Full Text of SB3294 101st General Assembly
SB3294 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020 SB3294 Introduced 2/11/2020, by Sen. Ram Villivalam SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
| |
Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall create a 4-year outdoor preschool pilot program. Provides that 10 pilot locations shall be selected for the first year of the pilot program, with additional locations able to apply after the first year. Requires the Department to convene an advisory group to inform and support the implementation of the pilot program. Requires the Department to provide the General Assembly and Governor with reports on the participation of providers and children in the program and recommendations on modifying or expanding the availability of outdoor preschools. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2026. Effective immediately.
|
| |
| | | FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY | |
| | A BILL FOR |
|
| | | SB3294 | | LRB101 20256 SPS 69796 b |
|
| 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 | | Section 7.11 as follows: | 6 | | (225 ILCS 10/7.11 new) | 7 | | Sec. 7.11. Outdoor preschool pilot program. | 8 | | (a) The General Assembly finds that outdoor, nature-based | 9 | | early learning and child care programs are in high demand but | 10 | | are unlicensed under existing law and thus unable to offer | 11 | | full-day programs, which many working families are seeking. The | 12 | | General Assembly further finds that the outdoor preschool model | 13 | | could help expand the number of high quality early learning | 14 | | opportunities available to families throughout the State, | 15 | | particularly in areas where preschool-appropriate indoor space | 16 | | is unavailable or unaffordable. Additionally, when early | 17 | | learning programs spend less on their physical facilities, they | 18 | | are able to spend more on recruiting and retaining teachers and | 19 | | other early learning professionals. The General Assembly also | 20 | | finds that research on outdoor preschools operating in | 21 | | Scandinavian countries for decades has demonstrated a positive | 22 | | impact on children's development, including improved cognitive | 23 | | and social skills when children transition to grade school. The |
| | | SB3294 | - 2 - | LRB101 20256 SPS 69796 b |
|
| 1 | | General Assembly, therefore, intends to establish a pilot | 2 | | program to license outdoor preschools in order to expand access | 3 | | to affordable, high quality early learning programs and to | 4 | | further investigate the benefits of outdoor, nature-based | 5 | | classrooms for Illinois children and families. | 6 | | (b) For purposes of this Section, "outdoor, nature-based | 7 | | early learning and child care program" means an agency-offered | 8 | | program operated primarily outdoors in which children are | 9 | | enrolled on a regular basis for 3 or more hours per day. | 10 | | (c) The Department shall establish a pilot program to | 11 | | license outdoor, nature-based early learning and child care | 12 | | programs. The pilot program shall commence August 31, 2020 and | 13 | | conclude June 30, 2024. | 14 | | (d) The Department shall adopt rules to implement the pilot | 15 | | program and may waive or adapt licensing requirements when | 16 | | necessary to allow for the operation of outdoor classrooms. | 17 | | (e) As part of the pilot program, the Department shall | 18 | | explore options for developing a quality rating and improvement | 19 | | system for outdoor preschools. The Department may receive and | 20 | | expend funds from philanthropic organizations in order to | 21 | | implement this Section. The Department shall include a | 22 | | discussion of options and recommendations in the final report | 23 | | required under this Section. | 24 | | (f) The Department shall select up to 10 pilot locations | 25 | | during the first year of the pilot program. Beginning August | 26 | | 31, 2021, additional outdoor, nature-based early learning and |
| | | SB3294 | - 3 - | LRB101 20256 SPS 69796 b |
|
| 1 | | child care programs may apply to participate in the pilot | 2 | | program. When selecting and approving pilot program locations, | 3 | | the Department shall aim to select a mix of rural, urban, and | 4 | | suburban locations and may give priority to: | 5 | | (1) areas where there are few or limited licensed early | 6 | | learning programs; | 7 | | (2) areas of need where licensed early learning | 8 | | programs are at or near full capacity and where access may | 9 | | be restricted by one or more enrollment waiting lists; and | 10 | | (3) areas where an outdoor early learning program would | 11 | | provide more family choice. | 12 | | (g) The Department shall convene an advisory group of | 13 | | outdoor, nature-based early learning practitioners to inform | 14 | | and support implementation of the pilot program. | 15 | | (h) The Department shall provide the following reports to | 16 | | the General Assembly and the Governor: | 17 | | (1) by January 15, 2021, and annually thereafter | 18 | | through January 15, 2024, a brief status report describing | 19 | | implementation of the pilot program, including a | 20 | | description of participating providers and the number of | 21 | | children and families being served; | 22 | | (2) by November 30, 2024, a full report on findings | 23 | | from the pilot program, including recommendations for | 24 | | modifying or expanding the availability of outdoor, | 25 | | nature-based early learning and child care programs; the | 26 | | final report also must include a discussion of potential |
| | | SB3294 | - 4 - | LRB101 20256 SPS 69796 b |
|
| 1 | | options to mitigate the uncertainty for families and | 2 | | participating providers during the final 6 months of the | 3 | | pilot program when legislation may be pending. | 4 | | (i) The provisions of this Section are subject to | 5 | | appropriation. | 6 | | (j) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2026.
| 7 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 8 | | becoming law.
|
|