State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Enrolled ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]

91_HB2217eng

 
HB2217 Engrossed                               LRB9104865DJcb

 1        AN  ACT to amend the Illinois Public Aid Code by changing
 2    Section 9A-11.

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

 5        Section  5.   The  Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
 6    changing Section 9A-11 as follows:

 7        (305 ILCS 5/9A-11) (from Ch. 23, par. 9A-11)
 8        Sec. 9A-11. Child Care.
 9        (a)  The General Assembly recognizes that  families  with
10    children  need  child  care  in order to work.  Child care is
11    expensive and families with low incomes, including those  who
12    are transitioning from welfare to work, often struggle to pay
13    the  costs of day care.  The General Assembly understands the
14    importance of helping low income working families become  and
15    remain  self-sufficient.   The General Assembly also believes
16    that it is the responsibility of families  to  share  in  the
17    costs  of  child  care.    It  is  also the preference of the
18    General Assembly that all working  poor  families  should  be
19    treated equally, regardless of their welfare status.
20        (b)  To   the   extent  resources  permit,  the  Illinois
21    Department shall provide child care services  to  parents  or
22    other  relatives  as  defined  by  rule  who  are  working or
23    participating in employment or Department approved  education
24    or  training programs.  At a minimum, the Illinois Department
25    shall cover the following categories of families:
26             (1)  recipients   of   TANF   under    Article    IV
27        participating   in   work   and  training  activities  as
28        specified  in  the  personal  plan  for  employment   and
29        self-sufficiency;
30             (2)  families transitioning from TANF to work;
31             (3)  families  at  risk  of  becoming  recipients of
 
HB2217 Engrossed            -2-                LRB9104865DJcb
 1        TANF;
 2             (4)  families with special needs as defined by rule;
 3        and
 4             (5)  working  families  with  very  low  incomes  as
 5        defined by rule.
 6        The Department shall specify by rule  the  conditions  of
 7    eligibility, the application process, and the types, amounts,
 8    and  duration  of  services.    Eligibility  for  child  care
 9    benefits and the amount of child care provided may vary based
10    on  family  size,  income,  and other factors as specified by
11    rule.  In  determining  income  eligibility  for  child  care
12    benefits, the Department shall establish, by rule, one income
13    threshold for each family size, in relation to percentage  of
14    State  median  income  for  a family of that size, that makes
15    families with incomes below the specified threshold  eligible
16    for  assistance and families with incomes above the specified
17    threshold  ineligible  for  assistance.  Families  that   are
18    income-eligible   under  this  paragraph  and  that  are  not
19    recipients of TANF under Article  IV  shall  be  eligible  to
20    receive  child care assistance for the same range of work and
21    training activities as are available to  recipients  of  TANF
22    under  Article IV and shall be subject to no more restrictive
23    criteria than are applicable  to  recipients  of  TANF  under
24    Article  IV.  In  determining eligibility for assistance, the
25    Department shall not  give  preference  to  any  category  of
26    recipients  or  give preference to individuals based on their
27    receipt of benefits under this Code.  It is the intent of the
28    General Assembly that, for fiscal year 1998,  to  the  extent
29    resources  permit,  the  Department shall establish an income
30    eligibility threshold of 50%  of  the  State  median  income.
31    Notwithstanding  the  income  level  at which families become
32    eligible to receive child care assistance, any family that is
33    already receiving child care assistance on the effective date
34    of this amendatory Act of  1997  shall  remain  eligible  for
 
HB2217 Engrossed            -3-                LRB9104865DJcb
 1    assistance  for  fiscal  year  1998.  Nothing in this Section
 2    shall  be  construed  as  conferring  entitlement  status  to
 3    eligible families.  The Illinois Department is authorized  to
 4    lower  income eligibility ceilings, raise parent co-payments,
 5    create waiting lists, or take such  other  actions  during  a
 6    fiscal  year  as  are  necessary  to  ensure  that child care
 7    benefits paid under this Article do not  exceed  the  amounts
 8    appropriated  for  those  child care benefits.  These changes
 9    may be accomplished by emergency rule under Section  5-45  of
10    the  Illinois  Administrative  Procedure Act, except that the
11    limitation on the number  of  emergency  rules  that  may  be
12    adopted  in  a 24-month period shall not apply.  The Illinois
13    Department may contract with other State  agencies  or  child
14    care  organizations  for  the  administration  of  child care
15    services.
16        (c)  Payment shall be made for child care that  otherwise
17    meets   the  requirements  of  this  Section  and  applicable
18    standards of State and local law  and  regulation,  including
19    any  requirements the Illinois Department promulgates by rule
20    in addition to the licensure requirements promulgated by  the
21    Department   of   Children   and  Family  Services  and  Fire
22    Prevention and Safety requirements promulgated by the  Office
23    of  the  State  Fire  Marshal  and  is provided in any of the
24    following:
25             (1)  a child care center which is licensed or exempt
26        from licensure pursuant to Section 2.09 of the Child Care
27        Act of 1969;
28             (2)  a licensed child care home or home exempt  from
29        licensing;
30             (3)  a licensed group child care home;
31             (4)  other types of child care, including child care
32        provided  by relatives or persons living in the same home
33        as the child, as determined by the Illinois Department by
34        rule.
 
HB2217 Engrossed            -4-                LRB9104865DJcb
 1        (d)  The Illinois  Department  shall,  by  rule,  require
 2    co-payments  for child care services by any parent, including
 3    parents whose only income is from assistance under this Code.
 4    The co-payment shall be assessed based  on  a  sliding  scale
 5    based  on  family  income,  family  size,  and  the number of
 6    children in care.
 7        (e)  The Illinois Department shall conduct a market  rate
 8    survey  based  on the cost of care and other relevant factors
 9    which shall be completed by July 1, 1998.
10        (f)  The Illinois Department shall, by rule, set rates to
11    be paid for the various types of child care. Child  care  may
12    be provided through one of the following methods:
13             (1)  arranging   the  child  care  through  eligible
14        providers by use of  purchase  of  service  contracts  or
15        vouchers;
16             (2)  arranging  with  other  agencies  and community
17        volunteer groups for non-reimbursed child care;
18             (3)  (blank); or
19             (4)  adopting  such  other   arrangements   as   the
20        Department determines appropriate.
21        (g)  Families  eligible for assistance under this Section
22    shall be given the following options:
23             (1)  receiving a child care  certificate  issued  by
24        the  Department or a subcontractor of the Department that
25        may be used by the parents as payment for child care  and
26        development services only; or
27             (2)  if space is available, enrolling the child with
28        a  child  care  provider  that  has a purchase of service
29        contract with the Department or a  subcontractor  of  the
30        Department   for   the   provision   of  child  care  and
31        development  services.    The  Department  may   identify
32        particular priority populations for whom they may request
33        special  consideration  by  a  provider  with purchase of
34        service contracts, provided that the providers  shall  be
 
HB2217 Engrossed            -5-                LRB9104865DJcb
 1        permitted  to  maintain  a balance of clients in terms of
 2        household incomes and families and children with  special
 3        needs, as defined by rule.
 4    (Source: P.A. 90-17, eff. 7-1-97.)

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