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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11041997 - C92 TO: ��:' BOARD OF SUPERVISORS F&HS-02 Contra FROM: FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE Costa County 7 C=am DATE: October 27, 1997 SUBJECT: REPORT ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF WELFARE REFORM ON CHILD CARE PROGRAMS SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1 . DIRECT the Social Service Director to design an institutional infrastructure within the Social Service Department where suggestions for changes to welfare reform, identified problems, and ideas for improving the system can be centralized within the Department and coordinated with the County's lobbyist, the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), the County Welfare Directors' Association (CWDA) and the Urban Counties Caucus. 2. REQUEST the Social Service Director to consider the feasibility of designing a system for tracking TANF recipients through their five-year federal time limit on aid so that the County can determine what happens to clients after they leave aid and evaluate what does and does not work in helping people to become self-supporting. BACKGROUND: On October 27, 1997, our Committee met with the Social Service Director, John Cullen, members of the Child Care Task Force and the Community Services Director, Scott Tandy. Mr. Cullen presented the attached report to our Committee and reviewed it with us. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMIT EE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): MARK E)eSAUI=N'ER DGNNA GER ACTION OF BOARD ON Novembo 4, 1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED__ _November 4, 1997 Contact: County Administrator PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: Social Service Director SUPERV RS AND CO N Y�ADMINISTRATOR Community Services Director 4 Child Care Task Force (Via Dean Lucas) Executive Director, Contra Costa Child Care Council BY ,DEPUTY F&HS-02 Mr. Cullen explained the three-stage child care system which has been created under California's welfare reform legislation (AB 1542, Chapter 270, Statutes of 1997) and identified the number of children currently receiving aid. He also identified the amount of money the department has available to provide child care for all eligible TANF recipients effective January 1 , 1998. It is not yet clear whether the available funds will be sufficient to meet the need for child care. This will probably only become clear after TANF is implemented. In response to a question from Supervisor Gerber about how the allocations of funds were determined, Mr. Cullen indicated that they were generally based on prior allocations. There certainly has not been, a real, objective needs assessment conducted by the State to determine the need for child care in the County and upon which the funds are allocated. Mr. Cullen noted that clients can be deferred from participating in employment and training programs if adequate support services like child care, transportation, and drug treatment are not available. However, even if a client is deferred, the client's lifetime Federal eligibility for TANF of five years does not change. Supervisor Gerber suggested that if there is insufficient child care available, mothers with infants might be allowed to stay home. Mr. Cullen noted that some funds can be moved between stages of the child care program in order to better meet the needs of TANF recipients. However, doing this would take resources away from other groups like the working poor (stage 3). Mr. Cullen emphasized that there are many issues having to do with child care and welfare reform that remain to be decided. Supervisor DeSaulnier asked how the County can keep track of problems with- welfare reform which are identified and suggestions that may come to the attention of Board members so they can be examined and included, as appropriate, in the inevitable clean-up legislation which will be needed in 1998. Our Committee is asking Mr. Cullen to provide some central place within the Department where such problems and suggestions can be reported and appropriate action taken. Supervisor DeSaulnier also suggested that it would be helpful to have some way of tracking clients through the system to see what elements of welfare reform work and which do not. Mr. Cullen responded that there is no separate source of money available for this purpose and that such tracking and evaluation would have to be done at the expense of other TANF services. Our Committee feels that it is important to get private funding or some other source to establish a tracking system so that the Board will be in a position to know what works and what needs to be changed. We are asking Mr. Cullen to at least give some further attention to this need. Our Committee is going to keep this subject matter on referral and will report back to the Board as events warrant further reports. -2- 'CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Social Service Department C ,J?