REPORT TITLE:
Early childhood


DESCRIPTION:
Improves the affordability, accessibility, and quality of early
childhood services.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           192
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD.


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

 1                              PART I
 
 2      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that recent neuroscience
 
 3 research demonstrated that the early years of a child are most
 
 4 crucial in a child's cognitive, emotional, social, and physical
 
 5 development, and affirmed that there are tremendous opportunities
 
 6 for preventive work with children and families as well as the
 
 7 predictable, costly consequences of not doing so.  The
 
 8 legislature further finds that quality early childhood education
 
 9 and child care which supports all aspects of early development by
 
10 parents and care givers in a variety of settings, including child
 
11 care centers, family child care, and in the homes of families and
 
12 friends, is crucial to ensuring that every young child has a good
 
13 beginning and does not lose the potential with which the child
 
14 was born.
 
15      The legislature adopted H.C.R. No. 38 (1998), which endorsed
 
16 six desired child outcomes as state policy, and encouraged
 
17 private and public agencies serving children to utilize these
 
18 outcomes as a basis for policy and program development.  This
 
19 common set of outcomes focuses action and accountability toward
 

 
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 1 achieving positive results by improving the qualify of life of
 
 2 children and youth, and establishing indicators to measure
 
 3 progress in achieving these outcomes.  These six child outcomes
 
 4 are:
 
 5      (1)  Every child will thrive physically--to be healthy from
 
 6           birth with ongoing access to good health care, and have
 
 7           a safe home, school, and community environment;
 
 8      (2)  Every child will form positive relationships--to have
 
 9           the attention of at least one caring adult and
 
10           supportive friendship with peers;
 
11      (3)  Every child will be prepared for and succeed in
 
12           school--to have developmentally nurturing care and
 
13           early education opportunities, meet age appropriate
 
14           knowledge and competencies, and graduate from high
 
15           school;
 
16      (4)  Every child will be culturally aware and appreciative
 
17           of diversity;
 
18      (5)  Every child and youth will choose responsible
 
19           behaviors--to exhibit respect for oneself, others of
 
20           every age, and society by refraining from drug use and
 
21           from sexual and illegal activity; and
 
22      (6)  Every youth will develop marketable skills enabling a
 
23           successful transition into adulthood.
 

 
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 1      The legislature finds that as public and private agencies
 
 2 address the third outcome, many facets of the early childhood
 
 3 system are affected.  These fall into the areas of health,
 
 4 education, and social services that overlap to support the family
 
 5 and the child.
 
 6      The legislature further finds that additional funding in
 
 7 selected programs targeting key populations, strategically linked
 
 8 together at the local level, can significantly enhance the
 
 9 state's capacity to achieve these outcomes, as well as leverage
 
10 additional federal and private dollars.
 
11      The purpose of this Act is to:
 
12      (1)  Address a variety of these facets as it seeks to
 
13           improve the affordability, accessibility, and quality
 
14           of early childhood services; and
 
15      (2)  Provide coordination to the early childhood system.
 
16                              PART II
 
17      SECTION 2.  The legislature finds that one way to improve
 
18 Hawaii's performance on the first, second, and third outcomes is
 
19 to increase the supply and quality of child care.  One indicator
 
20 of increased supply and quality of care is an increase in the
 
21 number of providers receiving licenses or accreditation.  One
 
22 strategy to increase licensing and accreditation is to help
 
23 providers overcome the financial obstacles to starting or
 
24 expanding their child care business.
 

 
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 1      The purpose of this part is to establish the child care
 
 2 facilities revolving loan fund that provides start-up or
 
 3 expansion capital to family child care homes and centers that are
 
 4 licensed or are seeking a license.
 
 5      SECTION 3.  Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
 6 by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to
 
 7 read as follows:
 
 8      "�346-     Child care facilities revolving loan fund.  (a)
 
 9 There is established a revolving fund to be known as the child
 
10 care facilities revolving loan fund to be administered by the
 
11 department.  The purpose of the fund shall be to make loans, each
 
12 not to exceed $25,000, as start-up capital or as expansion
 
13 capital for family child care homes or centers that are
 
14 appropriately licensed or will become appropriately licensed.
 
15      (b)  All moneys in repayment of the loans made under
 
16 subsection (a) shall be deposited into the fund.  The department
 
17 shall determine the terms of repayment for each loan, including
 
18 interest to be paid.
 
19      (c)  In the event of a default in the repayment of any
 
20 installment of principal and interest on a loan made under
 
21 subsection (a), the department may contract with a collection
 
22 agency bonded under chapter 443B for collection of the delinquent
 
23 amounts."
 

