101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB3294

 

Introduced 2/11/2020, by Sen. Ram Villivalam

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
225 ILCS 10/7.11 new

    Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall create a 4-year outdoor preschool pilot program. Provides that 10 pilot locations shall be selected for the first year of the pilot program, with additional locations able to apply after the first year. Requires the Department to convene an advisory group to inform and support the implementation of the pilot program. Requires the Department to provide the General Assembly and Governor with reports on the participation of providers and children in the program and recommendations on modifying or expanding the availability of outdoor preschools. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2026. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3294LRB101 20256 SPS 69796 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Child Care Act of 1969 is amended by adding
5Section 7.11 as follows:
 
6    (225 ILCS 10/7.11 new)
7    Sec. 7.11. Outdoor preschool pilot program.
8    (a) The General Assembly finds that outdoor, nature-based
9early learning and child care programs are in high demand but
10are unlicensed under existing law and thus unable to offer
11full-day programs, which many working families are seeking. The
12General Assembly further finds that the outdoor preschool model
13could help expand the number of high quality early learning
14opportunities available to families throughout the State,
15particularly in areas where preschool-appropriate indoor space
16is unavailable or unaffordable. Additionally, when early
17learning programs spend less on their physical facilities, they
18are able to spend more on recruiting and retaining teachers and
19other early learning professionals. The General Assembly also
20finds that research on outdoor preschools operating in
21Scandinavian countries for decades has demonstrated a positive
22impact on children's development, including improved cognitive
23and social skills when children transition to grade school. The

 

 

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1General Assembly, therefore, intends to establish a pilot
2program to license outdoor preschools in order to expand access
3to affordable, high quality early learning programs and to
4further investigate the benefits of outdoor, nature-based
5classrooms for Illinois children and families.
6    (b) For purposes of this Section, "outdoor, nature-based
7early learning and child care program" means an agency-offered
8program operated primarily outdoors in which children are
9enrolled on a regular basis for 3 or more hours per day.
10    (c) The Department shall establish a pilot program to
11license outdoor, nature-based early learning and child care
12programs. The pilot program shall commence August 31, 2020 and
13conclude June 30, 2024.
14    (d) The Department shall adopt rules to implement the pilot
15program and may waive or adapt licensing requirements when
16necessary to allow for the operation of outdoor classrooms.
17    (e) As part of the pilot program, the Department shall
18explore options for developing a quality rating and improvement
19system for outdoor preschools. The Department may receive and
20expend funds from philanthropic organizations in order to
21implement this Section. The Department shall include a
22discussion of options and recommendations in the final report
23required under this Section.
24    (f) The Department shall select up to 10 pilot locations
25during the first year of the pilot program. Beginning August
2631, 2021, additional outdoor, nature-based early learning and

 

 

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1child care programs may apply to participate in the pilot
2program. When selecting and approving pilot program locations,
3the Department shall aim to select a mix of rural, urban, and
4suburban locations and may give priority to:
5        (1) areas where there are few or limited licensed early
6    learning programs;
7        (2) areas of need where licensed early learning
8    programs are at or near full capacity and where access may
9    be restricted by one or more enrollment waiting lists; and
10        (3) areas where an outdoor early learning program would
11    provide more family choice.
12    (g) The Department shall convene an advisory group of
13outdoor, nature-based early learning practitioners to inform
14and support implementation of the pilot program.
15    (h) The Department shall provide the following reports to
16the General Assembly and the Governor:
17        (1) by January 15, 2021, and annually thereafter
18    through January 15, 2024, a brief status report describing
19    implementation of the pilot program, including a
20    description of participating providers and the number of
21    children and families being served;
22        (2) by November 30, 2024, a full report on findings
23    from the pilot program, including recommendations for
24    modifying or expanding the availability of outdoor,
25    nature-based early learning and child care programs; the
26    final report also must include a discussion of potential

 

 

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1    options to mitigate the uncertainty for families and
2    participating providers during the final 6 months of the
3    pilot program when legislation may be pending.
4    (i) The provisions of this Section are subject to
5appropriation.
6    (j) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2026.
 
7    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8becoming law.