S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7810
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 16, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. JEAN-PIERRE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
   ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Children and
   Families
 
 AN ACT to direct the office of children and family services to  examine,
   evaluate  and make recommendations on the availability of day care for
   children, and determine the unmet need of child  care  subsidies;  and
   providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The office of children and family services  shall  examine,
 evaluate and make recommendations concerning the availability of funding
 for day care for children in the state. Such office shall pay particular
 attention to the impact of the lack of necessary child day care upon the
 ability  of  working  families  to achieve self-sufficiency and a better
 standard of living.
   The office of children and family services shall direct its  attention
 to:
   (a)  establishing  an inventory of child day care for working families
 and those at or near poverty;
   (b) identifying child day care shortage areas on a regional basis  and
 providing projections of the future demand of the next five to ten years
 for  child  day  care  based on the regional birth rates, employment and
 population growth rates;
   (c) comparing on a statewide and regional basis, the demand for  child
 day  care  services  over  the  succeeding  five to ten years, including
 whether the projected growth rate in the child day care industry will be
 sufficient to meet such future needs;
   (d) offering recommendations to the department of labor and any  other
 relevant  agencies as to how the labor force can help meet the projected
 shortage;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07129-01-7
              

 A. 7810                             2
 
   (e) identifying policies that would encourage  the  establishment  and
 operation  of  more  child day care center providers, and increasing the
 capacity of existing child day care providers;
   (f)  assessing the cost to parents and guardians of day care for chil-
 dren on a regional basis, including the availability of government funds
 for parents and guardians toward child care costs;
   (g) identifying which  social  services  districts  have  insufficient
 funding  to serve all eligible families and determining whether they are
 receiving no new cases or restricting eligibility based upon set  income
 levels;
   (h) reviewing the number and percentage of eligible families receiving
 child  care  subsidies  in  this state, as compared to other states, and
 report on any policy approaches in use in other  states  that  could  be
 useful for consideration in this state;
   (i) identifying which social services districts maintain waiting lists
 for eligible families seeking child care subsidies;
   (j)  calculating the total sum of families statewide that are awaiting
 child care subsidies and the projected fiscal impact to the state if all
 eligible families are served;
   (k) comparing the income  levels  of  families  receiving  child  care
 subsidies  on a regional basis to determine what inequities exist across
 the state;
   (l) examining the use of child care funding by local  social  services
 districts  to  provide  transportation to child care and determining the
 unmet need for this service; and
   (m) identifying policies that would encourage and facilitate expansion
 of quality child day care services by neighbors and in communities where
 the working poor live and/or work; and identifying and quantifying those
 factors that contribute to establishing quality child day care in commu-
 nities with the greatest need.
   § 2. The office of children and family services may request and  shall
 receive  any  available information from state agencies that is relevant
 and material to the study required by section one of this act.
   § 3. Within twelve months of the  effective  date  of  this  act,  the
 commissioner  of  children and family services shall submit a report, to
 the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of  the
 assembly,  the  minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of
 the assembly, on the office's findings, conclusions and recommendations,
 and shall submit therewith such legislative proposals as the  office  of
 children  and  family  services  shall  deem  necessary to implement its
 recommendations. In addition, such office shall make such report  avail-
 able  to  the public and post it on the internet website operated by the
 office.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire  and  be
 deemed repealed one year after such date.