SB 902

CHILD CARE WORKFORCE IMPROVEMENT ACT This bill enacts the "Child Care Workforce Improvement Act, "" which requires the commissioner of human services to develop, and, no later than January 1, 2026, implement a Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee program to provide supplemental payments to full- and part-time child care workers in this state based upon time in service. The commissioner may use funds from the child care improvem ent fund to support and supplement the program. Eligibility Requirements This bill provides that a child care worker is eligible to receive a supplemental payment under the program if the child care worker meets all of the following criteria:  Works at a child care program licensed by the department ;  Earns $ 20 per hour or less ;  Has worked at least six months in the same child care program, at least 10 classroom hours per week, with children from birth to five ; and  Is employed at the same child care program at a time when funding is available and a final confirmation has been completed . Payment Adjustments E ach January, this bill requires the commissioner to annually adjust the payments for the program by the percentage increase in the consumer price index's United States average for all urban consumers, as prepared by the United State s department of labor's bureau of labor statistics. CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS This bill requires the commissioner of human services to develop, and, no later than January 1, 2026, implement a program to provide assistance payments to eligible early childhood educators in this state through the child care payment assistance program. As used in this provision, an ""early childhood educator"" means an employee who works at least 20 hours per week at a licensed child care center, family child care home, or group child care home, regardless of the employee's income. The commissioner may use funds from the child care improvement fund to support and supplement the program. Eligibility Requirements This bill provides that a n early childhood educator is eligible to receive an assistance payment under the program if all of the following criteria is met :  The early childhood educator is a resident of this state ;  The early childhood educator is the parent of a child that attends (i) t he licensed child care center, family child care home, or group child care home where the early childhood educator is employed o r (ii) any licensed child care center, family child care home, or group child care home in this state ;  The facility described above is approved to accept, and accepts, child care assistance payments ; and  The early childhood educator provides proof of employment to the satisfaction of the department of human services . Determination of Income This bill requires t he commissioner to exclude all of an applicant early childhood educator's income, earned and unearned, when making an eligibility determination for assistance payments under th e program . Waitlist and Priority U nless otherwise prohibited by federal or state law, this bill generally prohibits a child care agency licensed from plac ing a dependent child of an early childhood educator who is a recipient of assistance payments under the program on a wait list behind a child whose parent or guardian is not an early childhood educator receiving assistance payments under such program. A chi ld care agency must give first priority on the agency's wait list to children with a parent or guardian serving on active duty in the armed forces, if any. Payment Adjustments E ach January 1, this bill requires the commissioner to annually adjust the p ayments for the program by the percentage increase in the consumer price index's United States average for all urban consumers, as prepared by the United States department of labor's bureau of labor statistics. Federal Child Care Development Fund Grant This bill requires the commissioner to include the eligibility requirements of this program in the next available application for the federal child care development fund grant. RULEMAKING This bill authorizes the commissioner of human services to promulgate rules to effectuate this bill ."