PRINTER'S NO. 1053
No. 938 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY SCHWARTZ, KUKOVICH, TARTAGLIONE, STAPLETON, WAUGH,
BELAN, BOSCOLA, BODACK, MELLOW AND HUGHES, MAY 5, 1999
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MAY 5, 1999
AN ACT
1 Providing for grants for early childhood education programs to
2 achieve National Association for the Education of Young
3 Children and National Association for Family Child Care
4 accreditation; and making an appropriation.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Early
9 Childhood Education Accreditation Grant Act.
10 Section 2. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Accreditation." The professional designation that affirms
15 the caliber of a provider's child-care services, promotes public
16 awareness of standards and professionalism and affords criteria
17 by which parents, agencies and employers may identify
18 exceptional facilities and caregivers.
19 "Department." The Department of Education of the
1 Commonwealth.
2 "NAEYC." The National Association for the Education of Young
3 Children.
4 "NAFCC." The National Association for Family Child Care.
5 Section 3. NAEYC accreditation grant.
6 The department shall award a $1,000 grant to any registered
7 child day-care facility as defined in section 1070 of the act of
8 June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code,
9 applying for NAEYC accreditation. The grant shall be applied
10 toward application fees for NAEYC accreditation and the cost of
11 refining programs to meet NAEYC standards.
12 Section 4. NAFCC accreditation grant.
13 The department shall award a $500 grant to any registered
14 family day-care home as defined in section 1070 of the act of
15 June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code,
16 applying for NAFCC accreditation. The grant shall be applied
17 toward application fees for NAFCC accreditation and the cost of
18 refining care to meet NAFCC standards.
19 Section 5. Reports to department.
20 Child day-care facilities and family day-care homes that
21 receive a grant under sections 3 and 4 shall submit a report, at
22 such time and in such form as the department shall determine,
23 that includes the following information:
24 (1) An accounting of expenses for which the grant funds
25 were utilized.
26 (2) A description of all actions taken directly related
27 to achievement of accreditation.
28 (3) Status of the accreditation process.
29 Section 6. Recoupment of funds.
30 The department shall take such action as may be necessary to
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1 recoup grants made under sections 3 and 4 if, in the judgment of
2 the department, the grant recipient has not made a good faith
3 effort to achieve accreditation.
4 Section 7. Distribution of grant.
5 If the number of applicants exceeds the appropriation, the
6 department shall distribute the grants on a prorated basis.
7 Section 8. Appropriation.
8 The sum of $1,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
9 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Education
10 for the fiscal year July 1, 1999, to June 30, 2000, to carry out
11 the provisions of this act.
12 Section 9. Effective date.
13 This act shall take effect as follows:
14 (1) Section 8 shall take effect July 1, 1999.
15 (2) This section shall take effect immediately.
16 (3) The remainder of this act shall take effect in 60
17 days.
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