Bill > S4190

Introduced Session

This bill establishes in the Department of Children and Families a grant program in which an eligible parent or guardian will be reimbursed for child care tuition costs incurred by the parent or guardian during the time the parent or guardian's child is quarantined as a result of an exposure to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the child care center where the child is or will be enrolled. 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.) and who is subject to quarantine as a result of an exposure to COVID-19. The grant program is to be funded from $500,000 appropriated to the DCF from a portion of the block grant funds allocated to the State from the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," Pub.L.117-2, 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: (1) establish selection criteria for awarding grants under the program; (2) 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; (3) allocate the approved grant funds to each eligible parent or guardian participating in the program in a timely manner; and (4) 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 during the period the parent or guardian's child is quarantined as a result of an exposure to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the child care center where the child is or will be enrolled.

Committee Categories

Kristin Corrado (R)*,  Tom Kean (R)*,  Declan O'Scanlon (R), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 11/22/2021)