Existing law creates the Virtual Early Childhood Family Engagement Pilot Program within the Department of Health and Human Services and requires the Department to select a nonprofit organization that is recognized as exempt from taxation by the Internal Revenue Code to administer the Program. (Virtual Early Childhood Family Engagement Pilot Program §§ 4, 5) Section 2 of this bill renames the Program the “Virtual Early Childhood Family Engagement Program.” Section 1 of this bill makes a conforming change to reflect the change in name of the Program.
Existing law further prescribes the duties for the nonprofit organization selected to administer the Program and requires that the Program ensure that the time a child is required by the Program to use a digital screen is less than the maximum amount of time recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for children who are 4 years of age to use a digital screen. (Virtual Early Childhood Family Engagement Pilot Program § 6) Section 3 of this bill removes this requirement.
Section 5 of this bill extends the prospective expiration date of the Program from September 30, 2025, to September 30, 2027. To reflect the extension of the Program, section 4 of this bill requires the nonprofit organization selected to administer the Program to submit certain reports on or before July 30, 2025, July 30, 2026, and July 30, 2027, to the Department. Section 4 also requires the Department to submit a compilation of those reports on or before September 30, 2025, September 30, 2026, and September 30, 2027, to the Director of Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmittal to the next regular session and certain Joint Interim Standing Committees.
Section 6 of this bill makes an appropriation to the Department to continue to implement the Program.