State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HB3217

 
                                               LRB9110555DJcd

 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
 
                            -2-                LRB9110555DJcd
 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.      In   determining
18    eligibility  for  assistance,  the  Department shall not give
19    preference to any category of recipients or  give  preference
20    to  individuals based on their receipt of benefits under this
21    Code. The Department shall allocate $7,500,000 annually for a
22    test program for families who are income-eligible  for  child
23    care assistance, who are not recipients of TANF under Article
24    IV,  and  who  need  child  care assistance to participate in
25    education and  training  activities.   The  Department  shall
26    specify  by  rule the conditions of eligibility for this test
27    program. It is the intent of the General Assembly  that,  for
28    fiscal  year  1998,  to  the  extent  resources  permit,  the
29    Department shall establish an income eligibility threshold of
30    50%  of  the State median income.  Notwithstanding the income
31    level at which families become eligible to receive child care
32    assistance, any family that is already receiving  child  care
33    assistance  on  the  effective date of this amendatory Act of
34    1997 shall remain eligible for  assistance  for  fiscal  year
 
                            -3-                LRB9110555DJcd
 1    1998.    Nothing  in  this  Section  shall  be  construed  as
 2    conferring entitlement  status  to  eligible  families.   The
 3    Illinois Department is authorized to lower income eligibility
 4    ceilings,  raise parent co-payments, create waiting lists, or
 5    take such other actions during a fiscal year as are necessary
 6    to ensure that child care benefits paid under this Article do
 7    not exceed the amounts  appropriated  for  those  child  care
 8    benefits.    These  changes  may be accomplished by emergency
 9    rule  under  Section  5-45  of  the  Illinois  Administrative
10    Procedure Act, except that the limitation on  the  number  of
11    emergency  rules  that  may  be  adopted in a 24-month period
12    shall not apply.  The Illinois Department may  contract  with
13    other  State  agencies  or  child  care organizations for the
14    administration of child care services.
15        (c)  Payment shall be made for child care that  otherwise
16    meets   the  requirements  of  this  Section  and  applicable
17    standards of State and local law  and  regulation,  including
18    any  requirements the Illinois Department promulgates by rule
19    in addition to the licensure requirements promulgated by  the
20    Department   of   Children   and  Family  Services  and  Fire
21    Prevention and Safety requirements promulgated by the  Office
22    of  the  State  Fire  Marshal  and  is provided in any of the
23    following:
24             (1)  a child care center which is licensed or exempt
25        from licensure pursuant to Section 2.09 of the Child Care
26        Act of 1969;
27             (2)  a licensed child care home or home exempt  from
28        licensing;
29             (3)  a licensed group child care home;
30             (4)  other types of child care, including child care
31        provided  by relatives or persons living in the same home
32        as the child, as determined by the Illinois Department by
33        rule.
34        (d)  The Illinois  Department  shall,  by  rule,  require
 
                            -4-                LRB9110555DJcd
 1    co-payments  for child care services by any parent, including
 2    parents whose only income is from assistance under this Code.
 3    The co-payment shall be assessed based  on  a  sliding  scale
 4    based  on  family  income,  family  size,  and  the number of
 5    children in  care.  The  Illinois  Department's  rules  shall
 6    provide  that  a  parent must make the required co-payment in
 7    advance as a condition of eligibility for child care services
 8    under this Section.
 9        (e)  The Illinois Department shall conduct a market  rate
10    survey  based  on the cost of care and other relevant factors
11    which shall be completed by July 1, 1998.
12        (f)  The Illinois Department shall, by rule, set rates to
13    be paid for the various types of child care. Child  care  may
14    be provided through one of the following methods:
15             (1)  arranging   the  child  care  through  eligible
16        providers by use of  purchase  of  service  contracts  or
17        vouchers;
18             (2)  arranging  with  other  agencies  and community
19        volunteer groups for non-reimbursed child care;
20             (3)  (blank); or
21             (4)  adopting  such  other   arrangements   as   the
22        Department determines appropriate.
23        (g)  Families  eligible for assistance under this Section
24    shall be given the following options:
25             (1)  receiving a child care  certificate  issued  by
26        the  Department or a subcontractor of the Department that
27        may be used by the parents as payment for child care  and
28        development services only; or
29             (2)  if space is available, enrolling the child with
30        a  child  care  provider  that  has a purchase of service
31        contract with the Department or a  subcontractor  of  the
32        Department   for   the   provision   of  child  care  and
33        development  services.    The  Department  may   identify
34        particular priority populations for whom they may request
 
                            -5-                LRB9110555DJcd
 1        special  consideration  by  a  provider  with purchase of
 2        service contracts, provided that the providers  shall  be
 3        permitted  to  maintain  a balance of clients in terms of
 4        household incomes and families and children with  special
 5        needs, as defined by rule.
 6    (Source: P.A. 90-17, eff. 7-1-97; 91-509, eff. 1-1-00.)

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