2022 -- S 2681 | |
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LC004959 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- RHODE ISLAND CHILDCARE IS ESSENTIAL ACT | |
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Introduced By: Senators Cano, Goodwin, DiMario, Gallo, Zurier, Pearson, Acosta, | |
Date Introduced: March 15, 2022 | |
Referred To: Senate Education | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Title 40 of the General Laws entitled "HUMAN SERVICES" is hereby |
2 | amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
3 | CHAPTER 6.7 |
4 | RHODE ISLAND CHILDCARE IS ESSENTIAL ACT |
5 | 40-6.7-1. Legislative findings. |
6 | The general assembly finds that: |
7 | (1) Access to affordable, high-quality childcare is essential to support labor force |
8 | participation of parents with children from infancy through age twelve (12) years and to maximize |
9 | the economic productivity of the state. |
10 | (2) Access to affordable, high-quality childcare is essential for all parents to achieve |
11 | economic security and independence, particularly for mothers who often have lower lifetime |
12 | earnings because they earn lower wages, work reduced hours, and take longer breaks from work in |
13 | order to care for children. |
14 | (3) High-quality childcare programs, staffed by qualified and effective educators, are |
15 | essential for children to promote healthy development and optimize learning during early childhood |
16 | and school-age years. |
17 | (4) A landmark 2015 report by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council |
18 | found that children begin learning at birth and the adults that provide for the care and education of |
19 | children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning -- setting the critical |
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1 | foundation for lifelong progress. The report recommends that states work to increase the |
2 | qualifications and compensation of childcare educators, including those who care for infants and |
3 | toddlers. |
4 | (5) Childcare educators are among the lowest paid workers in Rhode Island. In 2020, the |
5 | median wage of a childcare educator in Rhode Island was twelve dollars and eleven cents ($12.11) |
6 | per hour. As the state minimum wage increases, childcare programs will need additional revenue |
7 | to comply with the minimum wage rules and to attract and retain qualified and effective educators. |
8 | (6) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides significant funding to |
9 | Rhode Island through the Childcare and Development Block Grant and has established clear |
10 | guidelines for setting rates that provide low-income families with "equal access" to the childcare |
11 | market as required under federal law. The "equal access" guideline is to pay rates equal to or above |
12 | the seventy-fifth percentile of a recent market rate survey. |
13 | (7) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has also established a clear |
14 | guideline for determining whether childcare is affordable. Currently, the federal guideline for |
15 | affordability is that families should pay no more than seven percent (7%) of family income for |
16 | childcare. Using that guideline, almost all families with young children in the State of Rhode Island |
17 | need a subsidy to afford the cost of high-quality childcare staffed by qualified, effective, and fairly- |
18 | compensated educators. |
19 | 40-6.7-2. Childcare assistance -- Families or assistance units eligible. |
20 | (a) The department of human services shall provide appropriate childcare to every |
21 | participant who is eligible for cash assistance and who requires childcare in order to meet the work |
22 | requirements in accordance with this chapter. |
23 | (b) Low-income childcare. The department shall provide childcare to all other families with |
24 | incomes at or below two hundred sixty-six percent (266%) of the federal poverty level if, and to |
25 | the extent, these other families require childcare in order to work at paid employment and/or to |
26 | participate in training, apprenticeship, internship, on-the-job training, work experience, work |
27 | immersion, or other job-readiness/job- attachment programs sponsored or funded by the human |
28 | resource investment council (governor's workforce board) or state agencies that are part of the |
29 | coordinated program system pursuant to § 42-102-11. Effective January 1, 2023, the department |
30 | shall also provide childcare assistance to families with incomes below two hundred sixty-six |
31 | percent (266%) of the federal poverty level when such assistance is necessary for a member of |
32 | these families to enroll or maintain enrollment in a Rhode Island public institution of higher |
33 | education. |
34 | (c) No family/assistance unit shall be eligible for childcare assistance under this chapter if |
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1 | the combined value of its liquid resources exceeds one million dollars ($1,000,000), which |
