HB96 HD1

Report Title:

Early education; strategic plan

Description:

Designates the office of the lieutenant governor as the lead agency to develop a plan for the establishment of a system of universal access to early childhood care. Appropriates funds (HB96 HD1).

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	96
TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating to early childhood education.

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

SECTION 1. Hawaii needs to strengthen its educational system through an intense focus on improving student achievement through standards reform. One highly recommended element for the success of educational reform is to enroll children in educational preschool programs prior to school entry, contributing to their readiness for success.

The preschool years are critically important for the growth of the brain, and for the development of children's curiosity and motivation to learn. Intensive early childhood education programs that are of high quality build a strong foundation for later learning. Pre-kindergarten programs prepare young children for success by exposing them to stimulating experiences and building personal and social skills in environments that encourage children to delight in learning. These preschool programs have consistently shown to have a positive effect on school achievement.

Despite the advantages of preschool attendance, far less than half of the three- and four-year-old children in Hawaii now participate in these programs. As reported in a publication titled, "Barely Making It on Our Own," most low-income families in Hawaii would have to spend over one quarter of their total monthly income to send their children to preschool. This is simply impossible for most of these families. Except for the children in Head Start, which covers only about one third of eligible children in Hawaii, preschool attendance is mostly limited to more affluent families.

Currently, at least eight thousand four hundred children from low-income families participate in preschool programs, with an estimated eight thousand children not attending preschool. Organizations are working to estimate the unmet need for early childhood care by examining statistics on child population and enrollment in subsidized preschool programs including Head Start, Native Hawaiian Child Care, Child Care Connection, Open Doors, Kamehameha Preschools, Military Child Development Centers, Even Start, Special Education Preschools, and other private and department of education programs. The Good Beginnings Alliance, established by the legislature in 1998, is an excellent example of the kind of collaborative effort and coordination in securing resources from both the public and private sectors that will be necessary to ensure access to early childhood learning opportunities.

Universal pre-kindergarten education would greatly benefit young working families who will be assured that their keiki are in dependable educational situations that they can afford. Over two-thirds of all children are in some sort of care outside of their home at least part of the time each week.

Building a strong preschool educational system will produce long-term economic benefits for Hawaii. It will expand the number of well-paid positions in early childhood services and foster the development of facilities and related services in communities throughout the State. Furthermore, comprehensive early childhood education and care is an indispensable first step to establishing an educated workforce, and is an investment in Hawaii now and in the future.

The purpose of this Act is to designate the office of the lieutenant governor as the lead agency to be responsible for developing a plan to establish a system of universal access to early childhood education to be called PrePlus Hawaii.

SECTION 2. Act 77, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, is amended by adding a new section to the chapter established in section 2 of the Act to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§ -6 Early childhood education; universal access plan. (a) The planning function for early childhood education shall be placed within the office of the lieutenant governor for administrative purposes only.

(b) The lieutenant governor shall be responsible for the development and administration of a plan for universal access to early childhood education called preplus Hawaii.

(c) The lieutenant governor shall develop a strategic plan for universal access to early childhood education programs. The plan shall:

(1) Include a staged implementation to be completed by July 1, 2010;

(2) Allow for voluntary enrollment of all three- and four-year-olds;

(3) Target those children who:

(A) Have family incomes below one hundred eighty-five per cent of the federal poverty level;

(B) Are homeless;

(D) Are at risk due to other environmental or family situations;

(4) Include provisions for facilities development on public and private lands, including on department of education school campuses, to meet the demands of a universal access system;

(5) Contain provisions for training and certification of more qualified early childhood educators and administrators to meet the demands of a universal access system, including assurances from teacher training institutions to recruit and graduate adequate numbers of qualified staff;

(6) Leverage resources with public, private, and community organizations to provide scholarships and subsidies for low-income families and to establish or upgrade facilities;

(7) Include policies and guidelines for funding or reimbursements for early childhood education providers and parents who qualify for financial assistance;

(8) Provide that early childhood education be delivered through private providers to the maximum extent possible; and

(9) Enable parents to opt for home care by providing early childhood education resources for use at home.

(d) The lieutenant governor may contract with nonprofit agencies to achieve the objectives set forth in this chapter.

(e) The lieutenant governor shall submit the plan for universal access to early childhood education for all three- and four-year-olds no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2002."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002 to develop a strategic plan for universal access to early childhood education for Hawaii's three- and-four-year-olds.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the office of the lieutenant governor for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.