/ DATE: October 27, 1997 TO: Board of Supervisors Family & Human Services Committee FROM: John Cullen, Directorj" �,_> SUBJECT: Report on Child Care Implications for Welfare Reform The Social Service Department has identified approximately 10,646 children under the age of five years and 12,576 children between the ages of five and ten years that currently receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and whose parents will be subject to Ca1WORKs Welfare-to-Work activities. We do not know that some of these children belong to families in which one or both parents are disabled and will be exempt from Welfare-to-Work activities. In addition, 1,808 of these child are under the age of one year, so the parent could be exempted from Welfare-to-Work activities. Currently, approximately 15-25% of these children receive child care under existing Social Service Department programs. Many of these are also receiving services through child care programs outside of the Social Service Department. The State of California has proposed a three-stage system for child care under the CalWORKs program. Ste I child care encompasses all children whose parents are just entering Welfare-to- Work activities and are in situations where the parent is not yet in a stable, daily activity. Stle, II child care encompasses all children whose parents are in regular training/education programs, working while receiving aid, or working when aid has been terminated within the past two years. Stage III child care encompasses all children whose parents have no connection to welfare aid programs or are no longer receiving welfare. Stage I child care is funded through the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) money paid to the county Social Service Department. • For Stage I, CDSS has allocated a net amount for child care payments of$2,615,472 to the Social Service Department for the period from 1/1/98, when CalWORKS begins, through 6/30/98. Stages II and III are funded through a combination of Alternative Payment Providers, including the county Social Service Department, receiving money through the California Department of Education (CDE). • The funding for Stage H, covering the period from 1/1/98 through 6/30/98, includes six months of the money originally allocated to the Social Service Department for programs currently in existence that will end 12/31/97. This money, $1,469,826 TO: Board of Supervisors Family & Human Services Committee SUBJ: Report on Child Care Implications for Welfare Reform (includes administrative funds), has been reallocated to all Alternative Payment Providers serving Contra Costa County CalWORKs recipients for the Stage II program, 1/1/98 - 6/30/98. • For Stage III, each Alternative Payment Provider has already been given a full fiscal year allocation, 7/1/97 - 6/30/98. The share of this money allocated by CDE to the Social Service Department for direct child care payments is $1,827,460. Other Alternative Payment Providers, including the Contra Costa Child Care Council and PACE, has received their own allocations for the year. However, as with most Stage III money, this funding is already encumbered by existing families receiving child care payments under CDE programs. The amounts projected for Stages I, II and III, reflect an approximate increase in child care monies to Contra Costa County of 37% over existing programs. Within the written CalWORKs plan, there are many details that must be covered. These include decisions on who is eligible to which programs, how recipients will flow from one stage of child care to the next, when to retain child care in the Social Service Department and when to refer CalWORKs recipients outside of the department. We must also determine how payments will be made directly to providers and the transitions for recipients of current programs into the new three-stage child care system. As we prepare for CalWORKs, the Social Service Department is developing a Child Care Component within the County Plan. We have assembled a work group comprised of representatives of the Child Care Council, the Child Care Task Force, and staff of the county's own Head Start and Child Development programs, to help design the system. JBC:sjb , I r _ 19 — Ch. 270 SEC. 11. Article 15.5 (commencing with Section 8350) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 6 of the Education Code, to read: "Article 15,5. Child Care for Recipients of the Ca1WORKs Program 8350. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to ensure that recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,or any successor program,and former recipients who have left aid for employment, are connected as soon as.possible to local child care resources, make stable child care.arrangements, and continue to receive subsidized child careservices after they no longer receive aid as long as they.require those services and meet the eligibility requirements set forth in Sections 8263 and 8263.1. (b) This article establishes three stages of child care services through which a recipient of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program, will pass. Further, as families' child care needs are met by county welfare departments and later by other local child care and development contractors, it is the intent of the Legislature that families experience no break in their child care . services due to a transition between the three stages of child care ? services. fib . 8351.1 (a). The county welfare department shall manage the first stage during which a family shall receive a child care subsidy for any legal care.chosen by the parent. The first stage begins upon the entry ' { of a person into the program prescribed by Chapter 2.(commencing a with Section 11200) of Part 3 ..of Division 9 of the. Welfare and ' Institutions Code. A county shall move recipients out of this first Y response stage as quickly as possible after the county determines that . the need for child care is stable. A recipient may be served in this stage for a maximum of six months. The six-month time limit may be extended if the county determines that the recipient's situation is too unstable to.be shifted to.the second stage.or if no funds are'available to provide child care services in the second stage. (b) A county may contract with public or private child care providers to provide any or.all of the services during the first stage. If the county welfare department elects to.contract with any child care provider that is also under contract with the State Department of Education, these contracts shall be consistent with state.law. 8352.