Resolve, To Encourage Access to Higher Education for Certain Child Care Providers

Sec. 1. Convene working group. Resolved: That the Maine Children's Growth Council, as established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 621, shall convene a working group to review and make recommendations for administrative or legislative action, or both, concerning ways to create opportunities for higher education for licensed child care providers. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education shall participate in the working group. The council shall invite representatives from public universities, community colleges and child care providers to participate in the working group; and be it further

Sec. 2. Charge of working group. Resolved: That the working group shall consider ideas and make recommendations for creating a partnership between licensed child care providers and state institutions of higher learning that would allow child care providers to enroll in classes and degree programs at reduced tuition rates in exchange for reserving a certain number of child care slots for the institutions’ students and faculty, which would be paid for at a reduced rate subsidized by the State; and be it further

Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That the working group shall provide a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services with findings and recommendations, including any draft legislation necessary, no later than January 15, 2010. The joint standing committee is authorized to submit a bill related to the subject of the report to the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature.

summary

This resolve directs the Maine Children's Growth Council to convene a working group to make recommendations for creating opportunities for higher education for licensed child care providers. The resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to participate in the working group. The resolve requires the council to invite representatives from public universities, community colleges and child care providers to participate in the working group. It requires the working group to make recommendations for creating a partnership between licensed child care providers and state institutions of higher learning that would allow child care providers to enroll in classes and degree programs at reduced tuition rates in exchange for reserving a certain number of child care slots for the institutions’ students and faculty, which would be paid for at a reduced rate subsidized by the State. It requires the working group to provide a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services with findings and recommendations, including any draft legislation necessary, no later than January 15, 2010 and authorizes the committee to submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature.