Read 1st time February 21, 2000, and 1000 copies ordered printed.
ANNE C. WALKER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapter 191, RSMo, relating to health and welfare by adding thereto one new section relating to the same subject.
Section A. Chapter 191, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 191.925, to read as follows:
191.925. The department of health shall support the establishment of the statewide "Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network". A sufficient number of child care resource and referral agencies shall be established to ensure that all counties are served, but no more than one such agency shall be established for each county or city not within a county. A child care resource and referral agency shall provide the following services:
(1) Identification of existing child care and early childhood education services and the development of a resource file of such services. Such services may include family child care, public and private child care programs, head start, prekindergarten early intervention programs, special education programs for prekindergarten children, services for children with developmental disabilities, full-time and part-time programs, before-school and after-school programs, vacation care programs, parent education and related family support services. The resource file shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) The type of programs available;
(b) The hours of service for programs;
(c) The ages of children served;
(d) The number of children served;
(e) Any significant program information;
(f) Any fees and eligibility requirements for services;
(2) The establishment of a referral process that responds to parental need for information and is provided with full recognition of the confidentiality rights of parents. Resource and referral programs shall make referrals to licensed and license-exempt child care facilities. Referrals shall be made to an unlicensed child care facility only if the facility is legally exempt from licensure and meets the listing standards of the child care resource and referral network;
(3) Maintenance of ongoing documentation of requests for services tabulated through the internal referral process. The following documentation of requests for services shall be maintained by all child care resource and referral agencies:
(a) The number of calls and contacts to the child care information and referral agency component by type of service requested;
(b) The ages of children for whom service was requested;
(c) The time category of child care requests for each child;
(d) Any special time categories, such as nights, weekends and swing shift;
(e) The reasons why the child care is needed;
(4) The provision of technical assistance to parents and existing and potential providers of child care services. Such assistance may include:
(a) Information on initiating new child care services, zoning and program and budget development and assistance in finding such information from other sources;
(b) Information and resources that assist existing child care services providers in maximizing their ability to serve children and parents in their communities;
(c) Consumer education information to parents and families on evaluating and choosing child care services;
(d) Information and resources to parents and families seeking care for a child with special needs and training, and technical assistance to child care providers on including children with special needs in their programs;
(5) Assistance to families in applying for various sources of subsidy, including, but not limited to, subsidized child care, head start, prekindergarten early intervention programs, private scholarships and the federal dependent care tax credit;
(6) Assistance to state agencies in determining the market rate for child care and identifying any unmet need for child care services;
(7) Information and assistance to local interagency councils coordinating services for children with special
needs.
Missouri House of
Representatives