2 | corresponds to the amount permitted by the federal government under the state plan and set forth |
3 | in the administrative rulemaking process by the department. Liquid resources are defined as any |
4 | interest(s) in property in the form of cash or other financial instruments or accounts that are readily |
5 | convertible to cash or cash equivalents. These resources include, but are not limited to: cash, bank, |
6 | credit union, or other financial institution savings, checking, and money market accounts; |
7 | certificates of deposit or other time deposits; stocks; bonds; mutual funds; and other similar |
8 | financial instruments or accounts. These resources do not include educational savings accounts, |
9 | plans, or programs; retirement accounts, plans, or programs; or accounts held jointly with another |
10 | adult, not including a spouse. The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to |
11 | determine the ownership and source of the funds in the joint account. |
12 | (d) For purposes of this section, "appropriate childcare" means childcare, including infant, |
13 | toddler, preschool, nursery school, and school age, that is provided by a person or organization |
14 | qualified, approved, and authorized to provide the care by the state agency or agencies designated |
15 | to make the determinations in accordance with the provisions set forth in this section. |
16 | (e)(1) Families with incomes at or below one hundred percent (100%) of the applicable |
17 | federal poverty level guidelines shall be provided with free childcare. Families with incomes |
18 | greater than one hundred percent (100%) of the applicable federal poverty guideline shall be |
19 | required to pay for some portion of the childcare they receive, according to a sliding-fee scale |
20 | adopted by the department in the department's rules, not to exceed seven percent (7%) of income. |
21 | Income is defined in subsection (g) of this section. |
22 | (2) Families who are receiving childcare shall continue to be eligible for childcare |
23 | assistance until their incomes exceed four hundred percent (400%) of the applicable federal poverty |
24 | guidelines. To be eligible, the families must continue to pay for some portion of the childcare they |
25 | receive, as indicated in a sliding-fee scale adopted in the department's rules, not to exceed seven |
26 | percent (7%) of income. Income is defined in subsection (g) of this section. |
27 | (f) In determining the type of childcare to be provided to a family, the department shall |
28 | take into account the cost of available childcare options; the suitability of the type of care available |
29 | for the child; and the parent's preference as to the type of childcare. |
30 | (g) For purposes of this section, "income" for families receiving cash assistance under § |
31 | 40-5.2-11 means gross, earned income and unearned income, subject to the income exclusions in |
32 | §§ 40-5.2-10(g)(2) and 40-5.2-10(g)(3). Income for families applying for or receiving low-income |
33 | childcare shall mean gross earned income minus a twenty percent (20%) disregard applied to the |
34 | earnings of each adult family member. Earnings of a child under age eighteen (18) years shall not |
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1 | be counted. Income shall also include unearned income subject to exclusions as determined by |
2 | departmental regulations. |
3 | (h) The caseload estimating conference established by chapter 17 of title 35 shall forecast |
4 | the expenditures for childcare in accordance with the provisions of § 35-17-1. |
5 | (i) In determining eligibility for childcare assistance for children of members of reserve |
6 | components called to active duty during a time of conflict, the department shall freeze the family |
7 | composition and the family income of the reserve component member as it was in the month prior |
8 | to the month of leaving for active duty. This freeze shall continue until the individual is officially |
9 | discharged from active duty. |
10 | (j) In anticipation of significant new federal resources to help more families access |
11 | affordable, reliable, high-quality childcare, the governor and state agencies are hereby authorized |
12 | to accept new federal childcare funding and use funds to expand eligibility and reduce or eliminate |
13 | family copayments for the childcare assistance program. |
14 | 40-6.7-3. Childcare assistance -- Rates established. |
15 | (a) Effective July 1, 2022, the reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of human |
16 | services and children, youth and families for licensed childcare centers shall be updated to reflect |
17 | findings from the 2021 Rhode Island childcare market rate survey and shall be implemented in a |
18 | tiered manner, reflective of the quality rating the provider has achieved within the state's quality |
19 | rating system outlined in § 42-12-23.1. All rates shall meet or exceed the federal equal access |
20 | benchmark (seventy-fifth percentile from the 2021 Rhode Island childcare market rate survey) and |
21 | programs that have achieved a high-quality rating shall be paid rates at or above the ninetieth |
