093_SB0379

 
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 1        AN ACT concerning child care, amending named Acts.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  5.  The  State  Finance Act is amended by adding
 5    Section 5.595 as follows:

 6        (30 ILCS 105/5.595 new)
 7        Sec. 5.595.  The Child Care Training and Education  Pilot
 8    Program Fund.

 9        Section  10.   The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
10    adding Sections 9-14, 9-14.1, 9-14.2, 9-14.3, 9-14.4, 9-14.5,
11    9-14.6, 9-14.7, 9-14.8, and 9-14.9 as follows:

12        (305 ILCS 5/9-14 new)
13        Sec. 9-14.  Neighbors  Program;  findings.   The  General
14    Assembly  finds and declares that the State lacks an adequate
15    number  of  affordable,  safe,  and   reliable   child   care
16    facilities,  particularly  in  low-income  neighborhoods, and
17    needs more trained child care workers.  The General  Assembly
18    further   finds  that  public  aid  recipients  could  become
19    employed as child care  workers  or  become  licensed  family
20    child  care  providers  if  they  had the proper training and
21    education.
22        The General Assembly declares that implementation of  the
23    Neighbor-to-Neighbor  Child Care Training and Education Pilot
24    Program will help  public  aid  recipients  begin  to  attain
25    self-sufficiency while increasing the supply of trained child
26    care workers.

27        (305 ILCS 5/9-14.1 new)
28        Sec. 9-14.1.  Neighbors Program; definitions.  As used in
 
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 1    Sections 9-14 through 9-14.9:
 2        "Neighbors  Program" means the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Child
 3    Care Training and Education Pilot  Program  authorized  under
 4    Sections 9-14 through 9-14.9.
 5        "Participant"  means a person who is participating in one
 6    of the  training  and  education  programs  as  part  of  the
 7    Neighbors  Program  pursuant to a grant awarded under Section
 8    9-14.2.
 9        "Pilot site agency"  means  a  local  public  or  private
10    community-based agency that is awarded a grant to implement a
11    training and education program under Section 9-14.2.
12        "Training  and  education program" means a program that a
13    pilot site  agency  operates  under  a  grant  awarded  under
14    Section  9-14.2  to  train  participants in the area of child
15    care.

16        (305 ILCS 5/9-14.2 new)
17        Sec. 9-14.2.  Neighbors Program; proposals; grants.
18        (a)  On or before January  1,  2004,  the  Department  of
19    Human  Services shall issue a request for proposals statewide
20    for training and education programs that  have  the  features
21    described  in Section 9-14.3.  The request for proposals must
22    include,  but  need  not  be  limited   to,   the   following
23    components:
24             (1)  A  description of the design and purpose of the
25        training and education program.
26             (2)  A description of how the pilot site agency will
27        recruit and assess participants  pursuant  to  subsection
28        (d) of Section 9-14.3.
29             (3)  The   type   of  training  programs,  including
30        on-the-job training programs, that the pilot site  agency
31        will provide.
32             (4)  Methods   for  encouraging  the  use  of  other
33        community resources for training.
 
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 1             (5)  Methods for ensuring support  for  participants
 2        who  successfully  complete  the  training  and education
 3        program to be able  to  seek  independent  employment  in
 4        child care.
 5             (6)  Methods  for providing for the child care needs
 6        of the participants.
 7        (b)  A   local   public   or   private    community-based
 8    organization  that  is  interested  in  becoming a pilot site
 9    agency must respond to the request  for  proposals  no  later
10    than April 1, 2004.
11        (c)  No  later  than September 1, 2004, the Department of
12    Human Services must  select  not  more  than  10  pilot  site
13    agencies located throughout the State. In selecting the pilot
14    site  agencies, the Department must consider the criteria set
15    forth in Section 9-14.3.  The Department must award  a  grant
16    of not more than $25,000 to each pilot site agency selected.
17        (d)  Pilot  site  agencies  must begin their training and
18    education programs no later than 30 days after  the  date  of
19    the grant award or by October 1, 2004, whichever is later.

