MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Public Health and Welfare; Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Huggins

AN ACT TO DIRECT THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES USING FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THE AGENCY FOR THAT PURPOSE; TO PROVIDE CERTAIN SPECIFIC SERVICE COMPONENTS OF THE PLAN; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO ENTER INTO COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH CERTAIN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES TO PROVIDE SUCH SERVICES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The Department of Human Services is authorized and directed to develop a plan for investing in programs and services to strengthen families using funds available to the agency for these purposes. Specifically included in the plan will be strategies for expanding the Agency's Families First family resource program to all counties, expanding the range of services provided through Families First by either establishing new service components or developing cooperative agreements with (a) local school district parental assistance centers, (b) Head Start programs, (c) community-based child care providers, (d) the Cooperative Extension Service, and (e) privately operated state or local programs that provide related services to the targeted population. The plan shall also address the unique developmental needs of Mississippi's low income preschool-age population through the provision of high quality early care and education services that operate on a full day, year-round basis through Head Start and community-based child care providers. For the purposes of the plan, standards should address the feasibility of high quality for four-year-old children as defined as a group size of ten (10) staffed by a licensed early childhood teacher and a teacher assistant using measurable curriculum benchmarks that provide for the optimum development of enrolled children with instructional activities to support the achievement of the benchmarks. Additionally, any school-age care services proposed in the plan shall meet not only the unique developmental needs of Mississippi's school-age population kindergarten to age thirteen (13) but also the state's economic development needs by coordinating the care for these children during out-of-school time with the operating hours of business and industry in the communities where these services would be provided. Any anticipated need for the minor renovation and repair of public parks, playgrounds and facilities necessary for early care and education, school-age care and family resource center programs shall also be addressed in the plan.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.