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90_HB0465
New Act
Creates the Early Childhood Grant Program Act.
Establishes the Step Ahead Comprehensive Early Childhood
Grant Program to award grants by county to certain entities
that provide child care services. Creates the Step Ahead
Panel to implement the grant program. Provides that the
Panel shall consist of the Directors of Public Aid and Public
Health, the Secretary of Human Services, and the State
Superintendent of Education and other members appointed by
the Governor. Provides that the Panel may award coordination
grants and implementation grants. Provides that the Panel
shall give priority to entities that already receive State
funding to implement a program eligible for a grant under
this Act. Requires that DCFS administer federal Child Care
and Development Block Grant moneys in accordance with
guidelines established by the Panel.
LRB9001887DJcd
LRB9001887DJcd
1 AN ACT concerning Step Ahead comprehensive early
2 childhood grant programs.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
6 Early Childhood Grant Program Act.
7 Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
8 "Convener" means an organization that (i) is
9 not-for-profit, (ii) is nongovernmental, (iii) is not
10 religiously affiliated, (iv) operates countywide, and (v)
11 serves multiple agencies; a public elementary or high school;
12 or another entity approved by the Panel.
13 "Coordination grant" means a Step Ahead grant awarded to
14 initiate the development of a Step Ahead proposal.
15 "Department" means the Department of Children and Family
16 Services.
17 "Eligible entity" means any of the following:
18 (1) A public elementary or high school.
19 (2) A not-for-profit organization.
20 "Eligible program" means a federal, State, local, or
21 private not-for-profit program or service aimed at serving,
22 assisting, or otherwise benefiting a child as approved by the
23 Governor and the Panel under guidelines developed under this
24 Act. The term includes the following programs or services:
25 (1) Child care.
26 (2) Preschool, including special education
27 preschool.
28 (3) Parent information.
29 (4) School age child care.
30 (5) Early identification and early intervention.
31 (6) Maternal and child nutrition.
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1 (7) Health and screening.
2 "Implementation grant" means a Step Ahead grant that is
3 awarded to a Step Ahead county to provide financial
4 assistance to eligible entities providing eligible programs.
5 The term includes the use of available State appropriations
6 and available federal funds, including federal funds received
7 under the Child Care and Development Block Grant under 42
8 U.S.C. 658 and following.
9 "Income eligibility guidelines" means the income
10 eligibility guidelines prescribed by the Panel under this
11 Act.
12 "Panel" means the Step Ahead Panel established under this
13 Act.
14 "Parent" means the individual who has legal custody of a
15 child.
16 "Step Ahead" refers to the Step Ahead Comprehensive Early
17 Childhood Grant Program established under this Act.
18 "Step Ahead county" means a county in which an eligible
19 entity has been awarded coordination and implementation
20 grants.
21 Section 10. Program established.
22 (a) The Step Ahead Comprehensive Early Childhood Grant
23 Program is established to provide financial assistance and
24 other incentives to eligible entities to implement,
25 coordinate, and monitor eligible programs countywide.
26 (b) The Department of Children and Family Services shall
27 administer the Child Care and Development Block Grant under
28 42 U.S.C. 658 and following in accordance with the guidelines
29 established by the Panel under this Act.
30 Section 15. Program goals. The goals of Step Ahead are
31 as follows:
32 (1) To identify and recognize the various eligible
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1 programs available in each county at federal, State,
2 local, and private levels.
3 (2) To encourage coordination and cooperation among
4 the eligible programs described and to discourage
5 duplication of services.
6 (3) To provide comprehensive eligible programs
7 countywide that are accessible to all eligible children
8 and affordable to the children's parents.
9 (4) To recognize the specific service needs of and
10 unique resources available to particular counties, to
11 develop those into statewide resource listings, and to
12 incorporate flexibility regarding the implementation of
13 eligible programs.
14 (5) To prevent or minimize the potential for
15 developmental delay in children before the children reach
16 the age of compulsory school attendance.
17 (6) To enhance certain federally funded eligible
18 programs.
19 (7) To strengthen the family unit through the
20 following:
21 (A) Encouragement of parental involvement in a
22 child's development and education.
23 (B) Prevention of disruptive employment
24 conditions for parents who are employed.
25 (C) Enhancement of the capacity of families to
26 meet the special needs of their children, including
27 children with disabilities.
28 (8) To reduce the educational costs to society by
29 reducing the need for special education services after
30 children reach school age.
31 (9) To ensure that, when appropriate, children with
32 disabilities are integrated into programs available to
33 children who are not disabled.
