PRINTER'S NO. 1319
No. 1138 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BROWNE, DALLY, MUNDY, ALLEN, M. BAKER, BARD,
BELARDI, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CAWLEY, CIVERA,
L. I. COHEN, CORRIGAN, COSTA, CRUZ, CURRY, DALEY, DeLUCA,
DeWEESE, FAIRCHILD, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GORDNER, GRUCELA,
GRUITZA, HARHAI, HARHART, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HORSEY, JAMES,
JOSEPHS, KENNEY, LAUGHLIN, LEVDANSKY, MAHER, MANDERINO, MANN,
McCALL, McNAUGHTON, MELIO, NAILOR, NICKOL, ORIE, PETRARCA,
PIPPY, READSHAW, ROBINSON, ROEBUCK, ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO,
SAMUELSON, SCRIMENTI, SEMMEL, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY,
STERN, STURLA, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TRELLO, TRICH, WALKO,
WATSON, WOJNAROSKI, YUDICHAK AND SURRA, MARCH 22, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MARCH 22, 2001
AN ACT
1 Providing for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program;
2 imposing additional powers and duties on the Department of
3 Public Welfare and Head Start providers; and making an
4 appropriation.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Head Start
9 Supplemental Assistance Act.
10 Section 2. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the
1 Commonwealth.
2 "Extended day services." Full-day Head Start and child-care
3 services provided for a full year to children eligible for Head
4 Start by a Head Start provider or through a collaborative
5 agreement between a Head Start provider and a licensed child-
6 care center, or a registered family or group day-care home.
7 "Head Start." A program funded under the Federal Head Start
8 Act established by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981
9 (Public Law 97-35, 95 Stat. 357) and carried out by a Head Start
10 agency or delegate agency that provides ongoing comprehensive
11 child development services.
12 "Program." The Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
13 established in section 3.
14 Section 3. Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.
15 (a) Establishment.--The Head Start Supplemental Assistance
16 Program is hereby established.
17 (b) Administration.--The department shall administer the
18 program. Such administration shall be consistent with Federal
19 Head Start guidelines and shall provide supplemental financial
20 assistance to existing providers of Federal Head Start services.
21 (c) Coordination.--The department, to every extent possible,
22 shall coordinate the administration of the program with the
23 Department of Education and the Department of Health. The
24 purpose of this coordination shall be to:
25 (1) Identify educational, child-care or other services
26 under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education and the
27 Department of Health that can augment or improve the services
28 available through Head Start or Head Start Extended Day
29 Services.
30 (2) Provide technical assistance to Head Start providers
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1 establishing child-care services in order to offer extended
2 day services.
3 (3) Provide technical assistance to Head Start
4 providers, licensed child-care centers or registered family
5 or group day-care homes entering into collaborative
6 agreements in order to offer extended day services.
7 (d) Criteria for funding.--To implement the program, the
8 department shall request proposals from existing Head Start
9 providers and may award grants or enter into service contracts
10 with existing Head Start providers that meet all of the
11 following criteria:
12 (1) Demonstrate the need for additional Head Start
13 services in the provider's service area, whether the need is
14 determined by the percentage of eligible children who are not
15 served in the provider's service area or by the demand for
16 extended day services.
17 (2) Demonstrate the ability to expand staff, space and
18 services within the Head Start program or in cooperation with
19 licensed child-care centers or registered family or group
20 day-care homes to serve additional children or to provide
21 extended day services.
22 (3) Demonstrate the ability to comply with Federal and
23 State requirements for child-care service providers if the
24 Head Start provider intends to provide extended day services.
25 (4) Demonstrate the ability to enter into a
26 collaborative agreement with a child-care service provider if
27 the Head Start provider intends to enter into a collaborative
28 agreement with a licensed child-care center or a registered
29 family or group day-care home to offer extended day services.
30 Section 4. Priority in funding.
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1 The department shall give priority in funding to Head Start
2 providers applying for grants to provide extended day services.
3 Section 5. Annual report.
4 The department shall compile an annual report on the program
5 for submission to the Governor, the chairmen of the
6 Appropriations Committee, the Education Committee and the Public
7 Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate and the chairmen of
8 the Appropriations Committee, the Education Committee and the
9 Health and Human Services Committee of the House of
10 Representatives. The report shall include:
11 (1) The number of eligible children served by Head Start
12 as of the effective date of this act.
13 (2) The number of eligible children served by the
14 program during the school year that begins one year after the
15 effective date of this act and each year thereafter.
16 (3) The number of extended day programs and the number
17 of eligible children enrolled in extended day programs as of
18 the effective date of this act.
19 (4) The number of extended day programs and the number
20 of eligible children enrolled in extended day programs during
21 the school year that begins one year after the effective date
22 of this act and each year thereafter.
23 (5) A summary of the types of activities funded under
24 the program.
25 Section 6. Appropriation.
26 The sum of $15,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
27 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Public
28 Welfare for the fiscal year July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002, to
29 carry out the provisions of this act.
30 Section 7. Effective date.
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1 This act shall take effect immediately.
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