Bill > A4703

Introduced Session

This bill establishes in the Department of Children and Families a grant program in which an eligible parent or guardian with a child who is enrolled or will be enrolled in a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) as a result of school closures or the use of virtual or remote school instruction due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency will be reimbursed for child care tuition costs incurred by the parent or guardian. The grant program is to be funded from monies appropriated to the DCF from a portion of the federal block grant funds allocated to the State from the federal "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act," Pub.L.116-136, and any other monies appropriated or made available for the grant program. Under the provisions of the bill, an eligible parent or guardian who wishes to participate in the grant program is to submit an application to the Commissioner of Children and Families (commissioner), in a manner and on forms determined by the commissioner. The commissioner is to: establish selection criteria for awarding grants under the program; award grants under the program based upon review of the applications and subject to the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the program; allocate the approved grant funds to each eligible parent or guardian participating in the program in a timely manner; and establish the amount of each grant awarded for an eligible parent or guardian. The bill stipulates that the grant awarded to an eligible parent or guardian will be used to reimburse child care tuition costs incurred by the parent or guardian who are required to enroll their child in a licensed child care center as a result of school closures or the use of virtual or remote school instruction due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. As used in the bill, "eligible parent or guardian" means an individual who: is employed full-time or part-time; and has a child who is enrolled or will be enrolled in a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Brian Bergen (R)*,  Chris DePhillips (R)*,  Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D)*,  Aura Dunn (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Women and Children Committee (on 09/21/2020)