34 (10) Beginning in 2002, to ensure that every child
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1 who enrolls in kindergarten in Illinois has benefitted
2 since birth from eligible programs available under Step
3 Ahead.
4 Section 20. Step Ahead Panel.
5 (a) The Step Ahead Panel is established to implement the
6 Step Ahead Program.
7 (b) The Panel shall consist of the following members:
8 (1) The Directors of the following State agencies
9 or their designees:
10 (A) Department of Children and Family
11 Services;
12 (B) Department of Public Aid; and
13 (C) Department of Human Services (as the
14 successor agency to the Department of Mental Health
15 and Developmental Disabilities).
16 (2) Five members who:
17 (A) shall be appointed by and serve at the
18 pleasure of the Governor;
19 (B) are representative of the private sector;
20 and
21 (C) are knowledgeable in the field of early
22 childhood development.
23 (3) Four members who:
24 (A) shall be appointed by and serve at the
25 pleasure of the State Superintendent of Education;
26 and
27 (B) are knowledgeable in early childhood
28 education.
29 (4) The State Superintendent of Education or his or
30 her designee.
31 The chairperson of the Panel shall be appointed by the
32 Governor from outside the membership of the Panel. The
33 chairperson shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
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1 Section 25. Panel compensation. The members of the Panel
2 are entitled to reimbursement for traveling expenses and
3 other expenses actually incurred in connection with the
4 performance of their duties.
5 Section 30. Rules. The Panel may adopt rules to carry
6 out its responsibilities.
7 Section 35. Panel's duties.
8 (a) The Panel shall do the following:
9 (1) Establish guidelines to implement this Act that
10 comply with the regulations governing the distribution of
11 the Child Care and Development Block Grant under 42
12 U.S.C. 658 and following, including guidelines on the
13 following:
14 (A) The types of early childhood programs that
15 are eligible programs.
16 (B) Income eligibility guidelines for parents
17 who are unable to afford the services provided by
18 eligible entities.
19 (C) Subject to the availability of funds, a
20 schedule for awarding coordination and
21 implementation grants and the criteria used to award
22 those grants under this Act, including the
23 following:
24 (i) The degree to which available
25 eligible programs are coordinated within the
26 county under the proposal.
27 (ii) The extent of community commitment
28 to Step Ahead initiatives.
29 (iii) The relative need for the county to
30 become a Step Ahead county.
31 (iv) The extent to which multiple
32 eligible programs and services, including those
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1 provided through public schools, are collocated
2 throughout the county.
3 (v) The extent to which the public
4 schools within the county cooperate in Step
5 Ahead initiatives.
6 (vi) The quality reflected by
7 comprehensive programming for preschool
8 services and the commitment to consistent staff
9 training opportunities.
10 (vii) The extent to which proposed
11 eligible programs provide integrated programs
12 for children with disabilities and children who
13 are not disabled.
14 (D) Any limitations in the expenditure of Step
15 Ahead grants.
16 (E) Reporting requirements of grant recipients
17 or the Step Ahead county coordinator concerning the
18 implementation of the Step Ahead programs within the
19 county.
20 (F) The distribution of federal funds,
21 including the Child Care and Development Block Grant
22 under 42 U.S.C. 658 and following, and other
23 available funds to eligible programs.
24 (2) Develop minimum standards for eligible
25 programs.
26 (3) Review each Step Ahead application for a
27 coordination grant and each proposal for an
28 implementation grant submitted by the convener.
29 (4) Approve those proposals that comply with this
30 Act.
31 (5) Conduct the assessments of Step Ahead Programs.
32 (6) Monitor the overall implementation of Step
33 Ahead, encourage the collaboration through the
34 Department's early childhood division to promote
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1 consistency in State efforts for young children, and
2 report to the Governor on its implementation.
3 (7) Perform any other task to facilitate the
4 implementation of Step Ahead.
5 (b) The Panel may contract for services to assist in the
6 implementation of the Step Ahead Program.
7 (c) The Panel may designate more than one county as a
8 Step Ahead county and a Step Ahead grant recipient if the
9 participating counties:
10 (1) are contiguous to each other; and
11 (2) agree to jointly comply with this Act.
12 Section 40. Coordination grants.
13 (a) To receive a coordination grant, the following must
14 occur: One convener located within the county must submit to
15 the Panel an application, on or before August 1 of the year
16 in which the application is submitted, under an agreement by
17 the eligible entities in the county for a coordination that
18 does the following:
19 (1) Designates a Step Ahead county coordinator to
20 facilitate the development of the proposal.
21 (2) Designates a fiscal agent to receive the
22 coordination grant.
23 (3) Includes any other information required under
24 the guidelines.
25 (b) Upon review of each application, the Panel shall
26 designate each Step Ahead county and shall award a
27 coordination grant to the fiscal agent.
28 Section 45. Proposal for implementation grant. Upon
29 receipt of a coordination grant, the Step Ahead county
30 coordinator shall initiate the development of a detailed
31 proposal to qualify for an implementation grant. The Step
32 Ahead county coordinator shall submit the proposal to the
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1 Panel on or before December 31 of the year in which the
2 application is submitted.
