Bill > S2499

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a five-year Conception to Cradle Pilot Program in the Department of Education (DOE). The objective of the pilot program is to facilitate partnerships between public schools, community-based nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, health and social services providers, public and private universities, and State and local governmental agencies to: (1) provide an integrated focus on early childhood development, health and social services, educational counseling, and community development; (2) offer prenatal and pediatric health and nutritional care to infants and toddlers from birth to age three; and (3) actively engage families and foster collaborative practices based on an individual community's identified need. Under the pilot program, 50 public schools with the worst student performance are to be selected to receive training in providing community school services to infants and toddlers from birth to age three, and would be assigned a site coordinator to assist in the provision of services. The bill stipulates that no later than six months following the bill's effective date, the Commissioner of Education (commissioner) is to survey every school district in the State to assess the extent to which public schools in the district can provide community school services to infants and toddlers from birth to age three. The survey is to: (1) identify public schools with the worst student performance in the district that have an interest in providing community school services; (2) list the entities with which a school can enter into a partnership for the provision of services; and (3) detail services that are to be provided through the community school services program. Under the bill, the commissioner would issue a request for proposals to identify a nonprofit organization located in the State to manage the pilot program. The selected organization would be responsible for providing technical assistance to the public schools participating in the pilot program, and may enter into an agreement with another nonprofit entity to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities as outlined in the bill. The organization, in coordination with the DOE, would develop an application procedure and specific criteria for selecting the 50 public schools to participate in the program and receive direct support from a site coordinator. The selection criteria would be posted on the DOE's website at least 20 days prior to the beginning of the application period. In selecting the 50 public schools to participate in the pilot program, priority is to be given to a school that: has the worst student performance in its school district as determined by standard assessment measures; and serves low-income and under-resourced communities. The organization would employ and train individuals who would be assigned to serve as a site coordinator in a public school selected to participate in the pilot program. Those selected to be site coordinators would be required to be employees of the organization, and not the school they are assigned. The commissioner would annually enter into a contract with an independent entity to perform an audit of the organization's accounts and financial transactions. The audits, which must be completed no later than five months following the organization's fiscal year, would be posted on the DOE's website. The bill also requires that the commissioner enter into a contract with an independent entity to conduct an evaluation of the pilot program. The final report, which the commissioner would forward to the Governor and the Legislature, would be due no later than six months prior to the conclusion of the pilot program. The bill also establishes in the DOE a nonlapsing fund known as the Conception to Cradle Pilot Program Fund. The fund is to consist of any funds that are appropriated by the Legislature for inclusion in the fund, investment earnings of the fund, and moneys contributed to the fund by private sources.

Committee Categories

Angela Mcknight (D)*,  Teresa Ruiz (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 02/05/2024)

Official Document