REPORT TITLE:
Early Childhood


DESCRIPTION:
Extends the life of the Good Beginnings Alliance to 2010.
Expands the membership of the Interdepartmental Council by 2
members.  Expands the representation of the GBA Board of
Directors by 5 representatives. (HB536 HD2)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        536
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  Over ten years ago, the legislature had the
 
 2 foresight to recognize the importance of early childhood
 
 3 education and care.  Act 367, Session Laws of Hawaii 1989,
 
 4 required the department of education to plan for voluntary
 
 5 statewide early education to be delivered by private providers
 
 6 whenever possible.  The department was to adopt standards for
 
 7 curriculum, facilities, teacher training, and methods for
 
 8 encouraging the involvement of parents and guardians.
 
 9 Additionally, provisions were made for parents and guardians who
 
10 opt for home care to utilize early childhood education resources.
 
11      Current research findings validate the legislature's wisdom.
 
12 Recent research reveals that infants' brains develop earlier and
 
13 more rapidly than previously understood, and that the early years
 
14 of a child are most crucial in the child's cognitive, emotional,
 
15 social, and physical development.  A growing body of research
 
16 indicates that good early childhood education and care programs
 
17 can lead to school success, reduced delinquency and crime, and
 
18 better job opportunities and productivity in both the short- and
 
19 long-term.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      Additionally, neuroscience research in early brain
 
 2 development, as well as studies in early child development,
 
 3 affirm not only the tremendous opportunities for preventive work
 
 4 with children and families, but also the predictable, costly
 
 5 consequences of not doing so.
 
 6      The legislature finds that the good beginnings alliance,
 
 7 established by Act 77, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, is a public-
 
 8 private partnership charged with the responsibility to improve
 
 9 early childhood outcomes through the development of quality early
 
10 childhood education and care and related family support services.
 
11 Specifically, the good beginnings alliance must develop policy
 
12 recommendations concerning all aspects of a coordinated early
 
13 childhood education and care system, including coordination
 
14 strategies, resource development, and advocacy, more particularly
 
15 described in the good beginnings early childhood education and
 
16 care master plan.  The good beginnings alliance is a
 
17 demonstration project and is scheduled to be repealed on June 30,
 
18 2001.
 
19      The legislature further finds that H.C.R. No. 120, 1998,
 
20 established a joint legislative committee on early childhood
 
21 education and care to encourage the development and
 
22 implementation of policies that integrate early childhood
 
23 education, care, protection, and health services.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      After two years of discussions and presentations on the
 
 2 status of the statewide early childhood education and care
 
 3 system, the joint legislative committee found that the components
 
 4 of a quality system of care are in place, and that the good
 
 5 beginnings alliance is truly the link and focal point for policy
 
 6 development, disbursement of public funds, and implementation of
 
 7 early childhood community plans.  The joint legislative committee
 
 8 recommended that, among other things, the legislature make the
 
 9 good beginnings alliance a permanent coordinating structure that
 
10 cuts across existing social service systems to coordinate early
 
11 childhood services for families with young children.
 
12      The legislature believes that through the good beginnings
 
13 alliance, it will be able to continue to monitor the development
 
14 of a coordinated system that is dedicated to enhancing and
 
15 developing early childhood education and care services.
 
16      The purpose of this Act is to:
 
17      (1)  Extend the life of the good beginnings alliance to
 
18           2010;
 
19      (2)  Expand the membership of the interdepartmental council;
 
20           and
 
21      (3)  Expand the representation of the good beginnings
 
22           alliance board of directors.
 

 
 
 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 2.  Act 77, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, is amended
 
 2 as follows:
 
 3      1.  By amending subsection (a) of section   -2 of the
 
 4 chapter established in section 2 of the Act to read:
 
 5      "(a)  A corporation may qualify under section    -1[,];
 
 6 provided that the board of directors of the corporation shall
 
 7 consist of not more than [nine] fourteen members, chosen as
 
 8 follows:
 
 9      (1)  One member appointed by the interdepartmental council
 
10           established under section    -4 shall serve as an ex-
 
11           officio voting member;
 
12      (2)  One member shall represent each county of the State,
 
13           except the county of Kalawao, to represent the various
 
14           community councils established in a respective county
 
15           under section    -3;
 
16      (3)  One member representing the general business community;
 
17      (4)  One member representing the general philanthropic
 
18           community;
 
19      (5)  One member representing the early childhood education
 
20           and care professional community; [and]
 
21      (6)  One member representing consumers of early childhood
 
22           education and care services[.];
 
23      (7)  One member representing the University of Hawaii;
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (8)  One member representing the American Academy of
 
 2           Pediatrics;
 
 3      (9)  One member representing the early intervention
 
 4           community;
 
 5     (10)  One member representing an early childhood resource and
 
 6           referral agency; and
 
 7     (11)  One member representing head start."
 
 8      2.  By amending section   -4 of the chapter established in
 
 9 section 2 of the Act to read:
 
10      "� -4 Interdepartmental council.  There shall be a
 
11 temporary interdepartmental council convened by the office of the
 
12 governor for the special purpose of assisting the corporation in
 
13 the implementation of its duties as delineated in the good
 
14 beginnings early childhood education and care master plan.  The
 
15 governor shall appoint:
 
16      (1)  The superintendent of education;
 
17      (2)  The director of human services;
 
18      (3)  The director of health;
 
19      (4)  The director of labor and industrial relations;
 
20      (5)  The governor's special assistant for children and
 
21           youth; [and]
 
22      (6)  The director of business, economic development, and
 
23           tourism;
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (7)  One member from the general business community; and
 
 2      (8)  One member from the general philanthropic community,
 
 3 to serve as members of the interdepartmental council.  The
 
 4 governor's special assistant for children and youth shall serve
 
 5 as the presiding chairperson."
 
 6      SECTION 3.  Act 77, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, is amended
 
 7 by amending section 3 to read as follows:
 
 8      "SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval
 
 9 and shall be repealed on June 30, [2001] 2010."
 
10      SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
11 New statutory material is underscored.
 
12      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.