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91_HB4021enr HB4021 Enrolled LRB9113015ACtmA 1 AN ACT creating the Great START program. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is 5 amended by adding Section 10-22 as follows: 6 (20 ILCS 1305/10-22 new) 7 Sec. 10-22. Great START program. 8 (a) Beginning October 1, 2000 and until July 1, 2004, 9 the Department of Human Services shall, subject to a specific 10 appropriation for this purpose, operate a Great START 11 (Strategy To Attract and Retain Teachers) program. The goal 12 of the program is to improve children's developmental and 13 educational outcomes in child care by encouraging increased 14 professional preparation by staff and staff retention. The 15 Great START program shall coordinate with the TEACH 16 professional development program. 17 The program shall provide wage supplements and may 18 include other incentives to licensed child care center 19 personnel, including early childhood teachers, school-age 20 workers, early childhood assistants, school-age assistants, 21 and directors, as such positions are defined by 22 administrative rule of the Department of Children and Family 23 Services. The program shall provide wage supplements and may 24 include other incentives to licensed family day care home 25 personnel and licensed group day care home personnel, 26 including caregivers and assistants as such positions are 27 defined by administrative rule of the Department of Children 28 and Family Services. Individuals will receive supplements 29 commensurate with their qualifications. 30 (b) The Department shall convene a working committee of 31 its standing Child and Development Advisory Council to make HB4021 Enrolled -2- LRB9113015ACtmA 1 recommendations by October 1, 2000 on the components of the 2 Great START program. The working committee shall consist of 3 experts from the child care and early childhood education 4 field. In addition, the working committee shall include, when 5 necessary, the Secretary of Human Services, the Director of 6 Children and Family Services, the Director of Commerce and 7 Community Affairs, the Director of Employment Security, the 8 Superintendent of the State Board of Education, the Chair of 9 the Community College Board, and the Chair of the Executive 10 Committee of the Board of Higher Education, or their 11 designees. 12 (c) The Department shall, by rule, define the scope and 13 operation of the program, including a wage supplement scale. 14 The scale shall pay increasing amounts for higher levels of 15 educational attainment beyond minimum qualifications and 16 shall recognize longevity of employment. Subject to the 17 availability of sufficient appropriation, the wage 18 supplements shall be paid to child care personnel in the form 19 of bonuses at 6 month intervals. Six months of continuous 20 service with a single employer is required to be eligible to 21 receive a wage supplement bonus. Wage supplements shall be 22 paid directly to individual day care personnel, not to their 23 employers. Eligible individuals must provide to the 24 Department or its agent all information and documentation, 25 including but not limited to college transcripts, to 26 demonstrate their qualifications for a particular wage 27 supplement level. 28 If appropriations permit, the Department may include 29 one-time signing bonuses or other incentives to help 30 providers attract staff, provided that the signing bonuses 31 are less than the supplement staff would have received if 32 they had remained employed with another day care center or 33 family day care home. 34 If appropriations permit, the Department may include HB4021 Enrolled -3- LRB9113015ACtmA 1 one-time longevity bonuses or other incentives to recognize 2 staff who have remained with a single employer. 3 (d) The Department shall evaluate the Great START 4 program, gather data on turnover rates, educational 5 attainment, and other relevant issues, and submit a report to 6 the General Assembly on the Great START program by December 7 31, 2002. 8 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 9 becoming law.