Sec. 6. Activities to improve the quality of child care
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Section 658G of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858e ) is amended to read as follows: A State that receives funds to carry out this subchapter for a fiscal year referred to in paragraph
(2)shall reserve and use a portion of such funds, in accordance with paragraph (2), for activities provided directly, or through grants or contracts with local child care resource and referral organizations or other appropriate entities, that are designed to improve the quality of child care services and increase parental options for, and access to, high-quality child care, provided in accordance with this subchapter. Such State shall reserve and use— to carry out the activities described in paragraph (1), not less than— 6 percent of the funds described in paragraph (1), for the first and second full fiscal years after the date of enactment of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014; 8 percent of such funds, for the third and fourth full fiscal years after the date of enactment; and 10 percent of such funds, for the fifth full fiscal year after the date of enactment and each succeeding fiscal year; and in addition to the funds reserved under subparagraph (A), 3 percent of the funds described in paragraph (1), for the first full fiscal year after the date of enactment and each succeeding fiscal year, to carry out the activities described in paragraph
(1)and subsection (b)(4), as such activities relate to the quality of care for infants and toddlers. Funds reserved under subsection
(a)shall be used to carry out not fewer than 2 of the following activities: Supporting the training, professional development, and professional advancement of the child care workforce through activities such as— offering child care providers training and professional development that is intentional and sequential and leads to a higher level of skill or certification; establishing or supporting programs designed to increase the retention and improve the competencies of child care providers, including wage incentive programs and initiatives that establish tiered payment rates for providers that meet or exceed child care services guidelines, as defined by the State; offering training, professional development, and educational opportunities for child care providers that relate to the use of developmentally appropriate and age-appropriate curricula, and early childhood teaching strategies, that are scientifically based and aligned with the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of children, including offering specialized training for child care providers who care for infants and toddlers, children who are English learners, and children with disabilities (as defined in section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1401 )); providing training concerning the State early learning and developmental guidelines, where applicable, including training concerning early mathematics and early language and literacy development and effective instructional practices to support mathematics and language and literacy development in young children; incorporating effective use of data to guide instruction and program improvement; including effective behavior management strategies and training, including positive behavioral interventions and supports, that promote positive social and emotional development and reduce challenge behaviors; at the option of the State, incorporating feedback from experts at the State’s institutions of higher education, as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1002 ), and other early childhood development experts and early childhood education and care experts; providing training corresponding to the nutritional and physical activity needs of children to promote healthy development; providing training or professional development for child care providers to serve and support children with disabilities; providing training and outreach on engaging parents and families in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways to expand their knowledge, skills, and capacity to become meaningful partners in supporting their children's learning and development; providing training or professional development for child care providers regarding the early neurological development of children; and connecting child care staff members of child care providers with available Federal and State financial aid, or other resources, that would assist child care staff members in pursuing relevant postsecondary training. Supporting the use of the early learning and developmental guidelines described in section 658E(c)(2)(T) by— developing and implementing the State’s early learning and developmental guidelines; and providing technical assistance to enhance early learning for preschool and school-aged children in order to promote language and literacy skills, foster school readiness, and support later school success. Developing and implementing a tiered quality rating system for child care providers, which shall— support and assess the quality of child care providers in the State; build on licensing standards and other State regulatory standards for such providers; be designed to improve the quality of different types of child care providers; describe the quality of early learning facilities; build the capacity of State early childhood education and care programs and communities to promote parents’ and families’ understanding of the State’s early childhood education and care system and the ratings of the programs in which the child is enrolled; and provide, to the maximum extent practicable, financial incentives and other supports designed to help child care providers achieve and sustain higher levels of quality. Improving the supply and quality of child care programs and services for infants and toddlers through activities, which may include— establishing or expanding neighborhood-based high-quality comprehensive family and child development centers, which may serve as resources to child care providers in order to improve the quality of early childhood education and care and early childhood development services provided to infants and toddlers from low-income families and to help eligible child care providers improve their capacity to offer high-quality care to infants and toddlers from low-income families; establishing or expanding the operation of community or neighborhood-based family child care networks; supporting statewide networks of infant and toddler child care specialists, including specialists who have knowledge regarding infant and toddler development and curriculum and program implementation as well as the ability to coordinate services with early intervention specialists who provide services for infants and toddlers with disabilities under part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq. ); carrying out initiatives to improve the quality of the infant and toddler child care workforce, such as providing relevant training, professional development, or mentoring opportunities and linking such opportunities to career pathways, developing career pathways for providers in such workforce, and improving the State credentialing of eligible providers caring for infants and toddlers; if applicable, developing infant and toddler components within the State’s quality rating system described in paragraph
(3)for child care providers for infants and toddlers, or the development of infant and toddler components in a State’s child care licensing regulations or early learning and developmental guidelines; improving the ability of parents to access information about high-quality infant and toddler care; and carrying out other activities determined by the State to improve the quality of infant and toddler care provided in the State, and for which there is evidence that the activities will lead to improved infant and toddler health and safety, infant and toddler development, or infant and toddler well-being, including providing training (including training in safe sleep practices, first aid, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Promoting broad child care provider participation in the quality rating system described in paragraph (3). Establishing or expanding a statewide system of child care resource and referral services. Facilitating compliance with State requirements for inspection, monitoring, training, and health and safety, and with State licensing standards. Evaluating and assessing the quality and effectiveness of child care programs and services offered in the State, including evaluating how such programs and services may improve the overall school readiness of young children. Supporting child care providers in the pursuit of accreditation by an established national accrediting body with demonstrated, valid, and reliable program standards of high quality. Supporting State or local efforts to develop or adopt high-quality program standards relating to health, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, and physical development and providing resources to enable eligible child care providers to meet, exceed, or sustain success in meeting or exceeding, such standards. Carrying out other activities determined by the State to improve the quality of child care services provided in the State, and for which measurement of outcomes relating to improved provider preparedness, child safety, child well-being, or school readiness is possible. Beginning with fiscal year 2015, at the beginning of each fiscal year, the State shall annually submit to the Secretary a certification containing an assurance that the State was in compliance with subsection
(a)during the preceding fiscal year and a description of how the State used funds received under this subchapter to comply with subsection
(a)during that preceding fiscal year. Each State receiving funds under this subchapter shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Secretary, which shall include information about— the amount of funds that are reserved under subsection (a); the activities carried out under this section; and the measures that the State will use to evaluate the State's progress in improving the quality of child care programs and services in the State. The Secretary shall offer technical assistance, in accordance with section 658I(a)(3), which may include technical assistance through the use of grants or cooperative agreements, to States for the activities described in subsection (b). Nothing in this section shall be construed as providing the Secretary the authority to regulate, direct, or dictate State child care quality activities or progress in implementing those activities. .
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Sec. 6
Activities to improve the quality of child care
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