REPORT TITLE:
Early Childhood


DESCRIPTION:
Improves the affordability, accessibility, and quality of early
childhood services.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           2447
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1                              PART I
 
 2      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that recent neuroscience
 
 3 research demonstrates that the early years of a child are most
 
 4 crucial in a child's cognitive, emotional, social, and physical
 
 5 development, and affirmed that there are tremendous opportunities
 
 6 for preventive work with children and families as well as the
 
 7 predictable, costly consequences of not doing so.  The
 
 8 legislature further finds that quality early childhood education
 
 9 and child care that supports all aspects of early development by
 
10 parents and care givers in a variety of settings, including child
 
11 care centers, family child care, and in the homes of families and
 
12 friends, is crucial to ensuring that every young child has a good
 
13 beginning and does not lose the potential with which the child
 
14 was born.
 
15      The legislature adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 38,
 
16 1998, which endorsed six desired child outcomes as state policy,
 
17 and encouraged private and public agencies serving children to
 
18 utilize these outcomes as a basis for policy and program
 
19 development.  This common set of outcomes focuses action and
 

 
Page 2                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 accountability toward achieving positive results by improving the
 
 2 qualify of life of children and youth, and establishing
 
 3 indicators to measure progress in achieving these outcomes.
 
 4 These six child outcomes are:
 
 5      (1)  Every child will thrive physically--to be healthy from
 
 6           birth with ongoing access to good health care, and have
 
 7           a safe home, school, and community environment;
 
 8      (2)  Every child will form positive relationships--to have
 
 9           the attention of at least one caring adult and
 
10           supportive friendships with peers;
 
11      (3)  Every child will be prepared for and succeed in
 
12           school--to have developmentally nurturing care and
 
13           early education opportunities, meet age appropriate
 
14           knowledge and competencies, and graduate from high
 
15           school;
 
16      (4)  Every child will be culturally aware and appreciative
 
17           of diversity;
 
18      (5)  Every child and youth will choose responsible
 
19           behaviors--to exhibit respect for oneself, others of
 
20           every age, and society by refraining from drug use and
 
21           from sexual and illegal activity; and
 
22      (6)  Every youth will develop marketable skills enabling a
 
23           successful transition into adulthood.
 

 
Page 3                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      The legislature finds that as public and private agencies
 
 2 address the third outcome, many facets of the early childhood
 
 3 system are affected.  These fall into the areas of health,
 
 4 education, and social services that overlap to support the family
 
 5 and the child.
 
 6      The legislature further finds that additional funding in
 
 7 selected programs targeting key populations, strategically linked
 
 8 together at the local level, can significantly enhance the
 
 9 State's capacity to achieve these outcomes, as well as leverage
 
10 additional federal and private dollars.
 
11      The purposes of this Act are to:
 
12      (1)  Address a variety of these facets to improve the
 
13           affordability, accessibility, and quality of early
 
14           childhood services; and
 
15      (2)  Provide coordination to the early childhood system.
 
16                              PART II
 
17      SECTION 2.  The legislature finds that one way to improve
 
18 Hawaii's performance on the first, second, and third outcomes is
 
19 to increase the supply and quality of child care.  One indicator
 
20 of increased supply and quality of care is an increase in the
 
21 number of providers receiving licenses or accreditation.  One
 
22 strategy to increase licensing and accreditation is to help
 
23 providers overcome the financial obstacles to starting or
 

 
Page 4                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 expanding their child care business.
 
 2      The purpose of this Part is to establish a child care
 
 3 facilities special grant fund to provide start-up or expansion
 
 4 capital to family child care homes and centers that are licensed
 
 5 or are seeking a license.
 
 6      SECTION 3.  Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
 7 by adding a new section to part VIII to be appropriately
 
 8 designated and to read as follows:
 
 9      "§346-    Child care facilities special grant fund.  (a)
 
10 There is established a special fund to be known as the child care
 
11 facilities special grant fund to be administered by the
 
12 department.  The purpose of the fund shall be to make grants,
 
13 each not to exceed $25,000, as start-up capital or as expansion
 
14 capital for family child care homes or centers that are
 
15 appropriately licensed or will become appropriately licensed.
 
16      (b)  All moneys appropriated by the legislature for purposes
 
17 of subsection (a) shall be deposited into the fund."
 
18      SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
19 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000, or so much
 
20 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, to be paid
 
21 into the child care facilities special grant fund established
 
22 under section 3 of this Act.
 
