§302L-4  Grant program; establishment.  (a)  There is established, as part of the early learning system, a grant program, to be developed and administered by the office.  The program shall increase early learning opportunities that meet high standards of quality through the awarding of grants to publicly- or privately-run:

     (1)  Center-based programs for three- and four-year-old children; and

     (2)  Family child care programs, family-child interaction learning programs, and other early learning programs and services regardless of the age of children served.

     (b)  Eligibility criteria for grants.  The office may award grants based on criteria that shall be developed by the office.  The criteria shall include the requirement that early learning programs and services meet certain standards of quality, including:

     (1)  The implementation of evidence-based and culturally responsive models of service delivery;

     (2)  The use of evidence-based curricula and methods;

     (3)  Minimum scheduling requirements, as follows:

          (A)  For center-based programs:  providing services for a full school day and full school year;

          (B)  For family child care programs:  providing services for three hours daily for a full school year;

          (C)  For family-child interaction learning programs operating in classroom-like settings:  providing early learning activities at least twice a week for a full school year, and for a minimum of three hours each day; and

          (D)  For home-based instruction programs:  providing early learning activities for no fewer than thirty weeks within a school year;

     (4)  Staff-to-child ratios and group size that meet or exceed nationally recommended standards;

     (5)  The employment of teachers and administrators who meet the qualifications required by the office;

     (6)  The incorporation of preschool content standards or other early learning guidelines;

     (7)  The implementation of health and developmental screenings for children;

     (8)  Opportunities for parent or family engagement and parent education and support; and

     (9)  Activities for monitoring and data collection to evaluate early learning programs and services and inform best practices.

     (c)  Training; technical assistance; monitoring.  The office may offer technical support to, and shall be responsible for monitoring to ensure the accountability of programs and services within the grant program, according to the standards developed by the office. [L Sp 2008, c 14, pt of §2; am L 2012, c 178, §11; am L 2017, c 202, §8]