2021 -- S 0378 SUBSTITUTE A | |
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LC001976/SUB A/2 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES | |
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Introduced By: Senators Cano, DiMario, Valverde, Mack, McCaffrey, Coyne, Goodwin, | |
Date Introduced: February 25, 2021 | |
Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Section 40-6.2-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-6.2 entitled "Child |
2 | Care - State Subsidies" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 40-6.2-1.1. Rates established. |
4 | (a) Through June 30, 2015, subject to the payment limitations in subsection (c), the |
5 | maximum reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of human services and children, youth |
6 | and families for licensed childcare centers and licensed family childcare providers shall be based |
7 | on the following schedule of the 75th percentile of the 2002 weekly market rates adjusted for the |
8 | average of the 75th percentile of the 2002 and the 2004 weekly market rates: |
9 | LICENSED CHILDCARE CENTERS 75th PERCENTILE OF WEEKLY |
10 | MARKET RATE |
11 | INFANT $182.00 |
12 | PRESCHOOL $150.00 |
13 | SCHOOL-AGE $135.00 |
14 | LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE 75th PERCENTILE OF WEEKLY |
15 | PROVIDERS MARKET RATE |
16 | INFANT $150.00 |
17 | PRESCHOOL $150.00 |
18 | SCHOOL-AGE $135.00 |
19 | Effective July 1, 2015, subject to the payment limitations in subsection (c), the maximum |
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1 | reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of human services and children, youth and |
2 | families for licensed childcare centers and licensed family childcare providers shall be based on the |
3 | above schedule of the 75th percentile of the 2002 weekly market rates adjusted for the average of |
4 | the 75th percentile of the 2002 and the 2004 weekly market rates. These rates shall be increased by |
5 | ten dollars ($10.00) per week for infant/toddler care provided by licensed family childcare |
6 | providers and license-exempt providers and then the rates for all providers for all age groups shall |
7 | be increased by three percent (3%). For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, licensed childcare |
8 | centers shall be reimbursed a maximum weekly rate of one hundred ninety-three dollars and sixty- |
9 | four cents ($193.64) for infant/toddler care and one hundred sixty-one dollars and seventy-one |
10 | cents ($161.71) for preschool-age children. |
11 | (b) Effective July l, 2018, subject to the payment limitations in subsection (c), the |
12 | maximum infant/toddler and preschool-age reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of |
13 | human services and children, youth and families for licensed childcare centers shall be |
14 | implemented in a tiered manner, reflective of the quality rating the provider has achieved within |
15 | the state's quality rating system outlined in § 42-12-23.1. |
16 | (1) For infant/toddler child care, tier one shall be reimbursed two and one-half percent |
17 | (2.5%) above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier two shall be reimbursed five percent (5%) above |
18 | the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier three shall be reimbursed thirteen percent (13%) above the FY |
19 | 2018 weekly amount, tier four shall be reimbursed twenty percent (20%) above the FY 2018 weekly |
20 | amount, and tier five shall be reimbursed thirty-three percent (33%) above the FY 2018 weekly |
21 | amount. |
22 | (2) For preschool reimbursement rates, tier one shall be reimbursed two and one-half |
23 | (2.5%) percent above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier two shall be reimbursed five percent (5%) |
24 | above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier three shall be reimbursed ten percent (10%) above the FY |
25 | 2018 weekly amount, tier four shall be reimbursed thirteen percent (13%) above the FY 2018 |
26 | weekly amount, and tier five shall be reimbursed twenty-one percent (21%) above the FY 2018 |
27 | weekly amount. |
28 | (c) [Deleted by P.L. 2019, ch. 88, art. 13, § 4.] |
29 | (d) By June 30, 2004, and biennially through June 30, 2014, the department of labor and |
30 | training shall conduct an independent survey or certify an independent survey of the then-current |
31 | weekly market rates for child care in Rhode Island and shall forward the weekly market rate survey |
32 | to the department of human services. The next survey shall be conducted by June 30, 2016, and |
33 | triennially thereafter. The departments of human services and labor and training will jointly |
34 | determine the survey criteria including, but not limited to, rate categories and sub-categories. |
