Childcare services: state-subsidized childcare: professional support stipends.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education to contract with local contracting agencies for alternative payment programs that are intended to allow for maximum parental choice in childcare. Existing law requires that moneys in a specified item of the Budget Act of 2000 be allocated to local childcare and development planning councils based on the percentage of state-subsidized, center-based childcare funds received in the county in which the council is located, and requires that these funds be used to address the retention of qualified childcare employees in state-subsidized childcare centers. This bill would instead require these funds to be used to address the professional support of qualified childcare employees in state-subsidized childcare centers. Existing law authorizes these funds, and other specified funds, appropriated for these purposes, to be used in the County of Los Angeles if specified requirements are met, including that the funds be unexpended after addressing the retention of qualified childcare employees, as provided, and that they be appropriated in the annual Budget Act, to address the retention of qualified persons working in licensed childcare programs that serve a majority of children who receive subsidized childcare services, including, but not limited to, family daycare homes, as defined. This bill would delete the requirements that these funds be used in the County of Los Angeles and that the funds be unexpended after addressing the retention of qualified childcare employees, as provided. The bill would require the funds to be allocated to alternative payment program agencies, as provided, to provide professional support stipends to qualified persons working in specified licensed childcare programs. The bill would, in addition, require the department to provide professional support stipends to qualified childcare employees in state-subsidized childcare centers and family childcare home education networks, upon an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose. Existing law requires the Department of Education to develop guidelines for use by local childcare and development planning councils in developing county plans for the expenditure of funds described above. Existing law requires these guidelines to be consistent with the department's assessment of the current needs of the subsidized childcare workforce and subject to the approval of the Department of Finance. This bill would delete the requirement that the guidelines be consistent with the department's assessment and would delete the requirement that the Department of Finance approve the guidelines. The bill would instead require the guidelines to be consistent with the above provisions. The bill would require the department to develop the guidelines on or before January 1, 2021, for use by alternative payment program agencies and specified partnerships providing workforce development stipends, in developing unified county plans for the expenditure of the funds, as provided. Existing law requires the county plans developed pursuant to the guidelines to be approved by the department before allocation of funds to the local childcare and development planning council. This bill would instead require county plans developed pursuant to the guidelines to be approved by the department before allocation of funds to the local childcare and development planning council or to the alternative payment program agency. The bill would require the department to ensure that the plans meet specified requirements. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide an annual report to the Legislature, among other entities, that includes a summary of the distribution of funds by county and a description of the funds used. This bill would require the Superintendent to also include in the report a summary of the distribution of funds by provider type and a description of the funds used to meet the department guidelines described above. The bill would make other conforming and nonsubstantive changes.