Bill > SB241

This bill establishes the Child Care Assistance Program Act, creating a program to provide financial assistance to eligible children for child care services, with payments made to participating child care facilities. It outlines eligibility requirements for parents or legal guardians, which include being employed, a student, enrolled in job training, receiving certain public assistance, experiencing homelessness, or other specific circumstances, and sets income limits for eligibility, with higher incomes potentially limiting assistance to qualifying activity hours. The bill also details fiscal controls, including potential copayments for parents on a sliding scale based on income, and establishes a waitlist system that prioritizes certain children if demand exceeds available funds. Furthermore, it sets payment rates for child care assistance based on a cost estimation model that considers quality tiers, staff wages, and operational hours, and requires participating child care facilities to meet various regulatory requirements, including reporting business information and complying with training and professional development standards, while also ensuring early intervention providers can access settings with parental consent. The department is tasked with developing the program to enhance child care quality, promote parental choice, and implement internal controls for program integrity, including conducting unannounced visits to facilities and reporting any suspected misuse of funds. Finally, the bill mandates that agencies within the children's cabinet share necessary data to support the program's implementation and requires the department to report annually on the program's costs, participation, and demographics.