MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2019 Regular Session
To: Public Health and Human Services
By: Representative Mims
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-1-65, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CREATE A STATEWIDE QUALITY FRAMEWORK FOR CHILD CARE CENTERS TO IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF QUALITY OF CHILD CARE CENTERS AND ENSURE CONTINUITY OF HIGH QUALITY CARE AS A CHILD TRANSITIONS ACROSS PROGRAMS AND INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM; TO PROVIDE THAT UNDER THE STATEWIDE QUALITY FRAMEWORK, CHILD CARE CENTERS WILL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE A STANDARD OR COMPREHENSIVE DESIGNATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES; TO SPECIFY THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO BE DESIGNATED AS A STANDARD OR COMPREHENSIVE CHILD CARE CENTER; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 43-1-65, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
43-1-65. (1) The Department of Human Services shall establish the Mississippi Child Care Quality Step System by requiring the Office for Children and Youth of the Department of Human Services, the lead agency for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), to develop and implement a pilot voluntary Quality Rating System (QRS). The purpose of the pilot system will be to improve the quality of all licensed early care and education and after-school programs. The system is to be phased in over the next five (5) years beginning July 1, 2006, subject to appropriation. The QRS criteria will be the basis, at minimum, for the QRS, and shall address the following components: administrative policy, professional development, learning environment, and parental involvement and evaluation.
(2) In addition, the Office for Children and Youth shall develop and administer funds, based on appropriation, to create a Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) statewide system in collaboration with community and junior colleges, universities, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, state agencies and/or nonprofit community entities. The CCR&R agencies shall provide training specific to the QRS criteria to enable early care and education program quality to improve as measured by the QRS system; and offer parent education information and training on what a quality early care and education program comprises and how to identify one. This program shall begin July 1, 2006, subject to appropriation.
(3) (a) There is created a Statewide Quality Framework for child care centers, the purpose of which is to improve the level of quality of child care centers and ensure continuity of high quality care as a child transitions across programs and into the K-12 school system. The Statewide Quality Framework will allow child care centers to achieve a standard or comprehensive designation from the Department of Human Services as provided in this subsection.
(b) Standard child care centers shall be licensed through the State Department of Health and meet minimum federal and state child care center standards. All staff must complete mandatory training as required by the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014. In addition, standard child care centers must meet the following requirements:
(i) All staff must complete fifteen (15) hours of continuing professional development annually as prescribed by the CCDBG Act. The professional development areas include health and safety; educational standards and best practices; recognizing signs, symptoms or behaviors of child abuse and neglect; professional development that addresses social-emotional and behavioral development, mental health, expulsion, and exclusionary discipline practices in child care settings; and developmental and behavioral screenings.
(ii) The curriculum implemented in the child care center must align with the state early learning guidelines for infants and toddlers and the state early learning guidelines for three- and four-year-olds.
(iii) The child care center must complete an annual self-assessment process through the Department of Human Services.
(c) Comprehensive child care centers shall meet the requirements of a standard child care center and shall engage in additional activities specifically designed to improve the quality of the learning experience for three- and four-year-old children. Technical assistance to achieve the comprehensive designation will be available through the Mississippi Community College Early Child Academy. To be designated as a comprehensive child care center, a child care center must be certified by the Department of Human Services and meet the following requirements:
(i) Child care center staff must complete additional customized professional development annually beyond the standard fifteen (15) hours.
(ii) Coaching aimed at closing education and credential gaps that child care center staff might have must be undertaken.
(iii) Children enrolled in the center must be assessed a minimum of twice a year.
(iv) Centers must work with an external evaluator to examine how programs and activities are implemented in the center.
(v) Family engagement activities that will encourage parents to participate in parenting classes and parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) must be undertaken.
(vi) The center must engage in technical assistance on an annual basis for the implementation of a continuous quality improvement plan, kindergarten transition plan, business management plan, and, when necessary, corrective action plan.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2019.