New York S 3994: Establishes a division of early childhood within the office of children and family services

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S03994 Summary:

BILL NOS03994 

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SAME ASSAME AS A03636

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SPONSORPARKER

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §500, Exec L

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Establishes a division of early childhood within the office of children and family services to coordinate, consolidate and integrate early childhood programs.

Go to top S03994 Actions:

BILL NOS03994 

&nbsp

01/31/2025REFERRED TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

01/07/2026REFERRED TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Go to topS03994 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS03994 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS03994 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 3994

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 31, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families

 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a divi-
 sion of early childhood within the office of children and family
 services

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 500 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
 2 subdivision 4 to read as follows:
 3 4. (a) There is hereby established within the office of children and
 4 family services a division of early childhood. The division shall be
 5 under the direction of the commissioner of the office of children and
 6 family services. The division of early childhood shall be headed by the
 7 director of early childhood who shall be appointed by a committee
 8 composed of the governor or the governor's designee, the speaker of the
 9 assembly, the temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of
 10 the assembly and the minority leader of the senate.
 11 (b) The primary duties of the division of early childhood are to coor-
 12 dinate, consolidate and integrate early childhood programs, in order to
 13 administer programs and funding as efficiently as possible. The divi-
 14 sion's duties shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
 15 (i) to develop, coordinate and support public and private partnerships
 16 to aid early childhood programs across the state;
 17 (ii) to work cooperatively and in coordination with the early child-
 18 hood advisory council;
 19 (iii) to collaborate with the education department to ensure proper
 20 and appropriate connections and smooth transitions between early child-
 21 hood programs and kindergarten through grade twelve programs;
 22 (iv) to coordinate the delivery of services for young children and
 23 their families to ensure the state is utilizing all available funding
 24 streams in a unified fashion; and

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD06330-01-5

 S. 3994 2

 1 (v) to perform any other activities that will assist in the division
 2 of early childhood programs and services.
 3 (c) The director of early childhood shall be responsible for imple-
 4 menting the policies and directives of the division of early childhood.
 5 The director may seek and shall be entitled to receive from other state
 6 agencies such assistance as may be required to perform such director's
 7 duties pursuant to this subdivision. The director may appoint such offi-
 8 cers, employees, agents and consultants as such director may deem neces-
 9 sary. To the extent practicable, the director shall appoint the offi-
 10 cers, employees, agents and consultants for the division of early
 11 childhood, from among the existing officers and employees of the office
 12 of children and family services.
 13 (d) On or before January first, two thousand twenty-six, the division
 14 of early childhood shall begin a statewide assessment and evaluation of
 15 the current funding streams for the state. The division shall, on or
 16 before October first, two thousand twenty-six, provide to the governor
 17 and the legislature programmatic and legislative recommendations, based
 18 on its statewide assessment and evaluation.
 19 (e) The division of early childhood shall submit to the governor and
 20 legislature, within one year of the effective date of this subdivision,
 21 a report as the various early childhoo