23      SECTION 5.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 

 
Page 5                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
 
 2                             PART III
 
 3      SECTION 6.  The legislature finds that one way to improve
 
 4 Hawaii's performance on the third outcome is to increase the
 
 5 ability of working parents to place their children in quality
 
 6 care.  Many working parents need financial assistance to pay for
 
 7 the full cost of quality early childhood education and care.
 
 8      The purpose of this Part is to increase the number of child
 
 9 care subsidies.
 
10      SECTION 7.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
11 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $3,000,000, or so much
 
12 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, to
 
13 increase the number of child care subsidies, to pay
 
14 administrative expenses, and to provide parent workshops to
 
15 recipients of child care subsidies in each county, as follows:
 
16                                    FY 2000-2001
 
17      City and County of Honolulu    $1,296,000
 
18      County of Maui                    568,000
 
19      County of Hawaii                  568,000
 
20      County of Kauai                   568,000
 
21 provided that:
 
22      (1)  Each county may allocate up to fifteen per cent of the
 
23           sum appropriated for administrative expenses incurred
 

 
Page 6                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           in the disbursement of child care subsidies;
 
 2      (2)  Subsidies shall be granted to families with incomes up
 
 3           to eighty-five per cent of the state median income;
 
 4      (3)  The amount of each subsidy shall be based on family
 
 5           income on an inverse sliding scale, including a parent
 
 6           co-payment; and
 
 7      (4)  Receipt of a subsidy shall be contingent on applicant
 
 8           families to attend a parent workshop.
 
 9      SECTION 8.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
10 appropriate counties for the purposes of this Act.
 
11                              PART IV
 
12      SECTION 9.  The legislature finds that one way to make
 
13 progress towards the outcome that every child will be prepared
 
14 for and succeed in school is to increase the number of accredited
 
15 child care programs.  An accredited program is acknowledged to be
 
16 one that places emphasis on the quality of interactions between
 
17 teachers and children, and the developmental appropriateness of
 
18 the curriculum.  Health and safety, staffing, staff
 
19 qualifications, physical environment, and administration are all
 
20 reviewed during the accreditation.
 
21      The legislature further finds that the accreditation
 
22 mentoring of early childhood programs provides support for those
 
23 interested in seeking accreditation, and develops mentoring and
 

 
Page 7                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 leadership skills among early childhood professionals.
 
 2      The purpose of this Part is to expand the accreditation-
 
 3 mentor project for early childhood programs.
 
 4      SECTION 10.  There is appropriated out the general revenues
 
 5 of the State of Hawaii the sum of $155,000, or so much thereof as
 
 6 may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, to expand and
 
 7 continue the accreditation-mentor project for early childhood
 
 8 programs, as follows:
 
 9                                    FY 2000-2001
 
10      City and County of Honolulu       $50,000
 
11      County of Maui                     35,000
 
12      County of Kauai                    35,000
 
13      County of Hawaii                   35,000
 
14      SECTION 11.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
15 appropriate counties for the purposes of this Act.
 
16                              PART V
 
17      SECTION 12.  The legislature finds that public and private
 
18 resources are needed to achieve the child outcomes adopted as
 
19 state policy in House Concurrent Resolution No. 38, 1998.  Act
 
20 77, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, acknowledged a performance
 
21 partnership among government, the business community, the
 
22 philanthropic sector, providers of quality care, and parents,
 
23 known as the good beginnings alliance.
 

 
Page 8                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      The good beginnings alliance has been incorporated as a
 
 2 nonprofit entity that works through four good beginnings county
 
 3 councils and an interdepartmental council.  The good beginnings
 
 4 alliance partners work to implement strategies in good beginnings
 
 5 county plans and in the state early childhood master plan that
 
 6 support progress towards the child outcomes and key indicators
 
 7 and benchmarks of those outcomes.
 
 8      In order to continue the development and coordination of
 
 9 quality early childhood education and care services, the
 
10 legislature finds that this public-private partnership requires
 
11 public funding to match the private funding acquired to date.
 
12      The purpose of this Part is to continue coordination and
 
13 implementation of the good beginnings alliance initiative.
 
14      SECTION 13.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
15 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $150,000, or so much
 
16 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, for the
 
17 coordination and implementation of the good beginnings alliance
 
18 initiative, established under Act 77, Session Laws of Hawaii
 
19 1997; provided that this sum shall be matched by private sources
 
20 for the purpose for which this sum is appropriated.
 