 
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 1      SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 2 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000 or so much
 
 3 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 to be paid
 
 4 into the child care facilities revolving loan fund established
 
 5 under section 3 of this Act.
 
 6      SECTION 5.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 7 department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
 
 8                             PART III
 
 9      SECTION 6.  The legislature finds that one way to improve
 
10 Hawaii's performance on the third outcome is to increase the
 
11 ability of working parents to place their children in quality
 
12 care.  Many working parents need financial assistance to pay for
 
13 the full cost of quality early childhood education and care.
 
14      The purpose of this part is to increase the number of child
 
15 care subsidies.
 
16      SECTION 7.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
17 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $3,000,000 or so much
 
18 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and the sum
 
19 of $3,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal
 
20 year 2000-2001 to increase the number of child care subsidies,
 
21 pay administrative expenses, and to provide parent workshops to
 
22 recipients of child care subsidies in each county, as follows:
 

 
 
 
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 1                                    FY 1999-2000       FY 2000-2001
 
 2      City and County of Honolulu    $1,296,000        $1,296,000
 
 3      County of Maui                    568,000           568,000
 
 4      County of Hawaii                  568,000           568,000
 
 5      County of Kauai                   568,000           568,000
 
 6 provided that:
 
 7      (1)  Each county may allocate up to fifteen per cent of the
 
 8           sum appropriated for administrative expenses incurred
 
 9           in the disbursement of child care subsidies;
 
10      (2)  Subsidies shall be granted to families with incomes up
 
11           to eighty-five per cent of the state median income;
 
12      (3)  The amount of each subsidy shall be based on family
 
13           income on a sliding scale, including a parent co-
 
14           payment; and
 
15      (4)  Receipt of a subsidy shall be contingent on applicant
 
16           families to attend a parent workshop.
 
17      SECTION 8.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
18 appropriate counties for the purposes of this Act.
 
19                              PART IV
 
20      SECTION 9.  The legislature finds that one way to make
 
21 progress towards the outcome that every child will be prepared
 
22 for and succeed in school is to increase the number of accredited
 
23 child care programs.  An accredited program is acknowledged to be
 

 
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 1 one that places emphasis on the quality of interactions between
 
 2 teachers and children, and the developmental appropriateness of
 
 3 the curriculum.  Health and safety, staffing, staff
 
 4 qualifications, physical environment, and administration are all
 
 5 reviewed during the accreditation.
 
 6      The legislature further finds that the accreditation
 
 7 mentoring of early childhood programs provides support for those
 
 8 interested in seeking accreditation, and develops mentoring and
 
 9 leadership skills among early childhood professionals.
 
10      The purpose of this part is to expand the accreditation-
 
11 mentor project for early childhood programs.
 
12      SECTION 10.  There is appropriated out the general revenues
 
13 of the State of Hawaii the sum of $155,000 or so much thereof as
 
14 may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and the sum of
 
15 $155,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year
 
16 2000-2001 to expand and continue the accreditation-mentor project
 
17 for early childhood programs, as follows:
 
18                                    FY 1999-2000       FY 2000-2001
 
19      City and County of Honolulu       $50,000           $50,000
 
20      County of Maui                     35,000            35,000
 
21      County of Kauai                    35,000            35,000
 
22      County of Hawaii                   35,000            35,000
 

 
 
 
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 1      SECTION 11.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 2 appropriate counties for the purposes of this Act.
 
 3                              PART V
 
 4      SECTION 12.  The legislature finds that both public and
 
 5 private resources are needed to achieve the child outcomes
 
 6 adopted as state policy in H.C.R. No. 38 (1998).  Act 77, Session
 
 7 Laws of Hawaii, 1997, acknowledged a performance partnership
 
 8 among government, the business community, the philanthropic
 
 9 sector, providers of quality care, and parents, known as the good
 
10 beginnings alliance.
 
11      The good beginnings alliance has been incorporated as a non-
 
12 profit entity that works through four good beginnings county
 
13 councils and an interdepartmental council.  The good beginnings
 
14 alliance partners work to implement strategies in good beginnings
 
15 county plans and in the state early childhood master plan that
 
16 support progress towards the child outcomes and key indicators
 
17 and benchmarks of those outcomes.
 
18      In order to continue the development and coordination of
 
19 quality early childhood education and care services, the
 
20 legislature finds that this public-private partnership requires
 
21 public funding to match the private funding acquired to date.
 
22      The purpose of this part is to continue coordination and
 
23 implementation of the good beginnings alliance initiative.
 

