Purpose

The bill changes how children in foster care are prioritized for enrollment in certain early learning and child care programs, adjusts how child care benefits are calculated and administered, and strengthens processes around licensing for relative foster care providers. It also adds eligibility and priority changes for school readiness programs and early education scholarships, and clarifies funding priorities for the basic sliding fee child care program.

Main Provisions

• Enrollment priority for foster children

  • Districts operating school-age care, youth afterschool enrichment, or other before/after-school community education programs must give children in foster care the highest enrollment priority.
  • Districts offering community education must annually report program details, including their enrollment priorities and compliance with the foster-care priority rule.

• Child care allowance and assessment changes

  • The assessment tool used to determine the child care allowance must consider the caregiver’s need for child care, with greater weight for younger children.
  • The eligibility assessment factors in whether the child is under 13 and whether the caregiver works or attends education/training, plus other caregiver circumstances.
  • Age-based adjustments scale the level of child care assistance by hours needed weekly (with specific stepwise increases for different hour ranges).
  • For children under 7 and for those in foster care, there are automatic adjustments to align benefits with foster care rules (including reduction rules when certain ages are reached).
  • When a child turns 7 or 13, the child care allowance is reduced or eliminated according to the specified rules, with similar provisions applying to children in foster care or those receiving Northstar kinship or adoption assistance to ensure parity.
  • If a caregiver who receives a child care allowance later obtains child care assistance under a separate program, the level is adjusted to the prior amount before considering caregiver need.
  • The assessment tool will be designed to accommodate these provisions.

• Licensing and information for relative foster care providers

  • Relatives who become emergency placement providers must complete the foster care license application within 10 days, with county or private agencies assisting.
  • Licensing decisions for relative foster care must consider preserving the child’s relationship with relatives as a factor in background-study decisions and variances.
  • Licensing staff must explain the licensing process to prospective relative licensees, including background studies and reconsideration procedures, and provide information on Northstar foster care benefits, child care costs, and early childhood programs.
  • If a relative is initially disqualified, reasons must be provided and the right to request reconsideration explained.
  • Licensing data will be kept separately so relative foster care licensing activities can be distinguished from other settings.

• Licensing holder requirements for foster care

  • License holders must promptly report changes that could affect safety (household changes, health changes, or other factors related to caring for a foster child or managing care for a child or vulnerable adult).
  • Agencies may request evaluations by specialists to assess the license holder’s ability to provide a safe environment, with the process explained to the licensee and a release obtained for information.
  • Prospective licensees must receive information about Northstar benefits, child care costs, and early childhood programs, as well as options for legal representation when applicable.

• School readiness program eligibility

  • A child is eligible if they are at least three by September 1, have completed health and developmental screenings, and meet at least one risk factor (e.g., eligible for free/reduced-price meals, English learner, homeless, has an IEP or similar plan, foster care, or is identified as at risk by the district).

• Early education scholarships and application priorities

  • The commissioner sets application timelines and award schedules to meet program needs.
  • Highest scholarship priority goes to children not yet four years old, followed by foster care, young parents pursuing education, and other defined risk and family circumstances (e.g., incarcerated parent, parent in substance use or mental health treatment, domestic violence, IEP/IFSP, homelessness).
  • Beginning July 1, 2025, priority expands to include income considerations (families with income at or below a specified level) and within that group, emphasis on multiple qualifying criteria.
  • The commissioner may also prioritize based on additional factors like funding availability, family income, location, and whether the family is on a waiting list for other publicly funded early education or child care programs.

• Basic sliding fee child care funding priorities

  • When funding is inadequate, waitlist-based priorities for basic sliding fee assistance are set.
  • First priority goes to eligible non-MFIP families who lack a high school diploma or who need remedial/basic-skills education to gain employment or pursue education, including student parents.
  • Sub-priorities under that group address needs of minor parents, parents under 21, and other qualifying parents.
  • Second priority goes to veteran families.
  • Third priority goes to eligible foster parents.
  • Additional priorities permit handling of other eligible families, including those eligible for portable basic sliding fee assistance and those who have completed MFIP transition years.

Significant Changes to Existing Law (Overview)

• Establishes foster-care highest-priority enrollment for afterschool/community education programs and requires annual reporting on compliance.
• Restructures and tightens the calculation of child care allowances by introducing caregiver-need weighting, age-based adjustments, and automatic reductions when children reach ages 7 or 13, with alignment to foster care benefits and Northstar/Adoption pathways.
• Expands licensing requirements and information sharing for relative foster care providers, including 10-day licensing timelines, background-study reconsideration rights, and explicit information on Northstar benefits and related supports.
• Expands eligibility criteria and priority structures for school readiness programs and early education scholarships, including a shift toward greater emphasis on foster care status, vulnerable family circumstances, and income-based targeting starting in 2025.
• Reorders and clarifies funding priorities for the basic sliding fee program to ensure priority for certain at-risk groups, including student parents, minor parents, veterans, and foster families, with further prioritization factors.
• Aligns related provisions across multiple programs to improve integration of foster care benefits, child care costs, and early childhood education options.

Who Is Affected

• Children in foster care and their families.
• Relative foster care providers and their licensing processes.
• Families applying for or receiving Northstar foster care, kinship, or adoption-related benefits.
• Families seeking enrollment in community education, school readiness, and early education scholarships.
• Child care providers and licensing agencies administering these programs.

Relevant Terms - foster care - Northstar foster care - Northstar kinship assistance - adoption assistance - community education - school readiness program - early learning scholarships - basic sliding fee child care - child care allowance - assessment tool - caregiver need for child care - licensing - relative foster care - emergency placement - background study - reconsideration - health and developmental screening - English learner - IEP / individualized plan - homeless - foster care benefits - child care costs - MFIP transition - veteran families - child protection services - portability (portability pool)