Beginning January 1, 2023, the commissioner shall implement a statewide voluntary early childhood consultation program to provide support, guidance and training to improve the abilities and skills of early care and education teachers and providers working in public elementary schools, child care facilities as defined in Title 22, section 8301‑A, subsection 1‑A, paragraph B, family child care settings and Head Start programs serving infants and children who are 8 years of age or younger who are experiencing challenging behaviors that put the infants or children at risk of learning difficulties and removal from early learning and education settings, and to improve the abilities and skills of families and foster parents with infants or children who are 8 years of age or younger in the home who are experiencing challenging behaviors that put the infants or children at risk of learning difficulties and removal from early learning and education settings. Any record about a child created as a result of a consultation under this section must be made available to the parents or guardians of that child and may not become part of that child's education record. Fifty percent of the costs related to the program implemented under this section must be paid from funds provided to the department under the federal child and development block grant authorized under the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990. The department shall seek and apply for available federal funds or funds from any other source to fund the program implemented under this section.   [PL 2021, c. 679, §1 (AMD).]

No later than January 1, 2023 and annually thereafter, the department shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters relating to the status of implementing the program under this section, the ability of the program to provide support and guidance to families, educators and providers working with children and the department's progress in seeking and applying for additional funding to support the program.   [PL 2021, c. 679, §1 (NEW).]