22 | percentile of the 2021 Rhode Island childcare market rate survey. Weekly rates shall be reimbursed |
23 | as follows: |
24 | LICENSED CHILDCARE CENTERS |
25 | Tier One Tier Two Tier Three Tier Four Tier Five |
26 | Infant/Toddler $281 $294 $308 $322 $335 |
27 | Preschool $250 $257 $265 $273 $280 |
28 | School-Age $238 $241 $244 $247 $250 |
29 | LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS |
30 | Tier One Tier Two Tier Three Tier Four Tier Five |
31 | Infant/Toddler $250 $254 $257 $260 $263 |
32 | Preschool $239 $241 $244 $247 $250 |
33 | School-Age $200 $212 $225 $238 $251 |
34 | (b) Annually, on or before July 1 of each year beginning July 1, 2022, the departments of |
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1 | human services and children, youth and families shall ensure rates are at or above the federal equal |
2 | access standard for childcare and shall increase weekly childcare reimbursement rates to reflect |
3 | increases in program operating costs, based on the Consumer Price Index calculated by the U.S. |
4 | Bureau of Labor Statistics. |
5 | (c) As required under the 2014 federal Childcare and Development Block Grant Act, the |
6 | departments of human services and children, youth and families shall review and update the state’s |
7 | childcare assistance program payment practices to match generally accepted payment practices for |
8 | childcare programs in the private market, such as payment of tuition before services are delivered, |
9 | payment based on enrollment, payment of registration and intake fees, and payment rates for part- |
10 | time and extended-time care options that take into account the higher hourly cost to serve children |
11 | on part-time schedules or extended-time schedules. New payment practices shall be established in |
12 | state regulation and be implemented on or before December 1, 2022. |
13 | (d) In anticipation of significant new federal resources to help more families access |
14 | affordable, reliable, high-quality childcare, the governor and state agencies are hereby authorized |
15 | to accept new federal childcare funding and use funds to increase rates and improve payment |
16 | practices for the childcare assistance program. |
17 | 40-6.7-4. Childcare and pre-k planning and expansion. |
18 | (a) As outlined under the Rhode Island pre-kindergarten act of 2008, chapter 87 of title 16, |
19 | the department of elementary and secondary education has established a high quality, pre- |
20 | kindergarten program that meets high-quality standards and builds on the existing early childhood |
21 | education infrastructure in the state (including childcare, Head Start, and public schools). |
22 | (b) In anticipation of significant new federal resources to fund high-quality preschool for |
23 | all children ages three (3) and four (4) years in the state, the governor is hereby authorized to apply |
24 | for new federal pre-k funding as it becomes available. The department of human services shall |
25 | work together with the department of elementary and secondary education to develop a plan to |
26 | strengthen childcare programs statewide in order that they can successfully compete for available |
27 | pre-k expansion funds and they can successfully deliver high-quality pre-k for three (3) and four |
28 | (4) year olds within community-based childcare settings that serve children from birth through age |
29 | five (5) years. |
30 | (c) This plan shall include: |
31 | (1) Strategies and resources to maintain and expand access to high-quality childcare and |
32 | early learning programs for children under age three (3) years statewide, including enhanced |
33 | childcare assistance program rates for children under age three (3) years, contracts with high- |
34 | quality infant and toddler childcare programs, partnerships with Early Head Start programs to |
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1 | deliver high-quality infant and toddler care, and wage supplements to recruit and retain skilled |
2 | infant and toddler educators in childcare programs. |
3 | (2) Development of staffed family childcare networks and other strategies that help family |
4 | childcare providers compete for available pre-k expansion funds and successfully deliver high- |
5 | quality pre-k for three (3) and four (4) year olds. |
6 | SECTION 2. Section 40-5.2-20 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-5.2 entitled "The Rhode |
7 | Island Works Program" is hereby repealed. |
8 | 40-5.2-20. Childcare assistance -- Families or assistance units eligible. |
9 | (a) The department shall provide appropriate childcare to every participant who is eligible |
10 | for cash assistance and who requires childcare in order to meet the work requirements in accordance |
11 | with this chapter. |
12 | (b) Low-income childcare. The department shall provide childcare to all other working |
13 | families with incomes at or below one hundred eighty percent (180%) of the federal poverty level |
14 | if, and to the extent, these other families require childcare in order to work at paid employment as |