` As.soon as appropriate, a county welfare.department shall 1 refer families needing child-care services to the local child care resource and referral program' funded pursuant to Article 2 r (commencing with Section 8210). Resource and referral program staff shall colocate with a county. welfare department's case . ' management offices for aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with . a ; N 94 s ,y' Ch. 270 —20— Section -20—Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions # (d) This article Code, or any successorprogram, or arrange other means of swift from operating an communication with parents and case managers of this aid.The local the State Departrr. child care resource and referral program shall assist families to protective service establish stable child care arrangements as soon as possible. These 8355. Child ca child care arrangements may include licensed and license-exempt moneys dedicates care. . Chapter 2 (comm 8353. The second stage begins when the county determines that of the Welfare ar the recipient's work or, approved work activity is stable or when a including the fed. recipient is transitioning off of aid and child care is available through program contracts a local stage two program. The local stage two agency shall assist in t Section,28 proses: moving families to stage three as quickly as feasible. No family may prevent child care continue to receive child care in stage two beyond two years after it funded with mone is no longer eligible for aid. The second stage shall be administered this article shall pre by agencies contracting with the State Department of Education. f Chapter:2 (comm( These contractors may be either agencies that have an alternative. of the Welfare and a ment contract pursuant to Section 8220.1 or count . welfare receiving child ca_- P Y P Y departments that choose to administer this stage in order to continue chapter. to provide child care services for recipients or former recipients of 8356. It is the in aid.If the county chooses to contract with the department to provide of Education work alternative payment services, this contract shall not displace, or generate extended- result,in the reduction of an existing contract of,a current-alternative Chapter 2 (comme payment program. of the Welfare ane 8354. ' (a) The third stage begins when a funded space is available through recruiting for CalWORKs recipients, persons who .received a lump-sum license-exempt cai diversion payment, and former Ca1WORKs participants who are between Head Star regularly employed at a wage that does not exceed 75 percent of the certificate administ state median income. The third stage shall be administered by payment programs, programs contracting with the State Department of Education. and 8354 cover the Parents' eligibility for child care and development services will be 8356.1. Itis the ii governed by Section 8263 and regulations adopted by the State funding for child ca: Department of Education: equivalent to the ar (b) In order to move welfare recipients and former recipients year for income disr( from their relationship with county welfare departments to and Institutions Co relationships with institutions providing services_to working families, Section.11451.7 of tb it is the intent of the Legislature that families that are former ` 8357. (a) The c( recipients of aid, or are transitioning off aid, receive their child care article shall be gover, assistance in the same fashion as other low-income working families.: care services provid Therefore, it is the intent of the.Legislature that families no longer choose the child care rely on county welfare departments to obtain child care subsidies care providers who a beyond the time they are receiving other services from the welfare cost of that child care department. contract with the Stal (c) A county welfare department shall not administer the third the regional market stage of child.care for CalWORKs recipients except to the extent to market rate. means.c which it delivered those.services to families receiving, or withip one deviations above.the year of having.received, Aid to Families with Dependent-Children (b) Reimbursemei prior to the enactment of this section: fee charged to private 94 -21 — Ch. 270 is (d) This article does not preclude county welfare departments ft from operating an alternative payment program under contract with al the State Department of Education to serve families referred by child Co protective services. ie 8355. Child care during the third stage may be funded with :)t moneys dedicated to current and former recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 at of .the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program, a including the federal funds appropriated to alternative payment �Ih program contractors in the 1996-97 fiscal year using the Budget Act's in Section 28 process as described .in subdivision (b). Nothing shall. ay prevent child care services provided under stage three from being it funded with moneys.from other federal or state sources. Nothing in �d this article shall preclude current and former recipients of aid under in. Chapter.2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 ve N of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program,from r' receiving child care services pursuant to other provisions of this re � ue chapter. �. of 8356. It is the intent of the Legislature that the State Department k"; de . R of Education work with Head Start and state preschool programs to or generate extended-day and evening care for recipients of aid under *.. ve _ Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200_ ) of Part 3 of Division 9 a of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program, )le :, through recruiting and training parents to be licensed and zm t' license-exempt care providers and shall facilitate connections . ire V between Head Start and state preschool contractors and child care -,he C' certificate administrators, including counties and.other alternative : a ment programs, so that funds available for Sections 8351 8353 by �. . P Y P g � � � and 8354 cover the cost of this care. beon. f> 8356.1. It is the intent of the Legislature that each.count receive be g• Y funding for child care services provided in stage two that is at least ate <Y, equivalent to the amount of funding received in the 1996-97 fiscal ; nts year for income disregard pursuant to Section 11451.6 of the Welfare , to ;, and Institutions Code and supplemental child care pursuant to ; ies Section 11451.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. ner , 8357. (a) The cost of child care services provided under, this are article shall be governed by regional market rates.Recipients of child ' ies. care services provided pursuant to this article shall be allowed.to ger choose the child care services of licensed child care providers or child ties care providers who are, by law, not required to be licensed,and the 'are cost of that child care shall be reimbursed by counties or agencies that contract with the State Department of Education if the cost is within iird the regional market rate. For purposes of this section, "regional . t to market rate" means care costing no more than 1.5 market standard one deviations above.the mean cost of care for that region. ren ' (b) Reimbursement to child care providers.shall not exceed the fee charged to private clients for the same service. 94 94 -Ch. 270 —22 — (c) 22 —(c) Reimbursement shall not be made for child care services when" E the local planni care is provided by parents, legal guardians, or members of the usage and deme assistance unit. of Education a (d) A child care provider located on an Indian reservation or forward this da rancheria and exempted from state licensing requirements shall Joint Legislativf meet applicable tribal standards. (b) By Janua (e) For purposes of this section, "reimbursement"means a direct present to the r, payment to the provider of child care services. However, to allow f of the cost of time for the development of the administrative systems necessary to described in sul issue direct payments to providers, for a period not to exceed six 8354. months from the effective date of this article,a county may reimburse 1 8359.1. (a) I the cost of child care services through a direct payment to a recipient article to provid( of aid rather than to the child care provider. annual Budget A (f)' Counties and alternative payment-_ programs shall not be t for all individu bound by the rate limits described in subdivision (a) when there are, participate. in tl in the region, no more than twochild care providers of the type work. needed by the recipient of child care services provided under this 1 (b) It is the article. development coi 8358. (a) By January 31, 1998, the State Department of section be allowe� Education and the State Department of Social Services shall design. (c) Funding f a form for license-exempt childcare providers to use,for certifying appropriated in t health and safety requirements to the extent required by federal law. SEC. 12. Secti Until the form is adopted, the information required pursuant to 8481. (a) .Sub Section 11324 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall continue to the purpose of tl be maintained.by the county welfare. department,or contractor, as Public Instructio: appropriate., f school-based scho( (b) By January 31, 1998, the State Department of Education and ` homework and t .the State Department of Social Services shall do all of the following: provide recreation (1) Design a standard process for complaints by parents about the welfare to work b provision of child care -that is exempt from licensure. potential employi (2) Design, in consultation with local planning councils;.a single children enrolled : application for all child care programs and allfamilies. (b) A before ar, (3) Present recommendations to the. Legislature on ways to or school district consolidate.state and federal child care programs. governmental agE (c) County welfare departments and alternative payment Education for fun( programs shall encourage all providers who,are licensed or who are program that re( exempt from licensure and who are providing care under Section participate in any 8151, 8153, or 8155, to secure training and education in basic child technology activitit development. (c) In'order to a (d) The State Department of Education.shall increase consumer providing parents` education and consumer awareness activities"so that parents will a safe environmev have the information needed to seek child care of high quality.High neighborhoods; a quality,child. care shall\include both licensed and, license-exempt collaborative effort care. collaboration with 8359. (a) County welfare departments and alternative payment districts, commu� programs shall provide to the State Department of Education or the community-based c State Department of Social Services, whichever is appropriate, and local agency that p: —23 — Ch. 270 the local planning council, on a quarterly basis, data about child care he usage and demand in each of the three stages.The State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services shall or. forward this data quarterly to the Department of Finance and the .all Joint Legislative Budget Committee for fiscal planning. (b) By January 10 of each year, the Department of Finance shall act present to the respective legislative budget committees an estimate DW of the cost of funding the expected demand for child care as ,to described in subdivision (a) of Section 8351 and Sections 8353 and six 8354. rse 8359.1. