California § 10309.7 - The Legislature recognizes the importance of providing quality child care and pre

§ 10309.7. The Legislature recognizes the importance of providing quality child care and pre

(a) The Legislature recognizes the importance of providing quality child care and preschool services. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to assist counties in improving the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees who work directly with children who receive state-subsidized child care and preschool services. (b) It is further the intent of the Legislature, in amending this section during the 2009–10 Regular Session, to address the unique challenges of the County of Los Angeles, in which an estimated 60,000 low-income children receive subsidized child care in nonstate-funded child care settings and an additional 50,000 eligible children are waiting for subsidized services. (c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the funds appropriated for the purposes of this section by paragraph (11) of Schedule (b) of Item 6110-196-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2000 (Chapter 52 of the Statutes of 2000), and that are described in subdivision (i) of Provision 7 of that item, and any other funds appropriated for purposes of this section, shall be allocated to local child care and development planning councils based on the percentage of state-subsidized, center-based child care and preschool funds received in that county, and shall be used to address the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees in state-subsidized child care centers and preschools. (2) Of the funds identified in paragraph (1), funds qualified pursuant to subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, may also be used to address the retention of qualified persons working in licensed child care and preschool programs that serve a majority of children who receive subsidized child care and preschool services pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, family child care homes as defined in Section 1596.78 of the Health and Safety Code. To qualify for use pursuant to this paragraph, the funds shall meet all of the following requirements: (A) The funds are allocated for use in the County of Los Angeles. (B) The funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act. (C) The funds are unexpended after addressing the retention of qualified child care and preschool employees in state-subsidized child care centers and family child care home education networks. (d) The department shall develop guidelines for use by local child care and development planning councils in developing county plans for the expenditure of funds allocated pursuant to this section. These guidelines shall be consistent with the department’s assessment of the current needs of the subsidized child care and preschool workforce, and shall be subject to the approval of the Department of Finance. Any county plan developed pursuant to these guidelines shall be approved by the department prior to the allocation of funds to the local child care and development planning council. (e) Funds provided to a county for the purposes of this section shall be used in accordance with the plan approved pursuant to subdivision (d). A county with an approved plan may retain up to 1 percent of the county’s total allocation made pursuant to this section for reimbursement of administrative expenses associated with the planning process. (f) The department shall provide an annual report, no later than April 10 of each year, to the Legislature, the Department of Finance, and the Governor that includes, but is not limited to, a summary of the distribution of the funds by county and a description of the use of the funds.