15 | defined in the department's rules and regulations. Beginning October 1, 2013, the department shall |
16 | also provide childcare to families with incomes below one hundred eighty percent (180%) of the |
17 | federal poverty level if, and to the extent, these families require childcare to participate on a short- |
18 | term basis, as defined in the department's rules and regulations, in training, apprenticeship, |
19 | internship, on-the-job training, work experience, work immersion, or other job-readiness/job- |
20 | attachment program sponsored or funded by the human resource investment council (governor's |
21 | workforce board) or state agencies that are part of the coordinated program system pursuant to § |
22 | 42-102-11. Effective from January 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, the department shall also |
23 | provide childcare assistance to families with incomes below one hundred eighty percent (180%) of |
24 | the federal poverty level when such assistance is necessary for a member of these families to enroll |
25 | or maintain enrollment in a Rhode Island public institution of higher education provided that |
26 | eligibility to receive funding is capped when expenditures reach $200,000 for this provision. |
27 | (c) No family/assistance unit shall be eligible for childcare assistance under this chapter if |
28 | the combined value of its liquid resources exceeds one million dollars ($1,000,000), which |
29 | corresponds to the amount permitted by the federal government under the state plan and set forth |
30 | in the administrative rulemaking process by the department. Liquid resources are defined as any |
31 | interest(s) in property in the form of cash or other financial instruments or accounts that are readily |
32 | convertible to cash or cash equivalents. These include, but are not limited to: cash, bank, credit |
33 | union, or other financial institution savings, checking, and money market accounts; certificates of |
34 | deposit or other time deposits; stocks; bonds; mutual funds; and other similar financial instruments |
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1 | or accounts. These do not include educational savings accounts, plans, or programs; retirement |
2 | accounts, plans, or programs; or accounts held jointly with another adult, not including a spouse. |
3 | The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to determine the ownership and |
4 | source of the funds in the joint account. |
5 | (d) As a condition of eligibility for childcare assistance under this chapter, the parent or |
6 | caretaker relative of the family must consent to, and must cooperate with, the department in |
7 | establishing paternity, and in establishing and/or enforcing child support and medical support |
8 | orders for any children in the family receiving appropriate childcare under this section in |
9 | accordance with the applicable sections of title 15, as amended, unless the parent or caretaker |
10 | relative is found to have good cause for refusing to comply with the requirements of this subsection. |
11 | (e) For purposes of this section, "appropriate childcare" means childcare, including infant, |
12 | toddler, preschool, nursery school, and school-age, that is provided by a person or organization |
13 | qualified, approved, and authorized to provide the care by the state agency or agencies designated |
14 | to make the determinations in accordance with the provisions set forth herein. |
15 | (f)(1) Families with incomes below one hundred percent (100%) of the applicable federal |
16 | poverty level guidelines shall be provided with free childcare. Families with incomes greater than |
17 | one hundred percent (100%) and less than one hundred eighty percent (180%) of the applicable |
18 | federal poverty guideline shall be required to pay for some portion of the childcare they receive, |
19 | according to a sliding-fee scale adopted by the department in the department's rules, not to exceed |
20 | seven percent (7%) of income as defined in subsection (h) of this section. |
21 | (2) Families who are receiving childcare assistance and who become ineligible for |
22 | childcare assistance as a result of their incomes exceeding one hundred eighty percent (180%) of |
23 | the applicable federal poverty guidelines shall continue to be eligible for childcare assistance until |
24 | their incomes exceed two hundred twenty-five percent (225%) of the applicable federal poverty |
25 | guidelines. To be eligible, the families must continue to pay for some portion of the childcare they |
26 | receive, as indicated in a sliding-fee scale adopted in the department's rules, not to exceed seven |
27 | percent (7%) of income as defined in subsection (h) of this section, and in accordance with all other |
28 | eligibility standards. |
29 | (g) In determining the type of childcare to be provided to a family, the department shall |
30 | take into account the cost of available childcare options; the suitability of the type of care available |
31 | for the child; and the parent's preference as to the type of childcare. |
