Bill > HF4432

This bill modifies the existing child care assistance program by establishing an exemption to the limit on "absent days," which are days a child is scheduled for care but does not attend. Currently, providers are generally limited to reimbursing for 25 absent days per child per year, with exceptions for documented medical conditions or for young parents pursuing education. The bill introduces a new provision allowing licensed child care providers to apply for an exemption from this absent days limit when an "extraordinary event" occurs, defined as a community-wide circumstance beyond the provider's control such as a natural disaster, extreme weather, or epidemic, which leads to significantly reduced attendance or closure. The commissioner will be responsible for creating a process for providers to apply for this exemption and determining when the extraordinary event ends. The bill also makes technical changes and renumbers existing subdivisions.