2023 -- S 0185

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LC001199

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- EARLY LEARNING HUBS

     

     Introduced By: Senators DiMario, Euer, Gallo, Lawson, and Cano

     Date Introduced: February 16, 2023

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 40 of the General Laws entitled "HUMAN SERVICES" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 6.7

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EARLY LEARNING HUBS

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     40-6.7-1. Definitions.

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     As used in this chapter:

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     (1) "Early learning hub" means any entity serving as an intermediary among partners to

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coordinate support for early learning providers in the delivery of early childhood care and

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education, as determined by rules and regulations adopted by the department of human services.

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     (2) "Early learning intermediary" means any Rhode Island-based entity with experience

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and expertise in the design, implementation and/or evaluation of early childhood care and

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education, who has the capacity and authority, as determined by the department of human services,

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to coordinate programs, resources and services intended to support other early childhood care and

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learning providers to offer, expand or improve service delivery to children and families in Rhode

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Island.

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     (3) "Hub partners" may include, but are not limited to, early childhood care and education

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providers, community-based service providers, the Rhode Island department of education, the

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Rhode Island department of labor and training, cities or towns, school districts, community

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colleges, public universities, private educational institutions, faith-based organizations, and tribes.

 

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     40-6.7-2. Early learning hubs established.

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     (a) The department of human services shall establish no more than five (5) early learning

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hubs throughout the state, taking into consideration ease of access and the unique needs of the

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geographic regions of the state, that shall be coordinated by early learning intermediaries identified

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by the department.

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     (b) Led by early learning intermediaries, the early learning hubs, shall serve as one-stop

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service centers to support early childhood care and education providers, and those looking to

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become providers, to access resources, receive technical assistance, be licensed, meet research-

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based quality standards and improve their quality rating based on the state's quality rating and

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improvement system, recruit and retain qualified staff, and deliver high-quality early childhood

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services.

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     (c) The department shall ensure that early learning hubs:

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     (i) Conduct outreach to early childhood care and education providers, including center-

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based and family childcare providers, to assess the most critical needs facing providers in the

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delivery of high-quality services to children and families;

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     (ii) Convene and coordinate hub partners for the purpose of coordinating resources and

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services aimed at building capacity among early childhood care and education providers;

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     (iii) Reduce barriers facing prospective, new or existing early childhood care and education

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providers in establishing, expanding or improving programs in the early childhood care and

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learning system in Rhode Island; and

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     (iv) Evaluate the impact of enhanced and streamlined services to providers through

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measures defined by the department.

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     (d) The department of human services may promulgate rules and regulations to achieve the

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purpose of this chapter.

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     40-6.7-3. Proposals and requirements.

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     (a) The department shall implement a process for requesting proposals from entities to

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become early learning hubs. Proposals submitted under this subsection shall comply with criteria

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and requirements adopted by the department by rule or regulation, including:

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     (1) The entity will be able to coordinate early learning provider support services.

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     (2) The entity will ensure that the support services will be in alignment with, and further

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the quality standards defined by, the department of human services and department of elementary

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and secondary education.

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     (3) The entity will be able to integrate efforts among education and workforce providers,

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providers of health and human services and providers of other programs and services in the

 

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community.

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     (4) The entity will use coordinated and transparent budgeting.

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     (5) The entity will operate in a fiscally sound manner.

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     (6) The entity must have or establish a community advisory body that:

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     (i) Has the authority to initiate audits, recommend the terms of a contract and provide

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reports to the public and to the department on the outcomes of the provision of services.

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     (ii) Has hub partners selected through a transparent process and includes both public and

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private entities, locally based parents and service recipients, social service providers, childcare

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providers, and representatives of local governments from the service area.

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     (7) The entity will collaborate with established public or private agencies and/or

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community-based organizations in the state whose missions align with the objectives of the early

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learning hub and who have experience delivering essential services, such as professional

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development, community outreach, workforce training or recruitment, or small business support.

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     (8) The entity will serve a community that is based on the population and service needs of

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the community and will demonstrate the ability to improve results for children served by the

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providers in the early learning hub’s network.

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     (9) The entity will be able to raise and leverage significant funds from public and private

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sources and to secure in-kind support to support early learning services coordinated by the entity

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and operate in a fiscally sound manner.

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     (10) The entity may provide administrative support, such as, but not limited to, payroll,

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inventory, or staffing support, to providers within the entity’s early learning hub.

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     (11) The entity shall certify that it compensates its workers with at least the state's minimum

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hourly wage, as well as health benefits, or that its workforce is subject to a collective bargaining

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agreement.

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     (12) The entity meets any other qualifications established by the department.

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     (b) The department may adopt requirements that are in addition to the requirements

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described in this section that an entity shall meet to qualify as an early learning hub. When

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developing the additional requirements, the department shall use a statewide public process of

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community engagement that is consistent with the requirements of the federal Head Start Act.

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     (c) When determining whether to designate an entity as an early learning hub, the

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department shall balance the following factors:

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     (1) The entity’s ability to engage the community and be involved in the community.

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     (2) The entity’s ability to produce outcomes that benefit children.

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     (3) The entity’s resourcefulness.

 

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     (4) The entity’s use, or proposed use, of evidence-based practices.

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     (5) The entity’s ability to support a mixed delivery early childcare system that includes

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infant childcare and pre-kindergarten education.

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     (d) The department shall use appropriate and relevant metrics for the purpose of providing

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funding to early learning hubs designated under this section. The metrics shall:

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     (1) Focus on community readiness, high capacity development and progress toward

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tracking provider-related outcomes, and to the extent possible, community-level family and child

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outcomes, such as number of children served in high-quality programs within a community. All

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family or child data used pursuant to this section shall be de-identified and aggregated; and

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     (2) Establish a baseline of information for the area to be served by the early learning hub,

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including information about the inclusion of community partners in the governance structure of the

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early learning hub, the availability of data on local programs and outcomes and the success in

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leveraging private, nonprofit and other governmental resources for early learning.

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     (e) An entity designated as part of an early learning hub shall not use more than fifteen

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percent (15%) of the monies received by the entity from the department to pay administrative costs

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of the entity.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- EARLY LEARNING HUBS

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     This act would establish "early learning hubs" to serve as an intermediary among hub

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partners in order to coordinate support for early learning providers in the delivery of early childhood

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care and education.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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