II
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3620
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 26 (legislative day, September 17), 2008
Mrs. Lincoln (for herself, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Pryor) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
A BILL
To amend the Social Security Act to enable States to carry out quality initiatives, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Child Care Investment Act of
2008
.
Funding for child care
Main program
Section 418 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 618) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (3)—
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A),
by striking section
and inserting
subsection
;
in subparagraph (G), by striking
2010.
and inserting 2008; and
; and
by adding at the end the following:
$3,717,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 though 2014.
; and
in subsection (b)—
by striking all that precedes paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
Use of funds
;
by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and aligning the margins of those subparagraphs with the margins of section 418(a)(2)(C) of that Act;
by striking this section
each place it appears and inserting this subsection
; and
by striking subsection
(a)(1)
and inserting paragraph (1)
.
Quality initiatives
Section 418 of the Social Security Act, as amended by subsection (a), is further amended by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
Quality initiatives
Appropriation
In addition to amounts appropriated under subsection (a), there is appropriated to carry out this subsection $300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2014.
Allotment
The Secretary shall use the funds appropriated under paragraph (1) to make grants to eligible States, through allotments made to those States on the basis of the formula described in subsection (a)(2)(B).
Application
To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including an assurance that the State will use the grant funds as described in paragraph (4).
Use of funds
A State that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to carry out 2 or more activities consisting of—
establishing and implementing, or maintaining, a Quality Rating and Improvement System for center-based child care providers, group home child care providers, family child care providers, and other early childhood education providers, as determined by the State, which shall—
include criteria appropriate for providers for each age group of the children involved, with initial and progressively higher levels that lead to standards that are consistent with nationally recognized high standards; and
provides assistance for education, training, and compensation initiatives to assist child care providers in meeting the initial and progressively higher levels for the criteria;
establishing and supporting a statewide network of infant and toddler specialists to provide individual or group training, and intensive consultation, to center-based child care providers, group home child care providers, family child care providers, and relative caregivers on strategies to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers, especially infants and toddlers in families who are eligible for federally funded child care assistance;
establishing and implementing standards that require at least 40 hours of appropriate health, safety, and child development training for an individual, prior to employment with or as a licensed or registered child care provider;
establishing and implementing requirements that licensed or registered center-based child care providers, group home child care providers, and family child care providers are visited by monitoring staff at least twice a year, with a minimum of 1 such visit a year on an unannounced basis; and
paying reimbursement rates, for providers of child care services for which financial assistance is made available under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), at or above the 75th percentile of market rates for such services as determined by a current (as of the date of the payment) market rate survey.
.