Sec. 10-16q. School readiness program requirements. Per child cost limitation. Sliding fee scale. Waiver from schedule requirements.
Sec. 10-16q. School readiness program requirements. Per child cost limitation. Sliding fee scale. Waiver from schedule requirements. (a) Each school readiness
program shall include: (1) A plan for collaboration with other community programs and
services, including public libraries, and for coordination of resources in order to facilitate
full-day and year-round child care and education programs for children of working
parents and parents in education or training programs; (2) parent involvement, parenting
education and outreach; (3) (A) record-keeping policies that require documentation of
the name and address of each child's doctor, primary care provider and health insurance
company and information on whether the child is immunized and has had health screens
pursuant to the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Services
Program under 42 USC 1396d, and (B) referrals for health services, including referrals
for appropriate immunizations and screenings; (4) a plan for the incorporation of appropriate preliteracy practices and teacher training in such practices; (5) nutrition services;
(6) referrals to family literacy programs that incorporate adult basic education and provide for the promotion of literacy through access to public library services; (7) admission
policies that promote enrollment of children from different racial, ethnic and economic
backgrounds and from other communities; (8) a plan of transition for participating children from the school readiness program to kindergarten and provide for the transfer
of records from the program to the kindergarten program; (9) a plan for professional
development for staff, including, but not limited to, training (A) in preliteracy skills
development, and (B) designed to assure respect for racial and ethnic diversity; (10) a
sliding fee scale for families participating in the program pursuant to section 17b-749d;
and (11) an annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the program. On and after July 1,
2000, school readiness programs shall use the assessment measures developed pursuant
to section 10-16s in conducting their annual evaluations.
(b) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, the per child cost of the Department
of Education school readiness component of the program offered by a school readiness
provider shall not exceed six thousand six hundred fifty dollars.
(2) For fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, the per child cost of the Department of
Education school readiness program offered by a school readiness provider shall not
exceed eight thousand three hundred forty-six dollars.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (e) of section 10-16p, the Department of Education shall not provide funding to any school readiness provider that (A)
on or before January 1, 2004, first entered into a contract with a town to provide school
readiness services pursuant to this section and is not accredited on January 1, 2007, or
(B) after January 1, 2004, first entered into a contract with a town to provide school
readiness services pursuant to this section and does not become accredited by the date
three years after the date on which the provider first entered into such a contract, except
that the Commissioner of Education may grant an extension of time for a school readiness
program to become accredited or reaccredited, provided (i) prior to such extension,
the Department of Education conducts an on-site assessment of any such program and
maintains a report of such assessment completed in a uniform manner, as prescribed by
the commissioner, that includes a list of conditions such program must fulfill to become
accredited or reaccredited, (ii) the program is licensed by the Department of Public
Health if required to be licensed by chapter 368a, (iii) the program has a corrective
action plan that shall be prescribed by and monitored by the Commissioner of Education,
and (iv) the program meets such other conditions as may be prescribed by the commissioner. During the period of such extension, such program shall be eligible for funding
pursuant to said section 10-16p.
(4) A school readiness provider may provide child day care services and the cost
of such child day care services shall not be subject to such per child cost limitation.
(c) A local or regional board of education may implement a sliding fee scale for
the cost of services provided to children enrolled in a school readiness program.
(d) A town or school readiness council may file a waiver application to the Department of Education on forms provided by the department for the purpose of seeking
approval of a school readiness schedule that varies from the minimum hours and number
of days provided for in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-16p or from the
definition of a year-round program pursuant to subdivision (7) of said subsection (a). The
Department of Education may, in consultation with the Department of Social Services,
approve any such waiver if the departments find that the proposed schedule meets the
purposes set forth in the provisions of section 10-16o concerning the development of
school readiness programs and maximizes available dollars to serve more children or
address community needs.
(P.A. 97-259, S. 3, 41; P.A. 98-243, S. 11, 25; P.A. 99-230, S. 2, 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 14, 54; P.A. 04-215,
S. 3; P.A. 05-245, S. 8; P.A. 06-135, S. 24; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 70; P.A. 08-85, S. 2; 08-170, S. 5.)
History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-243 amended Subsec. (a) to add "public libraries" in Subdiv. (1)
and provision for the transfer of records in Subdiv. (7), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-230 amended Subsec. (a) to make
the existing Subdiv. (3) Subpara. (B) and to add Subpara. (A) re record-keeping policies, and to require the use of assessment
measures developed pursuant to Sec. 10-16s for annual evaluations, effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1
amended Subsec. (a) to renumber Subdivs. (4) to (10) as Subdivs. (5) to (11), to add new Subdiv. (4) re preliteracy practices
and in Subdiv. (9) to include plan requirements in Subparas. (A) and (B), effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 04-215 amended
Subsec. (b) to change the maximum per child cost from foundation, as defined in Sec. 10-262f(9), to $6,400, and added
Subsec. (d) re waiver from requirements of school readiness schedule, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec.
(b) by designating existing language re maximum per child cost as Subdiv. (1) and increasing existing per child cost to
$6,650 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, by adding new Subdiv. (2) re maximum per child cost for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 2007, and each fiscal year thereafter, and by designating existing language re child day care services as
Subdiv. (3), effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-135 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by adding provisions re denial of funding for lack
of accreditation, effective July 1, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended Subsec. (b)(2) to add language re the per child
cost monthly increase beginning January 2008, effective October 6, 2007; P.A. 08-85 amended Subsec. (b) to divide
existing Subdiv. (2) into Subdivs. (2) and (3), add language in new Subdiv. (3) re extension of time to become accredited
or reaccredited and redesignate existing Subdiv. (3) as new Subdiv. (4), effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 08-170 amended
Subsec. (b) to increase maximum per child cost of the department's program to $8,346 for fiscal year ending June 30,
2009, in Subdiv. (2) and to add reference to Ch. 368a in Subdiv. (3)(B)(ii), effective July 1, 2008.