shall result in the amount of the grant award being reduced proportionate to the decrease in percentage of children enrolled.

k)         School district grantees with programs serving homeless children must comply with all applicable provisions of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 USC 11431 et seq.). Non-school district grantees should, to the extent possible, ensure that homeless children enrolled in their programs receive the support necessary for successful and continued participation, including, without limitation, arranging for appropriate transportation when necessary.

l)          No funds may be used to help support or sustain any institution controlled by any church or sectarian denomination (see Article X, Section 3 of the Illinois Constitution).

m)        Each grantee that operates a program in a facility licensed by DCFS shall require all employees and volunteers who are persons subject to background checks, as defined by 89 Ill. Adm. Code 385.20 (Definitions), to authorize DCFS to perform a Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS) background check.  The grantee shall maintain evidence of completion of required CANTS checks for all persons subject to background checks and copies of the evidence of completion shall be provided to the administrator of the DCFS-licensed facility.  The requirement applies to any paid or unpaid individual, including any teacher who is holding an educator license pursuant to Article 21B and employed by a school district or other entity but working in the facility, who is used to perform essential staff duties as evidenced by being counted in the staff-child ratio or being allowed to be alone with children in a licensed child care facility outside the visual or auditory supervision of facility staff.

(Source:  Amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 6674, effective April 27, 2015)