20        (305 ILCS 5/9-14.3 new)
21        Sec.  9-14.3.  Neighbors  Program; training and education
22    program features.
23        (a)  Training and education programs that demonstrate the
24    features  described  in  subsections  (b)  through  (d)   are
25    eligible to receive a grant under Section 9-14.2.
26        (b)  The  training and education program must be designed
27    as a one-year program, and a budget for implementation of the
28    program must be prepared.  Allowable budget expenditures  are
29    limited  to  the  costs  of  implementing  the  training  and
30    education  program.   Those  costs  may  include, but are not
31    limited to, the costs of trainers,  training  materials,  and
32    equipment  needed  to start a day care center, day care home,
33    or group day care home as defined in the Child  Care  Act  of
 
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 1    1969.
 2        (c)  The  training and education program must be designed
 3    to train and educate participants for jobs in child  care  or
 4    assist  them in securing appropriate State and local licenses
 5    and permits to operate a day care center, day care  home,  or
 6    group  day  care  home, including the process for seeking any
 7    local variances or  State  waivers  that  may  be  needed  to
 8    operate   such   a   child   care  facility.  To  the  extent
 9    practicable, the training and education program must  utilize
10    community  resources,  including  but  not  limited  to local
11    agencies, Department of  Human  Services  local  offices,  or
12    other    appropriate    community   groups,   in   recruiting
13    participants  and  marketing  the  training   and   education
14    program.
15        (d)  The  training  and  education  program  must recruit
16    persons who are  18  years  of  age  or  older  and  who  are
17    recipients  of  one  or more of the following forms of public
18    aid:
19             (1)  Temporary Assistance for Needy Families  (TANF)
20        under Article IV of this Code.
21             (2)  Medical  assistance  under  Article  V  of this
22        Code.
23             (3)  Food stamps.

24        (305 ILCS 5/9-14.4 new)
25        Sec.  9-14.4.   Neighbors   Program;   no   direct   cash
26    assistance.   In  no case may any grant awarded under Section
27    9-14.2, or any part of such  a  grant,  be  used  to  provide
28    direct cash assistance to a participant.

29        (305 ILCS 5/9-14.5 new)
30        Sec.   9-14.5.    Neighbors   Program;  effect  on  other
31    programs.  Nothing in Sections 9-14 through 9-14.9  shall  be
32    construed  to  waive  the requirements of any other mandatory
 
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 1    employment or training program.

 2        (305 ILCS 5/9-14.6 new)
 3        Sec. 9-14.6.  Neighbors Program; Department duties.   The
 4    Department of Human Services must do the following:
 5             (1)  Oversee  the  administration  of  the Neighbors
 6        Program.
 7             (2)  Provide technical assistance to the pilot  site
 8        agencies.
 9             (3)  Prepare  a  final  report  that  evaluates  the
10        Neighbors  Program  and  file the report with the General
11        Assembly no later than January 1, 2006.

12        (305 ILCS 5/9-14.7 new)
13        Sec.  9-14.7.   Neighbors  Program;  pilot  site   agency
14    duties.  Each pilot site agency must do the following:
15             (1)  Train   the   participants  and  monitor  their
16        progress  throughout  the  course  of  the  training  and
17        education program.
18             (2)  Report to  the  Department  of  Human  Services
19        monthly  on  the  progress  of  the  participants and the
20        training and education program's adherence to its budget.
21             (3)  Prepare a final report and  file  it  with  the
22        Department  of  Human  Services no later than November 1,
23        2005.

24        (305 ILCS 5/9-14.8 new)
25        Sec. 9-14.8.  Neighbors Program; funding sources.
26        (a)  The  Department  of  Human  Services   may   receive
27    contributions,  grants,  services, and in-kind donations from
28    any public or private entity for the direct or indirect costs
29    associated with the implementation of the Neighbors Program.
30        (b)  All  contributions  and  grants  received   by   the
31    Department  of  Human  Services  under subsection (a) must be
 
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 1    transmitted to the State Treasurer,  who  must  credit  those
 2    amounts  to  the  Child  Care  Training  and  Education Pilot
 3    Program Fund, a special fund created in the  State  treasury.
 4    The moneys in the Fund are subject to annual appropriation by
 5    the  General  Assembly  for  the  direct  and  indirect costs
 6    associated with the implementation of the Neighbors Program.
 7    Any interest derived  from  the  deposit  and  investment  of
 8    moneys  in the Fund must be credited to the Fund.  At the end
 9    of the fiscal year, all unexpended and unencumbered moneys in
10    the Fund must remain in the Fund and may not be  credited  or
11    transferred to the General Revenue Fund or any other fund.

12        (305 ILCS 5/9-14.9 new)
13        Sec.  9-14.9.   Neighbors Program; repeal.  Sections 9-14
14    through 9-14.9 are repealed on July 1, 2006.

15        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
16    becoming law.