Florida Senate - 2024 SB 1400



By Senator Jones





34-00905A-24 20241400__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the school readiness program;
3 amending s. 1002.87, F.S.; revising the criteria for a
4 child to receive priority for participation in the
5 school readiness program; conforming provisions to
6 changes made by the act; amending s. 1002.89, F.S.;
7 providing requirements for a school readiness program
8 provider to be eligible to receive specified funding;
9 providing an effective date.
10
11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
14 1002.87, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
15 1002.87 School readiness program; eligibility and
16 enrollment.—
17 (1) Each early learning coalition shall give priority for
18 participation in the school readiness program as follows:
19 (c) Subsequent priority shall be given, based on the early
20 learning coalition’s local priorities identified under s.
21 1002.85(2)(i), to children who meet the following criteria:
22 1. A child from birth to the beginning of the school year
23 for which the child is eligible for admission to kindergarten in
24 a public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. who is from a working
25 family that is economically disadvantaged, and may include such
26 child’s eligible siblings, beginning with the school year in
27 which the sibling is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a
28 public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2. until the beginning of
29 the school year in which the sibling is eligible to begin 6th
30 grade, provided that the first priority for funding an eligible
31 sibling is local revenues available to the coalition for funding
32 direct services.
33 2. A child of a parent who transitions from the work
34 program into employment as described in s. 445.032 from birth to
35 the beginning of the school year for which the child is eligible
36 for admission to kindergarten in a public school under s.
37 1003.21(1)(a)2.
38 3. An at-risk child who is at least 9 years of age but
39 younger than 13 years of age. An at-risk child whose sibling is
40 enrolled in the school readiness program within an eligibility
41 priority category listed in paragraphs (a) and (b) and
42 subparagraph 1. shall be given priority over other children who
43 are eligible under this paragraph.
44 4. A child who is younger than 13 years of age from a
45 working family that is economically disadvantaged.
46 5. A child of a parent who transitions from the work
47 program into employment as described in s. 445.032 who is
48 younger than 13 years of age.
49 6.a. A child who has special needs and, has been determined
50 eligible as a student who requires additional accommodations
51 beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
52 The child’s special needs and associated accommodations must be
53 validated by a licensed health care professional, licensed
54 mental health professional, or educational psychologist. Such
55 person may not be the child’s parent or a person employed by a
56 child care provider. The following documentation must be used to
57 determine the child’s eligibility for such accommodations:
58 (I) with a disability, has A current individual education
59 plan with a Florida school district;, and is not younger than 3
60 years of age.
61 (II) A current individualized family support plan;
62 (III) A diagnosed special need; or
63 (IV) A determination of required accommodations.
64 b. The child care provider of a child who meets the
65 requirements of this subparagraph may be eligible for additional
66 funding through the special needs differential allocation to
67 implement the special needs rate as determined in s.
68 1002.89(1)(d) needs child eligible under this paragraph remains
69 eligible until the child is eligible for admission to
70 kindergarten in a public school under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2.
71 7. A child who otherwise meets one of the eligibility
72 criteria in paragraphs (a) and (b) and subparagraphs 1. and 2.
73 but who is also enrolled concurrently in the federal Head Start
74 Program and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
75 Section 2. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
76 1002.89, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
77 1002.89 School readiness program; funding.—
78 (1) DETERMINATION OF EARLY LEARNING COALITION SCHOOL
79 READINESS PROGRAM FUNDING.—Funding for the school readiness
80 program shall be used by the early learning coalitions in
81 accordance with this part and the General Appropriations Act.
82 (d) Special needs differential allocation.—There is created
83 the special needs differential allocation to assist eligible
84 school readiness program providers to implement the special
85 needs rate provisions defined in the state’s approved Child Care
86 and Development Fund Plan. Subject to legislative appropriation,
87 each early learning coalition shall be reimbursed based on
88 actual expenditures. All expenditures from the special needs
89 differential allocation shall be used by the department to help
90 meet federal targeted requirements for improving quality to the
91 extent allowable in the state’s approved plan. A school
92 readiness program provider is eligible for funding through the
93 allocation to implement the special needs differential rate upon
94 meeting all of the following requirements by July 1, 2025:
95 1. The provider has met or exceeded the minimum program
96 assessment composite score required for contracting as
97 determined by the department, as applicable.
98 2. The provider has completed 10 hours of training in
99 inclusive early childhood or inclusive school-age education
100 practices within the preceding 2-year period, with the provider
101 completing an additional 10 hours of such training each
102 subsequent 5-year period as specified by the department.
103 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
S 1400 Filed: 1002.87, 1002.89