Section 5-217 - Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Program.
§ 5-217. Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Program.
(a) Definitions.-
(1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.
(2) "Accreditation" means the determination that a program meets quality standards defined by the accrediting agency beyond State child care regulations.
(3) "Accrediting agency" means a State agency or national organization that has developed a recognized accrediting process.
(4) "Credentialing" means the process through which an individual is awarded a professional certificate based on education and experience.
(5) "Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Grant" means a grant that is distributed under subsection (e) of this section.
(6) "Full day" means a period of time during the day that:
(i) Meets the needs of families; and
(ii) Is not less than 7 hours or more than 12 hours per day.
(7) "Judy Center" means a site where comprehensive early child care and education services are provided to young children and their families for the purpose of promoting school readiness through collaboration with participating agencies and programs.
(8) "Judy Center Grant" means a grant that is distributed under subsection (d) of this section.
(9) "Local management board" means a local management board as defined under § 8-101(j) of the Human Services Article.
(10) "Participating agencies and programs" includes:
(i) Public prekindergarten and kindergarten programs;
(ii) Head Start programs;
(iii) Family literacy programs and services;
(iv) Local infants and toddlers programs;
(v) Child care centers and family child care homes;
(vi) Family support centers;
(vii) Healthy family sites;
(viii) Parent involvement programs;
(ix) Early childhood programs affiliated with institutions of higher education; and
(x) Other home visiting, community health, family support services, and child care resource and referral agencies.
(11) "Program" means the Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Program established under this section.
(b) Established.-
(1) There is a Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Program in the Department.
(2) The purpose of the Program is to promote school readiness through the development and expansion of collaborative approaches to the delivery of high quality, comprehensive, full-day early child care and education programs and family support services.
(c) Funding.-
(1) The Program shall be funded as provided in the State budget.
(2) Funds that are allocated to the Program in the State budget may be used:
(i) To cover the costs incurred by the Department in implementing and administering the Program;
(ii) For Judy Center Grants, as provided under subsection (d) of this section;
(iii) For Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Grants, as provided under subsection (e) of this section; and
(iv) To fund the statewide implementation of the Department's Early Childhood Assessment System, as provided under subsection (f) of this section.
(d) Judy Center Grant application.- The Department may distribute a Judy Center Grant to a county board if the county board submits an application to the Department that includes:
(1) A memorandum of understanding between the county board, the participating agencies and programs, and, in the discretion of the county board, the local management board that includes:
(i) The terms of the collaboration to be undertaken by the county board, the participating agencies and programs, and, if applicable, the local management board, including the roles and responsibilities of each of these entities; and
(ii) A plan for establishing ongoing communication between private service providers and public school early education programs; and
(2) Documentation that shows that:
(i) The Department's Early Childhood Assessment System will be implemented at the Center;
(ii) All participating agencies and programs that provide early child care and education services through the Center have voluntarily obtained accreditation or, by the date of the Grant application, have voluntarily initiated and are actively pursuing the process of obtaining accreditation; and
(iii) The Center will provide comprehensive, full-day early child care and education services and family support services.
(e) Uses of Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Grant moneys.-
(1) The Department may distribute an Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Grant to a county board to be used to purchase early child care and education services and family support services from providers that have voluntarily obtained accreditation or have voluntarily initiated and are actively pursuing accreditation.
(2) The Department may distribute an Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Grant to a private provider of early child care and education services to be used:
(i) To assist the provider in voluntarily obtaining accreditation; or
(ii) For professional development activities leading to increased competency and appropriate credentialing that is related to early child care and education services.
(f) Funding of early childhood assessment.- The Department may distribute funds to a county board for the purpose of implementing the Department's Early Childhood Assessment System in the county's public schools.
(g) Duties of Department.-
(1) The Department shall:
(i) Establish application procedures for obtaining Judy Center Grants and Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Grants as provided under this section;
(ii) Supervise and monitor the use of Grant funds distributed under this section; and
(iii) Evaluate whether Grant recipients are meeting annual benchmarks established by the Department.
(2) For Judy Center Grants, the Department may award multiyear funding.
(h) Duties of county board.- A county board that is selected to receive a Judy Center Grant or an Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Grant for the purpose of purchasing early child care and education services shall:
(1) Administer the Grant award;
(2) Submit fiscal and program reports as required by the Department; and
(3) Coordinate the involvement of participating agencies and programs in any evaluation process conducted by the Department.
(i) Prohibitions in use.- Grants awarded under this section may not be used:
(1) To supplant existing funding for any services provided by participating agencies and programs; or
(2) For capital improvements.
(j) Bidding and evaluation processes.- The Department shall select through a competitive bidding process and supervise an evaluator who shall design and implement an evaluation process to measure the effectiveness of:
(1) The Judy Centers; and
(2) Early child care and education services and family support services that are purchased with funds from Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Grants.
(k) Reports.- The Department shall submit to the Governor and, subject to § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly:
(1) On or before January 1 of each year, a report on the implementation of the Program, including a description of the Program's expenditures; and
(2) On or before January 1, 2004, a separate report that includes an evaluation, based on objective performance criteria established by the Department, of the effectiveness of:
(i) The Judy Centers; and
(ii) Early child care and education services and family support services that are purchased with funds from Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Grants.
(l) Regulations.- The Department may adopt regulations as necessary to implement the Program.
[2000, ch. 680; 2002, ch. 288, § 1; 2006, ch. 243; 2007, ch. 8, § 1.]