Authorizes the Portville central school district to provide child care services to 3 and 4 year olds

BILL NUMBER:S3504A

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to the provision of child care services by the Portville central school district

Purpose

Authorizes the Portville central school district to provide child care services to 3 and 4 year olds.

Summary of provisions

Section 1. Amends section 414-1(i) of the education law by adding a provision that Portville Central School District may provide child care services during school hours for children ages 3 and 4 if there is additional space available after providing child care services to the children of pupils attending the school and the children of employees of the district.

Section 2. Provides that the act shall take effect on the first day of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.

Justification

Existing law authorizes the use of school grounds for the provision of child care services during both school hours and non-school hours for the children of pupils attending the schools of the district and, if space is still available, for the children of employees of the district. Those who are not the children of the school's students or staff may only be provided child care services on school grounds during non-school hours, with the exception of Cobleskill-Richmondville School District, where child day care services may be offered on school grounds during school hours for those who are not the children of the school's students or staff.

In Portville, many parents have opted not to enroll their children in the school's existing half-day Pre-K program because their children are in need of full-day supervision and care.

By granting to Portville Central School District the same authority granted to Cobleskill-Richmondville to host child day care services on school grounds during the school day, parents will be able to utilize the half-day pre-K program and also have a half-day child day care program for their children to participate in for the remainder of the day.

In Portville's half-day child day care program, noncognitive skill development would be focused on. Studies have revealed that noncognitive skill building; including qualities such as persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit, and self-confidence; are even more important to a child's development than academic and intellectual preparedness.

Beginning in the mid-1960s, the Perry Preschool Project traced the progress and development of children admitted to a high-quality

preschool program and those children who were not Years later, the study revealed that the long-term results were that Perry students were more likely to graduate from high school and experience career success, and less likely to have been arrested or spent time on public assistance.

At Portville Central School, a cost-effective half-day child day care program will complement the half-day Pre-K program, giving children a better opportunity to develop their non-cognitive skills in addition to academic skills The school district will also experience savings in staff expenditures and transportation costs.

Legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications

None to the state or school district. Existing law requires that the costs shall not be a school district charge and must be paid by the person responsible for the support of the child.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the first day of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.