| LC001976/SUB A/2 - Page 2 of 4 |
1 | (e) In order to expand the accessibility and availability of quality child care, the department |
2 | of human services is authorized to establish, by regulation, alternative or incentive rates of |
3 | reimbursement for quality enhancements, innovative or specialized child care, and alternative |
4 | methodologies of childcare delivery, including nontraditional delivery systems and collaborations. |
5 | (f) Effective January 1, 2007, all childcare providers have the option to be paid every two |
6 | (2) weeks and have the option of automatic direct deposit and/or electronic funds transfer of |
7 | reimbursement payments. |
8 | (g) Effective July 1, 2019, the maximum infant/toddler reimbursement rates to be paid by |
9 | the departments of human services and children, youth and families for licensed family childcare |
10 | providers shall be implemented in a tiered manner, reflective of the quality rating the provider has |
11 | achieved within the state's quality rating system outlined in § 42-12-23.1. Tier one shall be |
12 | reimbursed two percent (2%) above the prevailing base rate for step 1 and step 2 providers, three |
13 | percent (3%) above prevailing base rate for step 3 providers, and four percent (4%) above the |
14 | prevailing base rate for step 4 providers; tier two shall be reimbursed five percent (5%) above the |
15 | prevailing base rate; tier three shall be reimbursed eleven percent (11%) above the prevailing base |
16 | rate; tier four shall be reimbursed fourteen percent (14%) above the prevailing base rate; and tier |
17 | five shall be reimbursed twenty-three percent (23%) above the prevailing base rate. |
18 | (h) Through December 31, 2021, the maximum reimbursement rates paid by the |
19 | departments of human services, and children, youth and families to licensed childcare centers shall |
20 | be consistent with the enhanced emergency rates provided as of June 1, 2021 as follows: |
21 | Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 5 |
22 | Infant/Toddler $257.54 $257.54 $257.54 $257.54 $273.00 |
23 | Pre-school Age $195.67 $195.67 $195.67 $195.67 $260.00 |
24 | School Age $200.00 $200.00 $200.00 $200.00 $245.00 |
25 | The maximum reimbursement rates paid by the departments of human services, and |
26 | children, youth and families to licensed family childcare providers shall be consistent with the |
27 | enhanced emergency rates provided as of June 1, 2021 as follows: |
28 | Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 5 |
29 | Infant/Toddler $224.43 $224.43 $224.43 $224.43 $224.43 |
30 | Pre-school Age $171.45 $171.45 $171.45 $171.45 $171.45 |
31 | School Age $162.30 $162.30 $162.30 $162.30 $162.30 |
32 | (i) Effective July 1, 2022, the maximum reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments |
33 | of human services and children, youth and families for licensed childcare centers shall be |
34 | implemented in a tiered manner, reflective of the quality rating the provider has achieved within |
| LC001976/SUB A/2 - Page 3 of 4 |
1 | the state's quality rating system outlined in § 42-12-23.1. Maximum weekly rates shall be |
2 | reimbursed as follows: |
3 | LICENSED CHILDCARE |
4 | CENTERS Tier One Tier Two Tier Three Tier Four Tier Five |
5 | Infant/Toddler $236.36 $244.88 $257.15 $268.74 $284.39 |
6 | Preschool $207.51 $212.27 $218.45 $223.50 $231.39 |
7 | School-Age $180.38 $182.77 $185.17 $187.57 $189.97 |
8 | The maximum reimbursement rates for licensed family childcare providers paid by the |
9 | departments of human services, and children, youth and families is determined through collective |
10 | bargaining. The maximum reimbursement rates for infant/toddler and preschool age children paid |
11 | to licensed family childcare providers by both departments is implemented in a tiered manner that |
12 | reflects the quality rating the provider has achieved in accordance with § 42-12-23.1. |
13 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC001976/SUB A/2 | |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES | |
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1 | This act would increase the rates paid to childcare providers by the departments of human |
2 | services and children, youth and families based on a tiered system to be consistent with the |
3 | enhanced emergency rates provided as of June 1, 2021. This act would also set the maximum |
4 | reimbursement rates for licensed family childcare providers paid by the departments as |
5 | implemented in a tiered manner that reflects the quality rating the provider has achieved, effective |
6 | July 1, 2022. |
7 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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LC001976/SUB A/2 | |
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