PRINTER'S NO. 201
No. 194 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY RHOADES, JUBELIRER, HELFRICK, GERLACH, EARLL,
CONTI, SCHWARTZ, KUKOVICH, TOMLINSON, MELLOW, COSTA,
M. WHITE, LAVALLE, LEMMOND, BELL, GREENLEAF, BOSCOLA, WAUGH,
BODACK, O'PAKE, TARTAGLIONE, THOMPSON AND SCARNATI,
JANUARY 30, 2001
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 30, 2001
AN ACT
1 Providing for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program;
2 imposing additional powers and duties on the Department of
3 Education and Head Start providers; and making an
4 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 Head Start
9 Supplemental Assistance 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 "Department." The Department of Education of the
15 Commonwealth.
16 "Extended day services." Full-day Head Start and child-care
17 services provided for a full year to children eligible for Head
1 Start by a Head Start provider or through a collaborative
2 agreement between a Head Start provider and a licensed child-
3 care center, or a registered family or group day-care home.
4 "Head Start." A program funded under the Federal Head Start
5 Act established by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981
6 (Public Law 97-35, 95 Stat. 357) and carried out by a Head Start
7 agency or delegate agency that provides ongoing comprehensive
8 child development services.
9 "Program." The Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
10 established in section 3.
11 Section 3. Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.
12 (a) Establishment.--The Head Start Supplemental Assistance
13 Program is hereby established.
14 (b) Administration.--The department shall administer the
15 program. Such administration shall be consistent with Federal
16 Head Start guidelines and shall provide supplemental financial
17 assistance to existing providers of Federal Head Start services.
18 (c) Coordination.--The department, to every extent possible,
19 shall coordinate the administration of the program with the
20 Department of Public Welfare and the Department of Health. The
21 purpose of this coordination shall be to:
22 (1) Identify educational, child-care or other services
23 under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Welfare
24 and the Department of Health that can augment or improve the
25 services available through Head Start or Head Start Extended
26 Day Services.
27 (2) Provide technical assistance to Head Start providers
28 establishing child-care services in order to offer extended
29 day services.
30 (3) Provide technical assistance to Head Start
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1 providers, licensed child-care centers or registered family
2 or group day-care homes entering into collaborative
3 agreements in order to offer extended day services.
4 (d) Criteria for funding.--To implement the program, the
5 department shall request proposals from existing Head Start
6 providers and may award grants or enter into service contracts
7 with existing Head Start providers that meet all of the
8 following criteria:
9 (1) Demonstrate the need for additional Head Start
10 services in the provider's service area, whether the need is
11 determined by the percentage of eligible children who are not
12 served in the provider's service area or by the demand for
13 extended day services.
14 (2) Demonstrate the ability to expand staff, space and
15 services within the Head Start program or in cooperation with
16 licensed child-care centers or registered family or group
17 day-care homes to serve additional children or to provide
18 extended day services.
19 (3) Demonstrate the ability to comply with Federal and
20 State requirements for child-care service providers if the
21 Head Start provider intends to provide extended care
22 services.
23 (4) Demonstrate the ability to enter into a
24 collaborative agreement with a child-care service provider if
25 the Head Start provider intends to enter into a collaborative
26 agreement with a licensed child-care center or a registered
27 family or group day-care home to offer extended care
28 services.
29 Section 4. Priority in funding.
30 The department shall give priority in funding to Head Start
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1 providers applying for grants to provide extended day services.
2 Section 5. Annual report.
3 The department shall compile an annual report on the program
4 for submission to the Governor, the chairmen of the
5 Appropriations Committee and the Education Committee of the
6 Senate and the chairmen of the Appropriations Committee and
7 Education Committee of the House of Representatives. The report
8 shall include:
9 (1) The number of eligible children served by Head Start
10 as of the effective date of this act.
11 (2) The number of eligible children served by the
12 program during the school year that begins one year after the
13 effective date of this act and each year thereafter.
14 (3) The number of extended day programs and the number
15 of eligible children enrolled in extended day programs as of
16 the effective date of this act.
17 (4) The number of extended day programs and the number
18 of eligible children enrolled in extended day programs during
19 the school year that begins one year after the effective date
20 of this act and each year thereafter.
21 (5) A summary of the types of activities funded under
22 the program.
23 Section 6. Appropriation.
24 The sum of $15,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
25 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Education
26 for the fiscal year July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002, to carry out
27 the provisions of this act.
28 Section 7. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect immediately.
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