21      SECTION 14.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
22 department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
 
23                              PART VI
 

 
Page 9                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 15.  The legislature finds that support for a
 
 2 child's healthy and educational development is critical when the
 
 3 child is very young.  The best place to start is with the
 
 4 empowerment of parents in their roles as parents and teachers in
 
 5 the home.
 
 6      Families for REAL (resources for early access to learning)
 
 7 is a school-based family education program of courses and
 
 8 activities for all families and their children between the ages
 
 9 of birth and five years.  The program is based on Minnesota's
 
10 family education model which has proven to have a positive effect
 
11 on parenting and the well-being of children.  It recognizes that
 
12 families provide their children's first and most important
 
13 learning environments, and that parents are their children's
 
14 first and most significant teachers.  Participation by families
 
15 is voluntary and services are offered free.
 
16      Parents and their children attend age and developmentally
 
17 appropriate classes once a week for nine weeks.  They share and
 
18 learn critical parenting and teaching skills, network with each
 
19 other, learn about community resources, and become aware of what
 
20 they can do to nurture healthy children and to help children to
 
21 learn.
 
22      In addition to the program's regular courses, special
 
23 interest classes are offered on such topics as stress management,
 

 
Page 10                                                    
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 building strong families, child development, sibling rivalry,
 
 2 esteem, and language development.
 
 3      The legislature further finds that in school year 1997-1998,
 
 4 three sites, Pearl City Highlands, Kapunahala, and Wailuku
 
 5 Elementary, provided direct services to 4,077 individuals.  The
 
 6 long-range plan is to have a total of fourteen sites, one site
 
 7 per area served by each of the eleven community schools for
 
 8 adults plus one site each on the islands of Molokai and Lanai,
 
 9 and Kona, Hawaii.
 
10      The legislature further finds that this is a cost-effective
 
11 program based on the fact that the average cost-per-person served
 
12 is $108.  The legislature also finds that the program attracts
 
13 families from all socioeconomic backgrounds, that forty to fifty
 
14 per cent of the participant families are identified as families
 
15 at-risk, and that all the families have much to learn from and
 
16 with each other.
 
17      The purpose of this Part is to appropriate funds to expand
 
18 families for REAL.
 
19      SECTION 16.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
20 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $364,000, or so much
 
21 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, for the
 
22 expansion of families for REAL to Kapalama, King Kamualii, Pearl
 
23 Ridge, and Waiakea elementary schools, and the sum of $360,000,
 

 
Page 11                                                    
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001,
 
 2 for the expansion of families for REAL to four additional school
 
 3 sites.
 
 4      SECTION 17.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 5 department of education for the purposes of this Act.
 
 6                             PART VII
 
 7      SECTION 18.  The legislature finds that in order for every
 
 8 child to thrive physically and be prepared for and succeed in
 
 9 school, there needs to be more opportunity for families with at-
 
10 risk children to receive infant and child monitoring, screening,
 
11 and additional community referrals to meet their needs before
 
12 entering public education programs.
 
13      One such opportunity is the keiki/family interactive mobile
 
14 units that provide an easily accessible early education and
 
15 intervention service to families with children from birth to five
 
16 years of age.  The program supports the parent as a child's first
 
17 teacher and brings age appropriate activities to neighborhood
 
18 parks or other accessible sites, facilitating bonding,
 
19 communication skills, normal growth and development, and
 
20 cognitive stimulation.  Parent education activities are included
 
21 as well.
 
22      The program provides a nonthreatening, culturally relevant,
 
23 learning environment for at-risk children from birth to five
 

 
Page 12                                                    
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 years of age and their parents through which screening and
 
 2 appropriate community referrals can be made for health,
 
 3 nutrition, education, parenting skills, and psychological needs.
 
 4      Although these units were contracted to provide direct
 
 5 service to four hundred individuals during 1998-1999, by the
 
 6 completion of the year, a total of 1,482 (689 families and 793
 
 7 children) were served, demonstrating the need for the program.
 