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this ant article to provide sufficient funding through an appropriation in the r,. annual Budget Act to fund the estimated cost of providing child care be for all individuals who are anticipated to need child care to 4 . tre, participate. in the welfare-to-work programs and to transition to ,pe work. 0 4. this (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that child .care and V . development contracts in existence on -the effective date of this of k` section be allowed to continue until the end of the 1997-98 fiscal year. i s (c) Funding for. purposes of implementing this article shall be in appropriated in the annual Budget Act. , g SEC. 12. Section 8481 is added to the.Education Code, to read: aw. to 8481. (a) .Subject to appropriation in the annual Budget Act, for. to the purpose of the program in this article; the Superintendent of ; as Public Instruction may allocate funds for the establishment of school-based schoolage before and after school programs that include and homework and tutoring assistance, improve literacy skills, and } Wig: provide recreational activities,as well as facilitate the transition from the welfare to work by.providing child care for schoolage children and potential 'employment for, welfare recipients who.are parents of e t lchildren enrolled in schoolage child care programs. g (b) A before and after school program, whether public, private, to or school district operated, in collaboration with other local governmental agencies, may apply to the State Department of r ent Education for funding under this article. A before and after school are , program that receives funding pursuant to this article. may pion Participate, in any other grant programs that fund literacy and. gild- . technology activities. (c) In order to achieve the goals of assisting children in learning, ner Providing parents with employment and parenting skills, providing Will a safe environment. for children, and helping prevent crime in [igh ` neighborhoods, a program funded under this 'article shall be a npt 7 collaborative effort with a school district, and may also include collaboration with any combination of the 'following: other school dent ' : districts, community college districts; counties; . cities, the community-based organizations, not-for.profit organizations, the and local agency that provides the Even Start Family and Head Start 94 94 '` s Ch. 270 literacy programs or their equivalent programs, and the, private sector. (2) (d) In selecting .programs for funding under this article, the childr 2 (coy department shall use the standards set forth in Section 8463 and all Welfa of the following criteria: either (1) Programs shall have demonstrated experience in implementing. ,quality before or after-school child development intent receiv programs. of Par (2) Programs shall demonstrate the inclusion of a strong literacy succe,� component. these 1 (3) Programs shall demonstrate a working collaboration with entities listed in subdivision (d) including Even Start Family and (3) Head Start literacy, program providers, to the extent that these with c. a trim n'+ programs exist in the service area. before (e)_ Notwithstanding Section 8468, in allocating funds pursuant to shall_ this article, preference shall be given to programs that currently i ) employ recipients of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part"3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to sub} �. ' ! or any successor.program,who are parents of children enrolled in the recipif of Ch applicant programs or that have a demonstrated commitment to Code,a providing employni opportunities for those recipients of aid; or memo both. requir, (f) Funding received by a before `and after school program (B) pursuant to this article may be renewed and is contingent upon the. article following: (1) Compliance with the requirement of. subdivision -.(d), the ratio rc criteria'set forth in subdivision e , and the priori set forth in (5) '1 subdivision (f). O P operat Y A favorable evaluation completed-by the State Department of be one EducationP ursuant to Section 8498.8 or an evaluation that meets the chi'ld re standards of the department. Seetior (3) Programs shall demonstrate that they are receiving locally generated resources from other than federal and state sources,which Institut i i 1 pl may include in-kind contributions. not 1beE (g) (1) A program established under this section may employ skills, a. parents of schoolage children who are participating in the program established pursuant to Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 11320) how" t I of Chapter 2 of Part'3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions speakir. i Code, or any successor program,>and may.employthose parents in Even St I the schools attended by their own' children. Parents employed j't I iprograr pursuant to this subdivision may also participate in training programs (�) at least six hours per week, in order to. help them understand child funding development,learn parenting skills,and,obtain skills for employment !1 ;; in either an educational or child care etting. Employment in the of the c program may fulfill a participant's employment.requirements under of the Article 32 (commencing with Section 11320) of Chapter-2 of Part 3 ' I of Division 9 of the Welfare:and Institutions Code: hrougl i !t 94 i -25 — Ch. 270 id the private (2) A program shall also be encouraged to hire older siblings