32 | (h) For purposes of this section, "income" for families receiving cash assistance under § |
33 | 40-5.2-11 means gross, earned income and unearned income, subject to the income exclusions in |
34 | §§ 40-5.2-10(g)(2) and 40-5.2-10(g)(3), and income for other families shall mean gross, earned and |
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1 | unearned income as determined by departmental regulations. |
2 | (i) The caseload estimating conference established by chapter 17 of title 35 shall forecast |
3 | the expenditures for childcare in accordance with the provisions of § 35-17-1. |
4 | (j) In determining eligibility for childcare assistance for children of members of reserve |
5 | components called to active duty during a time of conflict, the department shall freeze the family |
6 | composition and the family income of the reserve component member as it was in the month prior |
7 | to the month of leaving for active duty. This shall continue until the individual is officially |
8 | discharged from active duty. |
9 | SECTION 3. Section 40-6.2-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-6.2 entitled "Childcare |
10 | - State Subsidies" is hereby repealed. |
11 | 40-6.2-1.1. Rates established. |
12 | (a) Through June 30, 2015, subject to the payment limitations in subsection (c), the |
13 | maximum reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of human services and children, youth |
14 | and families for licensed childcare centers and licensed family childcare providers shall be based |
15 | on the following schedule of the 75th percentile of the 2002 weekly market rates adjusted for the |
16 | average of the 75th percentile of the 2002 and the 2004 weekly market rates: |
17 | LICENSED CHILDCARE CENTERS 75th PERCENTILE OF WEEKLY |
18 | MARKET RATE |
19 | INFANT $182.00 |
20 | PRESCHOOL $150.00 |
21 | SCHOOL-AGE $135.00 |
22 | LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE 75th PERCENTILE OF WEEKLY |
23 | PROVIDERS MARKET RATE |
24 | INFANT $150.00 |
25 | PRESCHOOL $150.00 |
26 | SCHOOL-AGE $135.00 |
27 | Effective July 1, 2015, subject to the payment limitations in subsection (c), the maximum |
28 | reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of human services and children, youth and |
29 | families for licensed childcare centers and licensed family childcare providers shall be based on the |
30 | above schedule of the 75th percentile of the 2002 weekly market rates adjusted for the average of |
31 | the 75th percentile of the 2002 and the 2004 weekly market rates. These rates shall be increased by |
32 | ten dollars ($10.00) per week for infant/toddler care provided by licensed family childcare |
33 | providers and license-exempt providers and then the rates for all providers for all age groups shall |
34 | be increased by three percent (3%). For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, licensed childcare |
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1 | centers shall be reimbursed a maximum weekly rate of one hundred ninety-three dollars and sixty- |
2 | four cents ($193.64) for infant/toddler care and one hundred sixty-one dollars and seventy-one |
3 | cents ($161.71) for preschool-age children. |
4 | (b) Effective July l, 2018, subject to the payment limitations in subsection (c), the |
5 | maximum infant/toddler and preschool-age reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of |
6 | human services and children, youth and families for licensed childcare centers shall be |
7 | implemented in a tiered manner, reflective of the quality rating the provider has achieved within |
8 | the state's quality rating system outlined in § 42-12-23.1. |
9 | (1) For infant/toddler childcare, tier one shall be reimbursed two and one-half percent |
10 | (2.5%) above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier two shall be reimbursed five percent (5%) above |
11 | the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier three shall be reimbursed thirteen percent (13%) above the FY |
12 | 2018 weekly amount, tier four shall be reimbursed twenty percent (20%) above the FY 2018 weekly |
13 | amount, and tier five shall be reimbursed thirty-three percent (33%) above the FY 2018 weekly |
14 | amount. |
15 | (2) For preschool reimbursement rates, tier one shall be reimbursed two and one-half |
16 | (2.5%) percent above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier two shall be reimbursed five percent (5%) |
17 | above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier three shall be reimbursed ten percent (10%) above the FY |
18 | 2018 weekly amount, tier four shall be reimbursed thirteen percent (13%) above the FY 2018 |
19 | weekly amount, and tier five shall be reimbursed twenty-one percent (21%) above the FY 2018 |
20 | weekly amount. |
21 | (c) [Deleted by P.L. 2019, ch. 88, art. 13, § 4.] |
22 | (d) By June 30, 2004, and biennially through June 30, 2014, the department of labor and |
23 | training shall conduct an independent survey or certify an independent survey of the then-current |
