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90_HB3884
20 ILCS 505/5.25 new
Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides
that the Department of Human Services shall (i) conduct
annual market rate surveys based on the cost of child care
and other relevant factors, (ii) increase the reimbursement
rate of State-subsidized child care by 10% in Fiscal Year
1999, and (iii) create tiered reimbursement rates for child
care providers in the process of becoming accredited by a
nationally recognized accrediting body and for child care
providers that are accredited by a nationally recognized
accrediting body. Effective immediately.
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1 AN ACT to amend the Children and Family Services Act.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is
5 amended by adding Section 5.25 as follows:
6 (20 ILCS 505/5.25 new)
7 Sec. 5.25. State-subsidized child care; reimbursement
8 increases.
9 (a) Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds
10 and declares that families with children need child care in
11 order to work and participate in education and training.
12 Low-income families struggle to find quality child care
13 settings that will accept the State reimbursement rates.
14 When low-income families can not find affordable child care
15 they are in danger of going on welfare. Families who leave
16 welfare for work need high quality child care in order to
17 successfully make this transition and to stay employed. High
18 quality child care helps children develop to their full
19 potential and helps them succeed in school and in life.
20 Research has shown that the quality of child care, which
21 depends largely on the qualifications of staff and the low
22 turnover of staff, can substantially influence brain
23 development in infants and children. Improved reimbursement
24 rates will improve wage levels of child care workers,
25 attracting more qualified workers and reducing staff
26 turnover. The State reimbursement rate for subsidized child
27 care needs to be high enough that families can find quality
28 child care providers willing to accept it.
29 (b) In order to improve the quality of child care and
30 development services and to increase the number of child care
31 and development providers participating in State-subsidized
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1 child care in this State, the Department of Human Services
2 shall:
3 (1) conduct annual market rate surveys based on the
4 cost of care and other relevant factors, the first of
5 which shall be released on or before July 1, 1998;
6 (2) increase the reimbursement rate for all
7 State-assisted child care by 10% in Fiscal Year 1999
8 based on the market survey outcomes and shall maintain
9 comparability to market rates in future years; and
10 (3) create tiered reimbursement rates for child
11 care providers that are in the process, the process to be
12 defined by rule, of becoming accredited by a nationally
13 recognized accrediting body and those child care
14 providers that are accredited by a nationally recognized
15 accrediting body. Providers in the process of becoming
16 accredited shall receive reimbursement at a rate of 5%
17 greater than the base reimbursement rate. Fully
18 accredited providers shall receive reimbursement at a
19 rate of 10% greater than the base reimbursement rate.
20 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21 becoming law.