House Bill NO. 973

By Senator(s) Committee

SECTION 1. (1) The State Department of Education, in its discretion, may develop and implement a pilot program to assist in the establishment of community-based family support centers and individual family or parent education services. The goal of the programs shall be to create a better life for families and children in Mississippi, with emphasis being placed on the emotional, physical, social and mental needs of the whole family. The family support centers and family or parent education service programs shall provide parents with opportunities to voluntarily obtain support and services that will enable them to provide optimum learning environments for their children, particularly from birth to the age of three (3) years, within the home. The family support centers shall serve to build community networks to support children and families through the implementation of the following care activities: parenting classes; developmental programs for prekindergarten-age children during parent education classes; support groups; individual family or parent education services; a resource library; and resource and referral services. Additional services may be provided to meet the identified family needs of the community and in keeping with the goals of the program. The family support centers shall focus on school readiness and early literacy.

(2) Under the pilot program, the department shall establish a procedure for interested school districts and other nonprofit entities in partnership with a school district to apply for assistance in establishing a family support center. At least one (1) family support center shall be established in each congressional district.

(3) Under the pilot program, the department shall establish a procedure for interested school districts and other nonprofit entities in partnership with a school district to apply for individual family or parent education programs. Programs must use research based, independently evaluated, proven research models that are documented to have a positive impact on reducing special education placements, development of language and social skills, and parental involvement in schools.

(4) As part of the application process for participation in the pilot program, applicants must demonstrate to the department that the family support center is a collaborative undertaking of various community organizations. Each applicant must have created an advisory board for the family support center or parent education services programs, involving the participation of the local school district or districts, the city and county governing authorities, the county health department, regional mental health centers, the extension service, representatives of the Department of Human Services and any other private or public entities participating in the partnership.

(5) The State Department of Education may accept any funds, public or private, made available to the department for the pilot program. The funds shall be used to award grants to the participating family support centers or family or parent education services programs for the support of such programs. A family support center or family or parent education services program may use any available funding to support the administration and programs of the center or education services program.

(6) The State Department of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the proper administration of this section. An advisory group shall be established to assist in the development of the rules and regulations for administration of the program. Members of the advisory group shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of the following categories: parents; local school districts' parent education programs staff; the Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Children's Services; Head Start; the cooperative extension services; and USOE funded parental assistance programs.

(7) If the family support center and family or parent education services pilot programs authorized by this section are implemented, the State Department of Education shall report to the Legislature, within three (3) years after the pilot program's implementation, on the desirability of expanding and permanently establishing the program.

SECTION 2. (1) The Legislature finds that:

(a) Studies show that children who experience quality comprehensive early childhood services have higher academic and social ratings by their kindergarten teachers and better kindergarten attendance than children who do not;

(b) Participation in quality comprehensive early childhood services helps children develop social and pre-academic skills that will help them succeed in kindergarten and throughout their educational experiences;

(c) Other southeastern states have implemented pre-kindergarten programs similar to the Georgia Pre-Kindergarten Program for four-year-old children, emphasizing growth in language and literacy, math concepts, science, arts, physical development, and personal and social competence.

(2) There is hereby created a Task Force to Study the Development and Implementation of Comprehensive Early Childhood Services in Mississippi. The task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the 2000 Regular Session of the Legislature for implementation in the 2000-2001 school year.

(3) The task force shall be composed of twenty-four (24) members as follows:

(a) The Chairmen of the Senate Education and Appropriations Committees and two (2) members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;

(b) The Chairmen of the House Education and Appropriations Committees and two (2) members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(c) A representative of the Governor;

(d) The State Superintendent of Education;

(e) The Executive Director of the Department of Health, the state child care licensing agency;

(f) The Executive Director of the Department of Human Services, the state Child Care Development Fund agency;

(g) Representatives of the early childhood profession:

(i) A Head Start director elected by the Mississippi Head Start Association;

(ii) A representative from a regulated family child care home network appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(iii) A representative from a licensed child care center appointed by the President of the Senate;

(iv) A teacher from a public school pre-kindergarten program appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(v) A teacher from a private school pre-kindergarten program appointed by the President of the Senate;

(vi) A teacher from a half-day church sponsored pre-kindergarten program appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(vii) A representative from a university or college early childhood teacher preparation program appointed by the President of the Senate;

(viii) A representative of a tribal early childhood program appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(ix) A representative of an early childhood professional organization appointed by the President of the Senate; and

(x) A representative of an advocacy organization appointed by the Speaker of the House.

