[D.  Miscellaneous Provisions]

Revision Note

  Subpart heading added by revisor pursuant to §23G-15.

     §346-181  Preschool open doors program.  (a)  There is established within the department a school readiness program to be known as the preschool open doors program within the department's child care assistance program.  The program shall:

     (1)  Provide access to school readiness services that address children's physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development;

     (2)  Require each provider to conduct school readiness assessments;

     (3)  Give priority to children from low- and moderate-income families; and

     (4)  Prepare children for school through either of the State's two official languages.

     (b)  Subject to the availability of funds, the program shall serve three- and four-year-old children who are in the two years prior to kindergarten entry pursuant to section 302A-411, with priority extended in the following order to:

     (1)  Children who are not eligible to attend public school kindergarten in the calendar year in which they turn five years of age because their birth date occurs after the kindergarten eligibility date pursuant to section 302A-411;

     (2)  Underserved or at-risk four-year-old children who were previously served as a three-year-old child, as defined by rules adopted by the department;

     (3)  Four-year-old children who were previously served as a three-year-old child;

     (4)  Four-year-old children;

     (5)  Underserved or at-risk three-year-old children, as defined by rules adopted by the department; and

     (6)  Three-year-old children.

     (c)  Enrollment in the program shall be voluntary.  A parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the program shall share in the costs of the program through a copayment according to a sliding fee scale that is based on need pursuant to rules adopted by the department.

     (d)  The department may adopt interim rules to carry out the purposes of this section without regard to chapter 91 or 201M; provided that:

     (1)  The department shall hold at least one public hearing prior to the adoption of interim rules;

     (2)  The interim rules shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws; and

     (3)  The interim rules shall be effective for no more than one year after their adoption. [L 2013, c 169, §2; am L 2017, c 202, §11; am L 2020, c 46, §9; am L 2021, c 210, §§6, 14(2); am L 2023, c 171, §§3, 4]