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| 1 | AN ACT concerning regulation. | ||||||
| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly: | ||||||
| 4 | Section 5. The Child Care Act of 1969 is amended by adding | ||||||
| 5 | Sections 9.1d, 9.1e, and 9.1f as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (225 ILCS 10/9.1d new) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 9.1d. Public list of qualified courses. | ||||||
| 8 | (a) As used in this Section, "institution of higher | ||||||
| 9 | education" means any publicly or privately operated | ||||||
| 10 | university, college, or community college in this State that | ||||||
| 11 | offers degrees or certificates in early childhood or related | ||||||
| 12 | coursework or similar degrees or certificates beyond the | ||||||
| 13 | secondary school level. "Institution of higher education" | ||||||
| 14 | includes a public, private, non-profit, or for-profit | ||||||
| 15 | university, college, or community college authorized by the | ||||||
| 16 | Board of Higher Education or the Community College Board to | ||||||
| 17 | offer degrees or certificates in early childhood or related | ||||||
| 18 | coursework or similar degrees or certificates beyond the | ||||||
| 19 | secondary school level online, via correspondence, or | ||||||
| 20 | physically in this State to an individual in this State. | ||||||
| 21 | (b) No later than January 1, 2027, the Department of Early | ||||||
| 22 | Childhood, in collaboration with the Community College Board, | ||||||
| 23 | the Board of Higher Education, and the Department of Children | ||||||
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| 1 | and Family Services, shall publish on its website and | ||||||
| 2 | regularly update, at least once per year, a comprehensive list | ||||||
| 3 | of college early childhood courses that qualify toward the | ||||||
| 4 | attainment of the required qualifications under 89 Ill. Adm. | ||||||
| 5 | Code 407.130 and 407.140 for early childhood teachers and | ||||||
| 6 | directors. | ||||||
| 7 | (c) To help the Department of Early Childhood determine | ||||||
| 8 | whether an institution of higher education's early childhood | ||||||
| 9 | college courses meet the requirements of 89 Ill. Adm. Code | ||||||
| 10 | 407.130 and 407.140, each institution of higher education | ||||||
| 11 | shall submit, in the form and manner prescribed by the | ||||||
| 12 | Department of Early Childhood, information about the courses. | ||||||
| 13 | (d) The Department of Early Childhood may adopt rules to | ||||||
| 14 | implement this Section. | ||||||
| 15 | (225 ILCS 10/9.1e new) | ||||||
| 16 | Sec. 9.1e. Public list of qualified courses; qualification | ||||||
| 17 | and impartial oversight review process. | ||||||
| 18 | (a) As used in this Section, "institution" has the meaning | ||||||
| 19 | given to that term in Section 9.1d. | ||||||
| 20 | (b) No later than January 1, 2027, the Department of Early | ||||||
| 21 | Childhood, in consultation with stakeholders, including, but | ||||||
| 22 | not limited to, the Illinois Community College Board, the | ||||||
| 23 | Board of Higher Education, and, until January 1, 2027, the | ||||||
| 24 | Department of Children and Family Services, shall create a | ||||||
| 25 | process to verify early childhood courses that qualify toward | ||||||
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| 1 | the attainment of the required qualifications under 89 Ill. | ||||||
| 2 | Adm. Code 407.130 and 407.140 for early childhood teachers and | ||||||
| 3 | directors. | ||||||
| 4 | (c) As part of the development of the process established | ||||||
| 5 | under this Section, the Department of Early Childhood shall | ||||||
| 6 | seek input and feedback from established child care providers, | ||||||
| 7 | Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity member | ||||||
| 8 | institutions, early child care and education advocates, early | ||||||
| 9 | childhood program students, and other stakeholders. | ||||||
| 10 | (d) The process established under this Section shall | ||||||
| 11 | include the following elements, which also shall be posted on | ||||||
| 12 | the Department of Early Childhood's website: | ||||||
| 13 | (1) criteria for the inclusion of college courses | ||||||
| 14 | offered by State-based and out-of-state institutions on | ||||||
| 15 | the course list; | ||||||
| 16 | (2) criteria for the removal of courses from the | ||||||
| 17 | course list; | ||||||
| 18 | (3) a requirement that the removal of a course from | ||||||
| 19 | the course list shall not negatively impact any early | ||||||
| 20 | childhood teacher or director or early childhood teacher | ||||||
| 21 | or director applicant who has taken or is currently | ||||||
| 22 | enrolled in the course; | ||||||
| 23 | (4) a notification plan for (i) the distribution of | ||||||
| 24 | the course list and (ii) any updates to all licensed child | ||||||
| 25 | care centers in this State; | ||||||
| 26 | (5) an impartial oversight review process for courses | ||||||
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| 1 | deemed ineligible for the attainment of the required | ||||||
| 2 | qualifications for an early childhood teacher or director; | ||||||
| 3 | and | ||||||
| 4 | (6) a process for establishing eligibility | ||||||
| 5 | requirements for college courses not on the course list. | ||||||
| 6 | (e) The Department of Early Childhood may adopt rules to | ||||||
| 7 | implement this Section. | ||||||
| 8 | (225 ILCS 10/9.1f new) | ||||||
| 9 | Sec. 9.1f. Public list of qualified courses; training for | ||||||
| 10 | applicable State staff. | ||||||
| 11 | (a) Applicable State staff must be trained on the use of | ||||||
| 12 | the course list established under Section 9.1e, the | ||||||
| 13 | prohibitions for the course list, and the impartial oversight | ||||||
| 14 | review process under Section 9.1e. | ||||||
| 15 | (b) The Department of Early Childhood may adopt rules to | ||||||
| 16 | implement this Section. | ||||||