Early childhood education: parent participation preschools: pilot program.

Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer all California state preschool programs, including, but not limited to, part-day and full-day age and developmentally appropriate programs for 3- and 4-year-old children. This bill would establish the Parent Participation Preschool Pilot Program, under the administration of the State Department of Education, to provide one-time grants to California state preschool program contracting agencies, as defined, for the creation or expansion of parent participation preschool programs. The bill would define "parent participation preschool program" as a preschool program funded by the state, where there is an educational component for a parent, guardian, or family member of a child in the program, as specified, and there may also be a requirement for those persons to volunteer in the classroom or with other aspects of the program. The bill would require the department to announce and post criteria for grants on or before March 31, 2022, to award grants to selected California state preschool program contracting agencies on or before the beginning of the 2022–23 school year, and to report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on the impact of the pilot program on or before January 1, 2024. The bill would make implementation of the pilot program contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute for this purpose. The bill would repeal these provisions 5 years after an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute for the pilot program.