S3032

An Act establishing the “College Child Care Advisory Commission” to examine issues and develop recommendations on providing programs and services for college students who require child care services.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. There is established the “College Child Care Advisory Commission.” The commission shall consist of 15 members, including:

a. the Secretary of Higher Education, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;

b. the Commissioner of Education, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;

c. one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, both of whom shall be members of the public with demonstrated expertise in issues relating to the work of the commission;

d. one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, both of whom shall be members of the public with demonstrated expertise in issues relating to the work of the commission; and

e. nine members appointed by the Governor, who shall include: three elementary school principals, one each from an urban, suburban, and rural school district; a teacher who is employed in an SDA district as defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C.18A:7G-3); a representative of a licensed child care center; a representative of a school- or center-based preschool program; a representative of a New Jersey Head Start program; a representative of a registered family child care provider; and a student who is attending a public institution of higher education in the State who has a child in a licensed child care center, a school- or center-based preschool program, a New Jersey Head Start program, or a registered family child care provider program.

2. All appointments shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties within the limits of funds made available to the commission for its purposes.

3. The commission shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members, but not later than 60 days after the effective date of this act. The commission shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.

4. It shall be the duty of the commission to examine issues and develop recommendations on providing programs and services for college students who require child care services. The duties of the commission shall include, but need not be limited to:

a. compiling statistics on the number of students attending institutions of higher education who have a child in a licensed child care center, a school- or center-based preschool program, a New Jersey Head Start program, or a registered family child care provider program;

b. reviewing the programs and services offered by institutions of higher education to address the needs of college students who require child care services and the availability of any child care grants or subsidies available through institutions of higher education or government entities;

c. promoting partnerships among institutions of higher education and licensed child care centers, school- or center-based preschool programs, New Jersey Head Start programs, and registered family child care providers to determine if campus facilities could be used to provide child care services to students attending the institutions who require those services;

d. examining other states which have implemented programs that have successfully partnered institutions of higher education with child care service providers; and

e. reviewing any other proposals that the commission determines may improve college students’ access to child care programs and services.

5. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shall provide such stenographical, clerical, and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff as the commission requires to carry out its work. The commission shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.

6. The commission shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and to the president of each institution of higher education no later than one year after the commission organizes.

7. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the commission’s issuance of its final report and recommendations.
STATEMENT

This bill establishes the “College Child Care Advisory Commission.” The commission will be composed of 15 members, including: the Secretary of Higher Education and the Commissioner of Education, or their designees; one member appointed by the President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, all four of whom are members of the public with demonstrated expertise in issues relating to the work of the commission; and nine members appointed by the Governor, including: three elementary school principals, one each from an urban, suburban, and rural school district; a teacher who is employed in an SDA district; a representative of a licensed child care center; a representative of a school- or center-based preschool program; a representative of a New Jersey Head Start program; a representative of a registered family child care provider; and a student who is attending a public institution of higher education in the State who has a child in a licensed child care center, a school- or center-based preschool program, a New Jersey Head Start program, or a registered family child care provider program.

Under the bill, the commission will examine issues and develop recommendations on providing programs and services for college students who require child care services. At a minimum, the duties of the commission will include:

· compiling statistics on the number of students attending institutions of higher education who have a child in a licensed child care center, a school- or center-based preschool program, a New Jersey Head Start program, or a registered family child care provider program;

· reviewing the programs and services offered by institutions of higher education to address the needs of college students who require child care services and the availability of any child care grants or subsidies available through institutions of higher education or government entities;

· promoting partnerships among institutions of higher education and licensed child care centers, school- or center-based preschool programs, New Jersey Head Start programs, and registered family child care providers to determine if campus facilities could be used to provide child care services to students attending the institutions who require those services;

· examining other states which have implemented programs that have successfully partnered institutions of higher education with child care service providers; and

· reviewing any other proposals that the commission determines may improve college students’ access to child care programs and services.

The bill directs the commission to issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and to the president of each institution of higher education no later than one year after the commission organizes.