 
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 1      SECTION 13.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 2 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $150,000 or so much
 
 3 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and the sum
 
 4 of $150,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal
 
 5 year 2000-2001 for the coordination and implementation of the
 
 6 good beginnings alliance initiative; provided that funds shall be
 
 7 matched by private partnerships for the purpose for which these
 
 8 sums are appropriated.
 
 9      SECTION 14.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
10 department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
 
11                              PART VI
 
12      SECTION 15.  The legislature finds that support for a
 
13 child's healthy and educational development is critical when the
 
14 child is very young.  The best place to start is with the
 
15 empowerment of parents in their roles as parents and teachers in
 
16 the home.
 
17      Families for REAL (resources for early access to learning)
 
18 is a school-based family education program of courses and
 
19 activities for all families and their children between the ages
 
20 of birth and five years.  The program is based on Minnesota's
 
21 family education model which has proven to have a positive effect
 
22 on parenting and the well-being of children.  It recognizes that
 
23 families provide their children's first and most important
 

 
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 1 learning environments, and that parents are their children's
 
 2 first and most significant teachers.  Participation by families
 
 3 is voluntary and services are offered free.
 
 4      Parents and their children attend age and developmentally
 
 5 appropriate classes once a week for nine weeks.  They share and
 
 6 learn critical parenting and teaching skills, network with each
 
 7 other, learn about community resources, and become aware of what
 
 8 they can do to nurture healthy children and to help children
 
 9 learn.
 
10      In addition to the program's regular courses, special
 
11 interest classes are offered on such topics as stress management,
 
12 building strong families, child development, sibling rivalry,
 
13 esteem, and language development.
 
14      The legislature finds that in school year 1997-1998, three
 
15 sites, Pearl City Highlands, Kapunahala, and Wailuku Elementary,
 
16 provided direct services to 4,077 individuals.  The long-range
 
17 plan is to have a total of fourteen sites, one site per area
 
18 served by each of the eleven community schools for adults plus
 
19 one site each on the islands of Molokai and Lanai, and Kona,
 
20 Hawaii.
 
21      The legislature finds that this is a cost-effective program
 
22 based on the fact that the average cost-per-person served is
 
23 $108.  The legislature also finds that the program attracts
 

 
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 1 families from all socioeconomic backgrounds, that forty to fifty
 
 2 per cent of the participant families are identified as families
 
 3 at-risk, and that all the families have much to learn from and
 
 4 with each other.
 
 5      The purpose of this part is to expand families for REAL.
 
 6      SECTION 16.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 7 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $364,000 or so much
 
 8 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 for the
 
 9 expansion of families for REAL to Kapalama, King Kamualii, Pearl
 
10 Ridge, and Waiakea elementary schools, and the sum of $360,000 or
 
11 so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001 for
 
12 the expansion of families for REAL to four additional school
 
13 sites.
 
14      SECTION 17.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
15 department of education for the purposes of this Act.
 
16                             PART VII
 
17      SECTION 18.  The legislature finds that in order for every
 
18 child to thrive physically and be prepared for and succeed in
 
19 school, there needs to be more opportunity for families with at-
 
20 risk children to receive infant and child monitoring, screening,
 
21 and additional community referrals to meet their needs before
 
22 entering public education programs.
 

 
 
 
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 1      One such opportunity is the keiki/family interactive mobile
 
 2 units that provide an easily accessible early education and
 
 3 intervention service to families with children from birth to five
 
 4 years of age.  The program supports the parent as a child's first
 
 5 teacher and brings age appropriate activities to neighborhood
 
 6 parks or other accessible sites, facilitating bonding,
 
 7 communication skills, normal growth and development, and
 
 8 cognitive stimulation.  Parent education activities are included
 
 9 as well.
 
10      The program provides a non-threatening, culturally relevant,
 
11 learning environment for at-risk children from birth to five
 
12 years of age and their parents through which screening and
 
13 appropriate community referrals can be made for health,
 
14 nutrition, education, parenting skills, and psychological needs.
 
15      Although these units were contracted to provide direct
 
16 service to four hundred individuals during 1997-1998, by the
 
17 completion of the year, a total of 1,147 (358 adults and 789
 
18 children) had been served, demonstrating the need for the
 
19 program.  Presently, the keiki/family interactive mobile units
 
20 are offering services to select areas of need across the state
 
21 focusing on homeless, isolated, or rural families as a priority.
 
