Education (Children)

This bill allows school districts to offer child care services on their property during both school and non-school hours. It permits districts to prioritize care for students first, then for employees, and finally for children aged three and four who lack other care options, with the specific plan decided by the local board of education. The cost of these services must be covered by parents, social services, or other public and private sources, rather than being paid for by the school district itself. The law will not take effect until eighteen months after it is passed.

This bill expands eligibility for state child care assistance to include families with incomes up to 85% of the state median income, not just those currently receiving public assistance. It allows child care support for parents working, attending school, or transitioning off public assistance, and guarantees 12 to 24 months of care for families who recently lost public assistance due to increased work or income. The bill also requires the state to split its child care block grant between statewide programs for quality improvement and direct assistance to low-income families, with performance standards that could result in withheld funding for agencies that do not meet placement and support goals.

This bill requires social services agencies to send written notice to a school's principal within the first day a child enters foster care (e.g., foster family, boarding home, or group home). The notice must include the child's name, age, foster placement details, previous school information, and the social services office handling the case. Schools and agencies must keep all shared information confidential, limiting disclosure to only what's necessary for the child's education. This directly affects foster care children, their schools, and social services agencies by ensuring schools receive timely, specific information to support the child's academic continuity.