3 Section 50. Proposal requirements. The proposal to
4 qualify for an implementation grant must comply with the
5 following minimum requirements:
6 (1) Include a detailed description of the manner in
7 which the eligible programs available within the county
8 are to be implemented, coordinated, and monitored.
9 (2) Certify that each eligible entity shall request
10 and obtain a limited criminal history on each prospective
11 employee hired by the eligible entity.
12 (3) Designate a fiscal agent to administer the
13 implementation grant.
14 (4) Demonstrate how at least the following eligible
15 programs may be offered, coordinated, and monitored
16 within the entire county under an agreement with the
17 providers of the following eligible programs:
18 (A) Preschool, including Head Start under 42
19 U.S.C. 9831 and following, special education
20 preschool, or developmental child care programs for
21 preschool children.
22 (B) Child care programs.
23 (C) The Early and Periodic Screening,
24 Diagnosis, and Treatment program under 42 U.S.C.
25 1396 and following.
26 (D) Early intervention parent information
27 programs.
28 (E) Individual family service plans.
29 (F) School age child care programs (commonly
30 referred to as latch key programs).
31 (G) Family literacy programs that may be
32 funded through Even Start under 20 U.S.C. 2731 and
33 following.
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1 (H) The Job Opportunities and Basic Skills
2 Training Program under 42 U.S.C. 701 and following.
3 (I) Job Training Partnership Act programs
4 under 29 U.S.C. 1501 and following.
5 (J) Parental involvement programs.
6 (K) Children of children child care programs
7 aimed at serving children of teenage parents to
8 encourage the teenage parents to graduate from high
9 school or participate in vocational training.
10 (L) Vocational training programs for
11 unemployed parents.
12 (M) Health, nutrition, and vaccination
13 programs.
14 (N) State medical assistance services for
15 eligible individuals under the Illinois Public Aid
16 Code.
17 (5) Certify that the eligible programs described in
18 subdivision (4) are provided at no cost to parents of
19 children who qualify under the income eligibility
20 guidelines and at an affordable or sliding fee for other
21 parents.
22 (6) Describe the manner in which the implementation
23 grant will be directed to and expended by eligible
24 programs.
25 Section 55. Funding. If an eligible entity received
26 State funds to implement an eligible program then before
27 becoming a Step Ahead eligible program, the eligible entity
28 shall be given priority with regard to receiving continued
29 State funding to implement the eligible program under this
30 Act with no break in continuity of service from the previous
31 year.
32 Section 60. Program evaluation.
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1 (a) To evaluate the effectiveness of Step Ahead, the
2 Panel shall employ the following assessment mechanisms:
3 (1) The Step Ahead county coordinator shall
4 annually report to the Panel on the development, quality,
5 and appropriateness of the individual family service
6 plans for children whose parents qualify under the income
7 eligibility guidelines.
8 (2) The Step Ahead county coordinator shall
9 annually report to the Panel the number of children who:
10 (A) are utilizing Step Ahead services; and
11 (B) do not qualify under the income
12 eligibility guidelines.
13 (3) Any other valid assessment technique or method
14 approved by the Panel.
15 (b) The Panel shall implement a schedule for assessing
16 Step Ahead programs, utilizing prior evaluation results and
17 techniques learned through the Department's pilot preschool
18 programs.
19 Section 65. Preschool programs.
20 (a) Each Step Ahead proposal shall ensure the
21 implementation of a preschool or developmental child care
22 program for preschool children.
23 (b) The goals of the preschool or developmental child
24 care program for preschool children are as follows:
25 (1) To enhance the child's readiness for learning
26 and facilitate the transition from home to school when
27 the preschool child reaches the age of compulsory school
28 attendance.
29 (2) To identify developmental problems or concerns
30 in preschool children and to make referrals to the
31 appropriate service providers or to provide the
32 appropriate services.
33 (3) To prevent disruptive employment conditions for
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1 parents who are employed.
2 (4) To ensure a continuity in access to Step Ahead
3 programs as each preschool child nears the age of
4 compulsory school attendance.
5 (c) To qualify for an implementation grant under this
6 Act for preschool or developmental child care programs for
7 preschool children, the eligible entity implementing a
8 preschool or developmental child care program for preschool
9 children must demonstrate cooperation with the following
10 programs within the county:
11 (1) Public schools, particularly those public
12 schools that provide preschool or special education
13 preschool services.
14 (2) Head Start programs under 42 U.S.C. 9831 and
15 following.
16 (3) Handicapped infants and toddlers programs.
17 (4) County health department programs.
18 (5) Private industry council programs.
19 (6) Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs
20 under 42 U.S.C. 1786 and following.
21 (7) Community mental retardation and mental health
22 centers that provide services to preschool children with
23 disabilities.