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                                                       PRINTER'S NO. 706

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 662 Session of 1989


        INTRODUCED BY MELLOW, ROSS, O'PAKE, WILLIAMS, STOUT, REIBMAN,
           PORTERFIELD, AFFLERBACH, MUSTO, LYNCH, BODACK, STAPLETON,
           LINCOLN, ANDREZESKI, BELAN, REGOLI, JONES, LEWIS, FUMO,
           DAWIDA, SCANLON, STEWART, PUNT AND WILT, MARCH 13, 1989

        REFERRED TO AGING AND YOUTH, MARCH 13, 1989

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
     2     "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
     3     executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
     4     Executive Department thereof and the administrative
     5     departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
     6     including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
     7     Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
     8     authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
     9     departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
    10     duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
    11     officers, and of the several administrative departments,
    12     boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
    13     Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
    14     and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
    15     certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
    16     other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
    17     and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
    18     number and compensation of the deputies and all other
    19     assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
    20     commissions shall be determined," providing for the
    21     establishment and operation of the Office of Child Care in
    22     the Executive Offices; and making an appropriation.

    23     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    24  hereby enacts as follows:
    25     Section 1.  The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
    26  as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by adding a
    27  section to read:

     1     Section 713.  Office of Child Care.--
     2     (a)  There is hereby established an administrative office
     3  under the Governor, to be known as the Office of Child Care,
     4  which shall have primary responsibility for the coordination of
     5  all activities of the various administrative departments
     6  relating to child care. The Office of Child Care shall also act
     7  as a facilitator for the establishment and operation of child-
     8  care services by private providers.
     9     (b)  The Office of Child Care shall be under the direction
    10  and control of an Executive Director, who shall be appointed by
    11  the Governor and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
    12  The Executive Director shall have a minimum of five years
    13  experience in State government with particular emphasis on
    14  understanding the promulgation of regulations, the
    15  administration of programs and the interrelationship of the
    16  Federal and State governments in the area of child care. The
    17  Executive Director shall employ two executive assistants; one
    18  with experience in the area of child care and one with a proven
    19  ability to work with the public and State government. The
    20  Executive Director shall also employ such additional staff as
    21  may be necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The
    22  compensation of the Executive Director and all staff shall be
    23  fixed by the Executive Board.
    24     (c)  The Office of Child Care shall have the following powers
    25  and duties:
    26     (1)  Coordinate the promulgation of regulations on child care
    27  to prevent duplication and contradictory decisions.
    28     (2)  Receive inquiries and applications from proposed child-
    29  care providers, direct the applications and inquiries to the
    30  appropriate State agency and following the progress of the
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     1  decisionmaking process.
     2     (3)  Act as a central clearinghouse for all individual,
     3  local, Federal or State contacts on child care.
     4     (4)  Coordinate State efforts to:
     5     (i)  arrange for disposition of program offices to conform
     6  with the tri-partite definition of child care; or
     7     (ii)  facilitate establishment of child care programs and
     8  facilities in public and private settings.
     9     (5)  Promote, wherever practicable, day-care facilities in
    10  all State agencies.
    11     (d)  For purposes of this section, the term "child care"
    12  shall mean the provision of services necessary and appropriate
    13  for the welfare of a child. The term encompasses three levels of
    14  care, any one of which may be offered by a proposed child-care
    15  provider. The levels of child care are:
    16     (1) Infant toddler care - infants to three years of age.
    17     (2)  Preschool age educational care - three and four years of
    18  age. This level of care shall provide programs with attention to
    19  development, education or screening for identification and
    20  intervention of children at risk or with developmental
    21  disabilities.
    22     (3)  School-age children - pre-kindergarten through sixth
    23  grade.
    24     Section 2.  The sum of $300,000, or as much thereof as may be
    25  necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Office of Child Care
    26  for the fiscal year July 1, 1989, to June 30, 1990, to carry out
    27  the provisions of this act.
    28     Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.


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