NY State Senate Bill 2009-S378

Senate Bill S378

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Authorizes the commissioner of the office of children and family services to study the implementation of a child daycare rating system

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 20, 2010	committee discharged and committed to children and families
Jan 06, 2010	referred to social services, children and families
Jan 16, 2009	referred to children and families
Jan 07, 2009	referred to social services, children and families

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2009-S378 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A515
Current Committee:: Senate Children And Families
Law Section:: Social Services

2009-S378 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes the commissioner of the office of children and family services to study the implementation of a child daycare rating system; requires such commissioner to deliver the results of the study, along with recommended legislation, to the governor, temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly.

2009-S378 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S378

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act authorizing the commissioner of the office of children and
family services to study the implementation of a child daycare rating
system


 PURPOSE :
To study the feasibility of implementing a statewide child daycare
rating scale.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 provides the legislative intent.
Section 2 directs the Commissioner of the Office of Children and
Family Services to prepare, or have prepared, a study on implementing
a child daycare rating scale in New York.
Section 3 provides that within twelve months of the implementation of
the act, the commissioner must report its findings to the Governor and
the Legislature.
Section 4 provides for immediate implementation.

 JUSTIFICATION :
With the significant increase in both the number of single parent
households and the number of households in which both parents work at
least part-time, the number of children in daycare has grown

significantly over the past few years. While the state has standards
that daycare providers must meet in order to become licensed, the
quality of the educational, recreational and social programming at
these centers is not readily available.  Currently there is a lack of
information available to parents about the quality of a daycare
facilities program, and no way to measure the different areas in which
each program excels. This was exactly the reason behind the
development of a pilot program between Cornell University and the New
York State Child Care Coordinating Council. Through the use of grants
from the US Administration for Children and Families and the US
Department of Agriculture, Cornell University and the NYSE Child Care
Coordinating Council launched the Child Care Programs of Excellence
pilot project, which provided a comprehensive rating of licensed Child
Care programs in 5 counties.  The counties in which the project was
conducted were Albany, Onondaga, Ontario, Rensselaer, and Yates.
Through this project, the facilities which chose to take part in the
program Were evaluated by specially trained Master Evaluators, and
were given rankings between 2 and 5 stars based on meeting specific
criteria in the areas of teacher education and experience, history of
health and safety standards, and the quality of the
educational/recreational program itself. The initial feedback that was
received from parents and provides was very positive. Besides letting
the parents and the provider know about the quality of the services
being given, it informs the provider of areas which need to be
strengthened and developed. Because a child's thinking, learning,
vocabulary, and social skills are at their most critical stage during
the years from birth to age five, it is imperative that we do all that
is possible to ensure that our children receive the best quality
services at that age. It is important that we not only make sure that
parents have as much information as possible about the programs
available to them, but that we support the daycare programs in
highlighting their accomplishments and providing them with incentives
to continue to improve the quality of their programs.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2007/2008 - S.719 Remained in the Senate Committee on Social Services,
Children and Families
2005/2006 - S.231 Remained in the Senate Committee on Social Services,
Children and Families

2003/2004 - S.5962 Remained in the Senate Committee on Children and
Families

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.

2009-S378 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   378

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  BRESLIN,  ADAMS, DUANE, KRUEGER, ONORATO, PARKER,
  SAMPSON, SAVINO, SCHNEIDERMAN,  SMITH,  STAVISKY  --  read  twice  and
  ordered  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
  Social Services, Children and Families

AN ACT authorizing the commissioner of the office of children and family
  services to study the implementation of a child daycare rating system

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative findings and purpose. The legislature finds and
declares  that  with  the increase in the number of single parent house-
holds and the growing number of households in which both parents work at
least part-time, the number of children in daycare  programs  has  grown
significantly.  While  parents  can  be  assured  that  a state licensed
program has met minimal health, safety,  and  educational  requirements,
that  does  not insure that the program will necessarily meet all of the
educational needs of each child.   Currently  there  are  few  ways  for
parents  to  evaluate  the quality of the programs available to them and
their children.  There are a number of states in the United States which
currently have daycare center rating programs, which  provide  a  rating
scale  based  on specific criteria. The ratings that each daycare center
receives are posted on web sites, and available to parents to help guide
them in choosing the daycare center which is most appropriate for  their
children's  needs. We feel that because the years from birth to age five
are the most critical years  for  a  child's  establishment  of  healthy
thinking  and  learning  skills, social development and both interest in
and interaction with the world around them, it is in  the  state's  best
interests,  and  society  as  a  whole,  to provide parents with as much
information as possible about the quality of daycare programs  available
to their children.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01193-01-9

S. 378                              2

  S 2. The commissioner of the office of children and family services is
hereby  authorized  and directed to prepare or have prepared, a study on
implementing a child daycare rating system throughout  New  York  state.
Such  study shall include, but not be limited to: (a) the type of rating
scales  used  in  other states and which one would be the most effective
for use in New York state; (b) the method in which the program would  be
administered;  (c)  how  such  information  would  be  made available to
parents and the general public; and (d) the cost  of  operating  such  a
program.
  S  3. The findings and results of the study shall be delivered, in the
form of a report, to  the  governor,  the  temporary  president  of  the
senate,  and  the speaker of the assembly within 12 months of the effec-
tive date of this act. The report shall also include recommended  legis-
lation  that will assist in the timely implementation of a child daycare
rating system.
  S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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