24 | weekly market rates for childcare in Rhode Island and shall forward the weekly market rate survey |
25 | to the department of human services. The next survey shall be conducted by June 30, 2016, and |
26 | triennially thereafter. The departments of human services and labor and training will jointly |
27 | determine the survey criteria including, but not limited to, rate categories and sub-categories. |
28 | (e) In order to expand the accessibility and availability of quality childcare, the department |
29 | of human services is authorized to establish, by regulation, alternative or incentive rates of |
30 | reimbursement for quality enhancements, innovative or specialized childcare, and alternative |
31 | methodologies of childcare delivery, including nontraditional delivery systems and collaborations. |
32 | (f) Effective January 1, 2007, all childcare providers have the option to be paid every two |
33 | (2) weeks and have the option of automatic direct deposit and/or electronic funds transfer of |
34 | reimbursement payments. |
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1 | (g) Effective July 1, 2019, the maximum infant/toddler reimbursement rates to be paid by |
2 | the departments of human services and children, youth and families for licensed family childcare |
3 | providers shall be implemented in a tiered manner, reflective of the quality rating the provider has |
4 | achieved within the state's quality rating system outlined in § 42-12-23.1. Tier one shall be |
5 | reimbursed two percent (2%) above the prevailing base rate for step 1 and step 2 providers, three |
6 | percent (3%) above prevailing base rate for step 3 providers, and four percent (4%) above the |
7 | prevailing base rate for step 4 providers; tier two shall be reimbursed five percent (5%) above the |
8 | prevailing base rate; tier three shall be reimbursed eleven percent (11%) above the prevailing base |
9 | rate; tier four shall be reimbursed fourteen percent (14%) above the prevailing base rate; and tier |
10 | five shall be reimbursed twenty-three percent (23%) above the prevailing base rate. |
11 | (h) Through December 31, 2021, the maximum reimbursement rates paid by the |
12 | departments of human services, and children, youth and families to licensed childcare centers shall |
13 | be consistent with the enhanced emergency rates provided as of June 1, 2021, as follows: |
14 | Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 5 |
15 | Infant/Toddler $257.54 $257.54 $257.54 $257.54 $273.00 |
16 | Preschool Age $195.67 $195.67 $195.67 $195.67 $260.00 |
17 | School Age $200.00 $200.00 $200.00 $200.00 $245.00 |
18 | The maximum reimbursement rates paid by the departments of human services, and |
19 | children, youth and families to licensed family childcare providers shall be consistent with the |
20 | 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 $224.43 $224.43 $224.43 $224.43 $224.43 |
23 | Preschool Age $171.45 $171.45 $171.45 $171.45 $171.45 |
24 | School Age $162.30 $162.30 $162.30 $162.30 $162.30 |
25 | (i) Effective January 1, 2022, the maximum reimbursement rates to be paid by the |
26 | departments of human services and children, youth and families for licensed childcare centers shall |
27 | be implemented in a tiered manner, reflective of the quality rating the provider has achieved within |
28 | the state's quality rating system outlined in § 42-12-23.1. Maximum weekly rates shall be |
29 | reimbursed as follows: |
30 | LICENSED CHILDCARE |
31 | CENTERS Tier One Tier Two Tier Three Tier Four Tier Five |
32 | Infant/Toddler $236.36 $244.88 $257.15 $268.74 $284.39 |
33 | Preschool $207.51 $212.27 $218.45 $223.50 $231.39 |
34 | School-Age $180.38 $182.77 $185.17 $187.57 $189.97 |
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1 | The maximum reimbursement rates for licensed family childcare providers paid by the |
2 | departments of human services, and children, youth and families is determined through collective |
3 | bargaining. The maximum reimbursement rates for infant/toddler and preschool age children paid |
4 | to licensed family childcare providers by both departments is implemented in a tiered manner that |
5 | reflects the quality rating the provider has achieved in accordance with § 42-12-23.1. |
6 | SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2022. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- RHODE ISLAND CHILDCARE IS ESSENTIAL ACT | |
*** | |
1 | This act would provide that childcare is part of an early learning program and is an essential |
2 | program supporting the state’s workforce and a strong state economy. The act also would require |
3 | childcare reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of human services and children, youth |
4 | and families for licensed childcare centers to be updated to reflect findings from the 2021 Rhode |
5 | Island Childcare Market Rate Survey and would be implemented in a tiered manner, reflective of |
6 | the quality rating the provider has achieved within the state's quality rating system. |
7 | This act would take effect on July 1, 2022. |
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