HB526

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that high quality child care plays an important role in a child's healthy development. Quality child care during the first year enhances development of the child's brain and cognitive abilities.

Unfortunately, many children spend their days in unsafe settings that lack supportive, nurturing, and enriching care. This is due in part to the national shortage of licensed and regulated infant child care professionals. Another factor is the high cost of child care for children under two years of age, which requires smaller groups of children and is more labor intensive and, therefore, more costly to provide. These factors make it difficult for many low-income parents to find affordable, quality child care.

Child care subsidies for low-income parents and parents receiving temporary assistance for needy families funds enable them to work or participate in educational or training programs. These subsidies have enabled many public assistance recipients to return to the work force. Changes to welfare policy relating to work requirements have made the option to stay home to care for very young children impractical for many low-income parents.

The purpose of this Act is to allow certain qualifying recipients of public assistance to provide full-time, at-home child care to children two years of age or less, and to receive a percentage of the child care subsidy the State would otherwise pay for the child care.

SECTION 2. Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§346- At-home infant child care program. (a) The department may grant a child care subsidy to a parent who is a qualified recipient of public assistance for that parent to provide full‑time, at‑home child care for the parent's child age two years or less if the household:

(1) Is at or below one hundred fifty per cent of the federal poverty level for the State;

(2) Has not previously received a lifetime total of twenty-four months of public assistance;

(3) Is eligible to receive child care assistance; and

(4) Has fulfilled the following work requirements for at least one of the three months immediately preceding entry in the program:

(A) One hundred twenty hours for a two-parent household, whether by one or both parents;

(B) Sixty hours for a single-parent household; or

(b) The eligible parent shall:

(1) Be at least eighteen years of age or have received a high school diploma or its equivalent;

(2) Care for the child full‑time in the child's home; and

(3) Care for any other children in the household who are eligible for child care assistance.

(c) The maximum rate of the subsidy shall be equal to the rate established by the department for the care of a child age two years or less in state licensed family child care settings. The household shall not receive additional child care subsidies for other children in the household while receiving benefits under this section.

(d) A participating household shall report any income and other household changes to the department.

(e) A person participating in the at-home infant child care program under this section shall not forfeit any other public assistance the person may be receiving. Upon leaving the at‑home infant child care program, a person may resume participation in any other public assistance programs in which the person was participating with the same status the person had prior to participating in the at-home infant child care program.

(f) Household members may participate in education and work activities as long as one or both of the parents provide full‑time, at‑home child care for their child age two years or less.

(g) The at-home infant child care program shall be implemented and funded through the department. The department shall:

(1) Determine appropriate funding for the program by utilizing available funds;

(2) Develop and distribute consumer information regarding the program to assist parents of children age two years or less, or expectant parents, in making informed child care decisions; and

(3) Adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91 to implement this section.

(h) For the purposes of this section, "parent" means a birth parent, adoptive parent, stepparent, foster parent, or legal guardian.

(i) Assistance under this section shall not establish an employer-employee relationship between any member of the qualifying household and the State."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	526
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII