Rhode Island HB 5106: AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- CHILD CARE -- STATE SUBSIDIES (Expands the tiered-rate structure for childcare assistance program to meet federal benchmark for access to high-quality childcare for all age groups of children.)

Bill Text

2019 -- H 5106
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LC000541
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019
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A N A C T
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- CHILD CARE -- STATE SUBSIDIES
Introduced By: Representatives Diaz, Donovan, Casimiro, Slater, and Ackerman
Date Introduced: January 10, 2019
Referred To: House Finance

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 40-6.2-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-6.2 entitled "Child 1
Care - State Subsidies" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
40-6.2-1.1. Rates established. 3
(a) In order to provide families and children with access to high-quality childcare and to 4
promote and support quality improvement of childcare programs, payment rates for the Rhode 5
Island Child Care Assistance Program shall be tiered and shall meet or exceed the federal 6
benchmark for access to high-quality childcare, with rates for programs that have achieved high-7
quality ratings in the state's quality rating system outlined in § 42-12-23.1 set at or above the 75th 8
percentile of the most recent market rate survey. 9
(a)(b) Through June 30, 2015, subject to the payment limitations in subsection (c), the 10
maximum reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of human services and children, 11
youth and families for licensed childcare centers and licensed family-childcare providers shall be 12
based on the following schedule of the 75th percentile of the 2002 weekly market rates adjusted 13
for the average of the 75th percentile of the 2002 and the 2004 weekly market rates: 14
LICENSED CHILDCARE CENTERS 75th PERCENTILE OF WEEKLY 15
MARKET RATE 16
INFANT $182.00 17
PRESCHOOL $150.00 18
SCHOOL-AGE $135.00 19

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LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE 75th PERCENTILE OF WEEKLY 1
PROVIDERS MARKET RATE 2
INFANT $150.00 3
PRESCHOOL $150.00 4
SCHOOL-AGE $135.00 5
Effective July 1, 2015, subject to the payment limitations in subsection (c), the maximum 6
reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of human services and children, youth and 7
families for licensed childcare centers and licensed family-childcare providers shall be based on 8
the above schedule of the 75th percentile of the 2002 weekly market rates adjusted for the 9
average of the 75th percentile of the 2002 and the 2004 weekly market rates. These rates shall be 10
increased by ten dollars ($10.00) per week for infant/toddler care provided by licensed family-11
childcare providers and license-exempt providers and then the rates for all providers for all age 12
groups shall be increased by three percent (3%). For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, 13
licensed childcare centers shall be reimbursed a maximum weekly rate of one hundred ninety-14
three dollars and sixty-four cents ($193.64) for infant/toddler care and one hundred sixty-one 15
dollars and seventy-one cents ($161.71) for preschool-age children. 16
(b)(c) Effective July l, 2018, subject to the payment limitations in subsection (c), the 17
maximum infant/toddler and preschool-age reimbursement rates to be paid by the departments of 18
human services and children, youth and families for licensed childcare centers shall be 19
implemented in a tiered manner, reflective of the quality rating the provider has achieved within 20
the state's quality rating system outlined in § 42-12-23.1. 21
(1) For infant/toddler childcare, tier one shall be reimbursed two and one-half percent 22
(2.5%) above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier two shall be reimbursed five percent (5%) above 23
the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier three shall be reimbursed thirteen percent (13%) above the FY 24
2018 weekly amount, tier four shall be reimbursed twenty percent (20%) above the FY 2018 25
weekly amount, and tier five shall be reimbursed thirty-three percent (33%) above the FY 2018 26
weekly amount. 27
(2) For preschool reimbursement rates, tier one shall be reimbursed two and one-half 28
(2.5%) percent above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier two shall be reimbursed five percent (5%) 29
above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier three shall be reimbursed ten percent (10%) above the FY 30
2018 weekly amount, tier four shall be reimbursed thirteen percent (13%) above the FY 2018 31
weekly amount, and tier five shall be reimbursed twenty-one percent (21%) above the FY 2018 32
weekly amount. Effective July 1, 2019, the preschool reimbursement rates for tier three shall be 33
reimbursed thirteen percent (13%) above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier four shall be 34

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reimbursed twenty percent (20%) above the FY 2018 weekly amount, and tier five shall be 1
reimbursed forty-three percent (43%) above the FY 2018 weekly amount. 2
(3) For school-age reimbursement rates, tier one shall be reimbursed two and one-half 3
percent (2.5%) above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier two shall be reimbursed five percent (5%) 4
above the FY 2018 weekly amount, tier three shall be reimbursed thirteen percent (13%) above 5
the FY 2018 weekly amo