Bill > S2136

This bill establishes the "Home Works Program" to support children aged five to fourteen who are currently in the Emergency Assistance program, which provides temporary housing for families facing homelessness. The program will allow licensed or unlicensed out-of-school time programs (offered before and after school, or during school vacations) and summer programs, run by youth-serving organizations, schools, or municipalities, to apply for funded slots. These slots will cover the cost of programming and transportation to and from the program for eligible children, with funding set at a minimum of 75% of the local market value for such services. The Department will maintain a waitlist of eligible children for programs to fill any vacated slots, and programs must ensure their staff undergo criminal background checks, including a check of the National Sexual Offender Registry. The Home Works Program will be funded separately from existing Emergency Assistance funds, and the Department is required to create regulations for the program by January 1, 2017.