What's happening
This bill creates a state division to coordinate early childhood programs, services and funding.
Why it matters
Statewide coordination. A new division within the Office of Children and Family Services would coordinate and consolidate early childhood programs and funding across New York.
School transitions. The division would work with the Education Department to connect early childhood programs with kindergarten through grade twelve programs.
Funding review. The division would assess statewide funding streams and recommend programmatic and legislative changes. A separate report due within one year would include an action plan for consolidating programs and funding sources.
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Who cares
Young children and their families
The division would coordinate services intended for them and support transitions into school.
Office of Children and Family Services
The agency would house the new division, drawing its staff from existing agency personnel where practicable.
Early childhood program providers
The division would develop public-private partnerships and coordinate the programs and funding sources supporting their work.
Education Department
The department would collaborate with the division on connections between early childhood and school programs.
Headline styles
Create Early Childhood Division
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Print number 4535a
- Amend and recommit to children and families
- Referred to children and families
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to children and families
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4535--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 14, 2019
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families -recommitted to the Committee on Children and Families in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a division of early childhood within the office of children and family services
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 500 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
4. (a) There is hereby established within the office of children and family services a division of early childhood. The division shall be under the direction of the commissioner of the office of children and family services. The division of early childhood shall be headed by the director of early childhood who shall be appointed by a committee composed of the governor or his or her designee, the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of the assembly and the minority leader of the senate.
(b) The primary duties of the division of early childhood are to coordinate, consolidate and integrate early childhood programs, in order to administer programs and funding as efficiently as possible. The division's duties shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
(i) to develop, coordinate and support public and private partnerships to aid early childhood programs across the state;
(ii) to work cooperatively and in coordination with the early childhood advisory council;
(iii) to collaborate with the education department to ensure proper and appropriate connections and smooth transitions between early childhood programs and kindergarten through grade twelve programs;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04504-02-0
S. 4535--A 2
(iv) to coordinate the delivery of services for young children and their families to ensure the state is utilizing all available funding streams in a unified fashion; and
(v) to perform any other activities that will assist in the division of early childhood programs and services.
(c) The director of early childhood shall be responsible for implementing the policies and directives of the division of early childhood. The director may seek and shall be entitled to receive from other state agencies such assistance as may be required to perform such director's duties pursuant to this subdivision. The director may appoint such officers, employees, agents and consultants as he or she may deem necessary. To the extent practicable, the director shall appoint the officers, employees, agents and consultants for the division of early childhood, from among the existing officers and employees of the office of children and family services.
(d) On or before January first, two thousand twenty-one, the division of early childhood shall begin a statewide assessment and evaluation of the current funding streams for the state. The division shall, on or before October first, two thousand twenty-one, provide to the governor and the legislature programmatic and legislative recommendations, based on its statewide assessment and evaluation.
(e) The division of early childhood shall submit to the governor and legislature, within one year of the effective date of this subdivision, a report as the various early childhood programs that are available in the state. The report shall include recommendations and an action plan to further consolidate and coordinate early childhood programs and funding sources that support these programs.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
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
Purpose
To facilitate the coordination of early childhood programs across New York State
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Amends the Executive Law by adding a new subdivision 4. Establishes a Division of Early Childhood within the Office of Children and Families, to be headed by a director. The director shall be chosen by a committee composed of the governor, speaker of the assembly, tempo- rary president of the senate, minority leader of the assembly and minor- ity leader of the senate.
The primary duties of the division are to develop, coordinate and inte- grate early childhood programs, in order to administer programs and funding as efficiently as possible. The division's duties support public and private partnerships to aid early childhood programs across New York State; work cooperatively and in coordination with the Early Childhood Advisory Council; work collaboratively with the Education Department to ensure proper connections; and coordinate the delivery of services for young children and families to ensure the state is utilizing all avail- able funding streams in a unified fashion.
On or before January 1st, 2021, the division of early childhood shall begin a statewide assessment and evaluation of the current funding streams for the state and provide both programmatic and legislative recommendations.
Section 2 contains the effective date.
Justification
A recent fiscal analysis of early childhood programs in New York State lists over 80 federal and state program types that support families and families in New York State. Without proper coordination, programs based in different agencies can be siloed, particularly when new programs and funding streams are launching. New York has been moving towards increased coordination of early childhood programs, for example creating the Early Childhood Advisory Council. This entity is doing important work, yet its reach is limited without responsibility for programs and funding streams. The creation of this division will help to aid these efforts.
Legislative history
2017-18: S3412 Referred to Children and Families 2015-16: S.6642/A.9372 - Referred to Children and Families
Fiscal implications
Staffing
Local fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.