22 Those locations are as follows:
 

 
 
 
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 1      (1)  Island of Kauai:       Koloa;
 
 2      (2)  Island of Oahu:        Wahiawa, Makiki, Loliana
 
 3                                  Transitional Housing, Maililand
 
 4                                  Transitional Housing, and
 
 5                                  Weinberg Transitional Housing
 
 6                                  Waimanalo;
 
 7      (3)  Island of Lanai:       Lanai City;
 
 8      (4)  Island of Maui:        Harbor Lights Housing, Malama
 
 9                                  Recovery Center, and Lahaina;
 
10      (5)  Island of Hawaii:      Hilo Emergency Shelter, and
 
11                                  Kawaihae Transitional Housing.
 
12      The legislature further finds that an increase in funding
 
13 will provide additional families the opportunity to participate
 
14 in the keiki/family interactive mobile unit services at the
 
15 following sites:
 
16      (1)  Island of Kauai:       Kapaa;
 
17      (2)  Island of Oahu:        Kalihi/Palama/Liliha, Institute
 
18                                  for Human Services, North Shore,
 
19                                  Makaha, Kailua, and Waianae;
 
20      (3)  Island of Maui:        Wailuku;
 
21      (4)  Island of Molokai:     One site;
 
22      (5)  Island of Hawaii:      Pahoa, Hilo, and Kona.
 

 
 
 
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 1      The legislature further finds that the increase in service
 
 2 delivery would also provide additional resources for
 
 3 developmental screening of children as well as community
 
 4 referrals to identify and meet the needs of at-risk children
 
 5 before entering the department of education.  Through these added
 
 6 funds, collaboration with agencies such as the good beginnings
 
 7 alliance could be increased.
 
 8      The purpose of this part is to increase the capacity of the
 
 9 keiki/family interactive mobile units.
 
10      SECTION 19.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
11 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $465,470 or so much
 
12 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and the sum
 
13 of $465,470 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal
 
14 year 2000-2001 to increase the capacity of the keiki/family
 
15 interactive mobile units.
 
16      SECTION 20.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
17 department of health for the purposes of this Act.
 
18                             PART VIII
 
19      SECTION 21.  The legislature finds that earning a high
 
20 school degree is one of the key factors which can assist teen
 
21 parents and their families to become self-sufficient, create
 
22 opportunities for themselves and their children, and maximize
 
23 their life potential.  The support needed to assist teen parents
 

 
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 1 to complete high school is cost effective in the long run -- for
 
 2 every teen who is able to become self-sufficient, over $20,000
 
 3 annually in welfare benefits are saved.
 
 4      The legislature further finds that access to child care is a
 
 5 systemic barrier that prevents many teen mothers and some teen
 
 6 fathers who have not completed high school from going to school.
 
 7 In Hawaii, teen pregnancy affects approximately 1,850 teens age
 
 8 twelve through eighteen each year, of which over approximately
 
 9 1,150 result in live births.  It is estimated that up to four
 
10 hundred parenting students who have not finished high school may
 
11 need assistance with child care.
 
12      The purpose of this part is to provide child care for
 
13 parenting teens so they may complete high school and pursue
 
14 vocational training.
 
15      SECTION 22.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
16 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $      or so much
 
17 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and the sum
 
18 of $      or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year
 
19 2000-2001 for child care for parenting teens.
 
20      SECTION 23.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
21 department of education for the purposes of this Act.
 

 
 
 
 
 
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 1                              PART IX
 
 2      SECTION 24.  There is a national effort for child care
 
 3 providers both in family-care settings and center-based settings
 
 4 to be minimally qualified to work with children from birth
 
 5 through age five.  Caregivers must demonstrate their ability to
 
 6 nurture children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual
 
 7 growth in a child development framework.  The proof of their
 
 8 competence is the child development associate credential.
 
 9      The legislature finds that approximately one hundred
 
10 individuals are estimated to need financial assistance in
 
11 obtaining their child development associate credential.  Current
 
12 cost for the application packet and assessment for credentialing
 
13 is $350 per person.  This is a minimal cost as there may be other
 
14 requirements that must be met, depending on the applicant's
 
15 readiness, training, and experience.
 
16      The purpose of this part is to subsidize the cost of
 
17 obtaining a child development associate credential.
 
18      SECTION 25.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
19 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $35,000 or so much
 
20 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and the sum
 
21 of $35,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year
 
22 2000-2001 to provide financial assistance in attaining a child
 
23 development associate credential.
 

 
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 1      SECTION 26.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 2 department of human services for the purposes of the Act.
 
 3      SECTION 27.  If any provision of this Act, or the
 
 4 application thereof to any person or circumstance is held
 
 5 invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or
 
 6 applications of the Act which can be given effect without the
 
 7 invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions
 
 8 of this Act are severable.
 
 9      SECTION 28.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
10      SECTION 29.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
11 
 
12                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________