(h) A parent of a preschool-age child appointed by the President of the Senate; and

(i) A parent of a preschool-age child with special needs appointed by the Speaker of the House.

(4) In the event the Chairman of the Senate or House Education or Appropriations Committees is unable to attend any meeting of the task force, the vice-chairman of the respective committee shall be authorized to attend and vote at such meeting. Appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after passage of this act, and, within fifteen (15) days thereafter on a day to be designated jointly by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House and the State Superintendent of Education, the task force shall meet and organize by selecting from its membership a chairman and a vice-chairmen. The vice-chairmen shall also serve as secretary and shall be responsible for keeping all records of the task force. A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum. In the selection of its officers and the adoption of rules, resolutions and reports, an affirmative vote of a majority of the task force shall be required. All members shall be notified in writing of all meetings, such notices to be mailed at least five (5) days prior to the date on which a meeting is to be held.

(5) Members of the task force who are not legislators shall be compensated at the per diem rate authorized by Section 25-3-69, Mississippi Code of 1972, and shall be reimbursed in accordance with Section 25-3-41, Mississippi Code of 1972, for mileage and actual expense incurred in the performance of their duties. Any member who is also a state employee shall not be eligible to receive per diem compensation. No task force member may incur per diem, travel or other expenses unless previously authorized by vote, at a meeting of the task force, which action shall be recorded in the official minutes of said meeting. Legislative members of the committee shall be paid from the contingent expense funds of their respective houses in the same amounts as provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session; however, no per diem or expense for attending meetings of the task force will be paid while the Legislature is in session. Non-legislative members shall be paid from any funds made available to the task force for that purpose.

(6) The task force is empowered to hire staff independent of any agency represented, as well as to utilize clerical and legal staff already employed by the State Department of Education, the Office of the Governor and the Legislature and any other staff assistance made available to it.

(7) Funding for the task force may be provided from any funds that may be appropriated by the Legislature to the State Department of Education for that purpose.

(8) Upon presentation of its report to the 2000 Regular Session, the task force shall be dissolved.

(9) The State Department of Education shall develop an annual reporting process to inform the Legislature, local school district personnel and the general public as to all existing early childhood programs in the state:

(a) Number of students and families served;

(b) Number of teachers and other personnel, certification and experience levels;

(c) Source of funds for each program;

(d) Budget, administrative costs and other pertinent fiscal information;

(e) Salary and fringe benefit information for each employee in an early childhood program;

(f) Cost of materials and other instructional costs related to an early childhood program;

(g) Other information as directed by the State Board of Education; and

(h) Analysis of this program's impact on Grades K-3.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO IMPLEMENT A PILOT PROGRAM TO ASSIST IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FAMILY SUPPORT CENTERS AND PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE GOAL OF FAMILY SUPPORT CENTERS AND PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS SHALL BE TO CREATE A BETTER LIFE FOR MISSISSIPPI FAMILIES AND CHILDREN; TO SPECIFY CERTAIN PROGRAMS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH FAMILY SUPPORT CENTERS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH AN APPLICATION PROCESS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PILOT PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE APPLICANTS TO HAVE IN PLACE AN ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO USE AVAILABLE FUNDING FOR GRANTS TO PARTICIPATING FAMILY SUPPORT CENTERS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO APPOINT AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT IN PROMULGATING REGULATIONS FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO RECOMMEND TO THE LEGISLATURE WHETHER OR NOT THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE PERMANENTLY ESTABLISHED; TO ESTABLISH A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES IN MISSISSIPPI; TO PROVIDE FOR A REPORT OF ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE 2000 REGULAR SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.