 8 Presently, the keiki/family interactive mobile units are offering
 
 9 services to select areas of need across the State focusing on
 
10 homeless, isolated, or rural families as a priority.  Those
 
11 locations are as follows:
 
12      (1)  Island of Kauai:       Koloa, Kapaa, Waimea
 
13      (2)  Island of Oahu:        Wahiawa, Makiki, Loliana
 
14                                  Transitional Housing, Maililand
 
15                                  Transitional Housing, and
 
16                                  Weinberg Transitional Housing
 
17                                  Waimanalo;
 
18      (3)  Island of Lanai:       Lanai City;
 
19      (4)  Island of Maui:        Harbor Lights Housing, Malama
 
20                                  Recovery Center, and Lahaina;
 
21      (5)  Island of Hawaii:      Hilo Emergency Shelter, and
 
22                                  Kawaihae Transitional Housing.
 
23      The legislature further finds that an increase in funding
 

 
Page 13                                                    
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 will provide additional families the opportunity to participate
 
 2 in the keiki/family interactive mobile unit services at the
 
 3 following sites:
 
 4      (1)  Island of Kauai:       One site;
 
 5      (2)  Island of Oahu:        Kalihi/Palama/Liliha, Institute
 
 6                                  for Human Services, North Shore,
 
 7                                  Makaha, Kailua, and Waianae;
 
 8      (3)  Island of Maui:        Wailuku;
 
 9      (4)  Island of Molokai:     One site;
 
10      (5)  Island of Hawaii:      Pahoa, Hilo, and Kona.
 
11      The legislature further finds that the increase in service
 
12 delivery would also provide additional resources for
 
13 developmental screening of children as well as community
 
14 referrals to identify and meet the needs of at-risk children
 
15 before entering the department of education.  Through these added
 
16 funds, collaboration with agencies such as the good beginnings
 
17 alliance could be increased.
 
18      The purpose of this Part is to increase the capacity of the
 
19 keiki/family interactive mobile units.
 
20      SECTION 19.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
21 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $465,470, or so much
 
22 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, to
 
23 increase the capacity of the keiki/family interactive mobile
 

 
Page 14                                                    
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 units.
 
 2      SECTION 20.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 3 department of health for the purposes of this Act.
 
 4                             PART VIII
 
 5      SECTION 21.  The legislature finds that earning a high
 
 6 school degree is one of the key factors which can assist teen
 
 7 parents and their families to become self-sufficient, create
 
 8 opportunities for themselves and their children, and maximize
 
 9 their life potential.  The support needed to assist teen parents
 
10 to complete high school is cost effective in the long run -- for
 
11 every teen who is able to become self-sufficient, over $20,000
 
12 annually in welfare benefits are saved.
 
13      The legislature further finds that access to child care is a
 
14 systemic barrier that prevents many teen mothers and some teen
 
15 fathers who have not completed high school from going to school.
 
16 In Hawaii, teen pregnancy affects approximately 1,850 teens age
 
17 twelve through eighteen each year, of which over approximately
 
18 1,150 result in live births.  It is estimated that up to four
 
19 hundred parenting students who have not finished high school may
 
20 need assistance with child care.
 
21      The purpose of this Part is to provide child care for
 
22 parenting teens so they may complete high school and pursue
 
23 vocational training.
 

 
Page 15                                                    
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 22.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 2 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so
 
 3 much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, for
 
 4 child care for parenting teens.
 
 5      SECTION 23.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 6 department of education for the purposes of this Act.
 
 7                              PART IX
 
 8      SECTION 24.  There is a national effort for child care
 
 9 providers both in family-care settings and center-based settings
 
10 to be minimally qualified to work with children from birth
 
11 through age five.  Caregivers must demonstrate their ability to
 
12 nurture children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual
 
13 growth in a child development framework.  The proof of their
 
14 competence is the child development associate credential.
 
15      The legislature finds that approximately one hundred
 
16 individuals are estimated to need financial assistance in
 
17 obtaining their child development associate credential.  Current
 
18 cost for the application packet and assessment for credentialing
 
19 is $350 per person.  This is a minimal cost as there may be other
 
20 requirements that must be met, depending on the applicant's
 
21 readiness, training, and experience.
 
22      The purpose of this Part is to subsidize the cost of
 
23 obtaining a child development associate credential.
 

 
Page 16                                                    
                                     S.B. NO.           2447
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 25.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 2 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $35,000, or so much
 
 3 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, to provide
 
 4 financial assistance in attaining a child development associate
 
 5 credential.
 
 6      SECTION 26.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 7 department of human services for the purposes of the Act.
 
 8      SECTION 27.  If any provision of this Act, or the
 
 9 application thereof to any person or circumstance is held
 
10 invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or
 
11 applications of the Act which can be given effect without the
 
12 invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions
 
13 of this Act are severable.
 
14      SECTION 28.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
15      SECTION 29.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.
 
16 
 
17                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________