of children in the program whose families receive .aid under Chapter ,-xis article, the 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the on 8463 and all Welfare and Institutions Code, or any successor program,.to work in either the program's literacy or recreation components. It is the :xperience in intent of this subdivision that hiring teenagers from families that I development receive aid under this Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,"or any strong literacy successor program; will provide an,additional source of income for . these families. �aboration with (3) All program participants shall be assessed before they work :art Family and with children to determine their skills and literacy development and tent that these a criminal background check on each participant shall be completed before that participant begins to work with children. Participants Inds pursuant to shall'be supervised by qualified staff. that currently (4) (A) Notwithstanding any other.provision of law, but.subject ing with Section to subparagraph (B), programs operating under this article that use stitutions Code, recipients of aid under Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 11320) n enrolled in the aY of Chapter 2*of Part 3 of.Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions commitment to Code, or any successor program, may count those recipients as staff l pients of aid; or members for purposes of determining'compliance with staffing ratio requirements. School. program (B) Teenage siblings used by programs operating under this ingent upon the article may not be included in computing compliance with staffing n ratio requirements. ivision (d), the (5) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, programs ties set forth in operating under this section may.extend their Hours .of operation f beyond 20 hours per week. Department of (h) A program established pursuant to this section shall assist the n that meets the children of recipients of aid under Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 11320) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division'9.of the Welfare and eceiving locally Institutions Code, or any successor.program; and other children to e sources,which complete homework, improve literacy skills, that shall include, but not be limited to, reading, writing, mathematical, and computer on may employ skills,and participate in recreational activities. in the program (i) Programs funded under this section.shall provide training on h Section 11320) how to `work with children'.on reading, writing, listening, and and Institutions f} speaking. This training shall be provided in collaboration with an those;parents in Even Start Family or Head Start literacy program,or their equivalent rents employed programs. aining programs (j) (1) Notwithstanding Sections 8468 and 8473, priority for inderstand child ::F funding shall be given to schoolsites where a minimum of 70 percent for employment of the children are-eligible for, or are recipients of, either aid under 3loyment in the Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3:of Division 9 zirements under of the Welfare and Institutions Code or.free or reduced-cost meals apter 2 of Part.3 through the school lunch,program: f 94 94 ?r - Ch. 270 —26— (2) 26—(2) Priority for enrollment in programs funded under this section shall be given in accordance with Section 8468.5. r .(k) Programs.funded under this section shall be encouraged to take advantage of free snack programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. J. (Z) It is the intent of this article, by providing a safe, supervised after-school environment for children, including those teens employed by a program; to reduce criminal activity among juveniles, and to strengthen parent-child relationships and communities by , "i involving parents in their children's schoolwork and schools. (m) Notwithstanding Section 8360.1 or any other provision of law, college courses in recreation, art, mathematics, and physical and ii social development that would enhance the education of schoolage children maybe considered to meet course requirements in child development. SEC. 13. Chapter 2.3 (commencing with Section 8499) is added I ' to Part 6 of the Education Code, to read: i;�•� i,� CHAPTER 2.3. LOCAL PLANNING COUN ILS j Article 1. Definitions li F, i 8499. For purposes of this chapter, the f owing definitions shall i -apply: (a). "Block grant" means the block ant contained in Title VI of the Child Care and Development und; as established by the Personal Responsibility and Work portunity Reconciliation Act of l ! 1996 (Public Law 104-193). (b) "Child care" means all b ensed child care and development { services and license-exempt ild care,including,but not limited to, private for-profit programs, onprofit programs,and publicly funded programs, for all childr up to and including 13 years of age, •j including children with ecial needs and children from all linguistic and cultural backgro ds. « �, (c) Childcare p eider means.a person who provides childcare. � II services or repres is persons who provide child care services.. Comm y representative means a person who represents an agency orb sine_ss that provides private funding for:child'care services, or ho advocates .for . child care services through participatio in civic or community-based organizations but is not a , i! i child care ovider and does not represent an agency that contracts i withthe ate Department of Education to provide child care and j I I develop ent services. I ) (e} onsumer" means a parent or person who receives, or who 1' has re eived within the past 36 months,child care services. ' "Department" means the.State Department of Education.' ( 1 i i I i, 94