Bill Text: NJ S1968 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides categorical eligibility for subsidized child care services to certain child care workers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S1968 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S1968-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Provides categorical eligibility for subsidized child care services to certain child care workers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning categorical eligibility for subsidized child care services and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this act, "qualifying child care worker" means an educator or staff member who is employed, for a minimum of 20 hours per week, by a licensed child care center or registered family child care provider.
b. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a qualifying child care worker shall be eligible for child care services through the State's subsidized child care assistance program to the same extent as any other participant in the program, regardless of the family's annual household income.
c. The Commissioner of Human Services shall establish a process by which the Department of Human Services shall confirm that a qualifying child care worker satisfies the employment criteria required to access the benefit established pursuant to this section.
d. The commissioner shall apply for such State plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act and to continue to secure federal financial participation for subsidized child care services for eligible families under the "Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990," Pub.L.97-35 (42 U.S.C. s.9857 et seq.), as amended.
2. The Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt such rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of Human Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as may be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
The bill provides eligibility for child care services through the State's subsidized child care assistance program for "qualifying child care workers," regardless of the individual's annual family income. The bill defines a qualifying child care worker as an educator or staff member who is employed by a licensed child care center or a registered family child care provider for a minimum of 20 hours per week.
Under the bill, the Commissioner of Human Services is directed to establish a process by which the Department of Human Services will confirm that a qualifying child care worker is employed by a child care provider for the number of hours required to access the child care subsidy benefit. The commissioner, moreover, is to apply for any State plan amendments or waivers necessary to ensure continuation of federal funding for subsidized child care services for eligible families under the "Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990."
