(a) Each school readiness program shall include: (1) A plan for collaboration with other community programs and services, including public libraries, and for coordination of resources in order to facilitate full-day and year-round child care and education programs for children of working parents and parents in education or training programs; (2) parent involvement, parenting education and outreach; (3) (A) record-keeping policies that require documentation of the name and address of each child’s doctor, primary care provider and health insurance company and information on whether the child is immunized and has had health screens pursuant to the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Services Program under 42 USC 1396d, and (B) referrals for health services, including referrals for appropriate immunizations and screenings; (4) a plan for the incorporation of appropriate preliteracy practices and teacher training in such practices; (5) nutrition services; (6) referrals to family literacy programs that incorporate adult basic education and provide for the promotion of literacy through access to public library services; (7) admission policies that promote enrollment of children from different racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds and from other communities; (8) a plan of transition for participating children from the school readiness program to kindergarten and provide for the transfer of records from the program to the kindergarten program; (9) a plan for professional development for staff, including, but not limited to, training (A) in preliteracy skills development, and (B) designed to assure respect for racial and ethnic diversity; (10) a sliding fee scale for families participating in the program pursuant to section 17b-749d; and (11) an annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the program.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(b) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, the per child cost of the Office of Early Childhood school readiness program offered by a school readiness provider shall not exceed eight thousand nine hundred twenty-seven dollars. For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2021, to June 30, 2024, inclusive, the per child cost of the Office of Early Childhood school readiness program offered by a school readiness provider shall not exceed nine thousand twenty-seven dollars. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, the per child cost of the Office of Early Childhood full-time school readiness program offered by a school readiness provider shall not exceed ten thousand five hundred dollars.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (e) of section 10-16p, the office shall not provide funding to any school readiness provider that (A) for the school year commencing July 1, 2015, and each school year thereafter, is a local or regional board of education that does not collect preschool experience data using the preschool experience survey, described in section 10-515, and make such data available for inclusion in the public school information system, pursuant to section 10-10a, (B) on or before January 1, 2004, first entered into a contract with a town to provide school readiness services pursuant to this section and is not accredited on January 1, 2007, or (C) after January 1, 2004, first entered into a contract with a town to provide school readiness services pursuant to this section and does not become accredited by the date three years after the date on which the provider first entered into such a contract, except that the commissioner may grant an extension of time for a school readiness program to become accredited or reaccredited, provided (i) prior to such extension, the office conducts an on-site assessment of any such program and maintains a report of such assessment completed in a uniform manner, as prescribed by the commissioner, that includes a list of conditions such program must fulfill to become accredited or reaccredited, (ii) on or before June 30, 2014, the program is licensed by the Department of Public Health if required to be licensed by chapter 368a, and on and after July 1, 2014, the program is licensed by the office if required to be licensed by chapter 368a, (iii) the program has a corrective action plan that shall be prescribed by and monitored by the office, and (iv) the program meets such other conditions as may be prescribed by the commissioner. During the period of such extension, such program shall be eligible for funding pursuant to section 10-16p.

(3) A school readiness provider may provide child care services and the cost of such child care services shall not be subject to such per child cost limitation.

(c) A local or regional board of education may implement a sliding fee scale for the cost of services provided to children enrolled in a school readiness program.

(d) A town or school readiness council may file a waiver application to the office on forms provided by the office for the purpose of seeking approval of a school readiness schedule that varies from the minimum hours and number of days provided for in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-16p or from the definition of a year-round program pursuant to subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of section 10-16p. The office may approve any such waiver if the office finds that the proposed schedule meets the purposes set forth in the provisions of section 10-16o concerning the development of school readiness programs and maximizes available dollars to serve more children or address community needs.