Assembly Bill A9302

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9302
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             December 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. TAPIA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in  relation  to  enacting  the
   "child care for caregivers act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "child care for caregivers act".
   §  2.  Paragraph  (a)  of subdivision 2 of section 410-x of the social
 services law, as amended by section 3 of part U of  chapter  56  of  the
 laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   (a)  (I)  The  office  of  children  and family services may establish
 priorities for the families which will be eligible to  receive  funding;
 provided that the priorities provide that eligible families will receive
 equitable access to child care assistance funds to the extent that these
 funds  are  available.  The office of children and family services shall
 ensure that families in receipt of child care assistance as of September
 thirtieth, two thousand twenty-three who were identified as  a  priority
 population   under  a  local  social  services  district's  consolidated
 services plan  shall  continue  to  be  eligible  for  such  assistance,
 provided  they  meet  all  other applicable eligibility requirements for
 such assistance.
   (II) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE  CONTRARY,  THE
 OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL, CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL
 LAW AND REGULATION, DESIGNATE FAMILIES IN WHICH A  PARENT  OR  CARETAKER
 RELATIVE  IS  A  MEMBER  OF  THE REGULATED CHILD CARE WORKFORCE AS A TOP
 PRIORITY POPULATION FOR THE RECEIPT OF CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE UNDER  THIS
 SUBDIVISION.
   (III)  FOR  PURPOSES  OF THIS SUBDIVISION, "REGULATED CHILD CARE WORK-
 FORCE" SHALL MEAN INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED BY LICENSED OR  REGISTERED  CHILD
 DAY  CARE  CENTERS, PROGRAMS OPERATING AS GROUP FAMILY DAY CARE HOMES OR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13976-01-5
              

 A. 9302                             2
 
 FAMILY DAY CARE HOMES, ENROLLED LEGALLY EXEMPT PROVIDERS, OR  SCHOOL-AGE
 CHILD  CARE  PROGRAMS  REGULATED  BY  THE  OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY
 SERVICES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO  TEACHERS,  TEACHING  ASSISTANTS,
 AND TEACHER AIDES.
   (IV)  THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL ENSURE THAT
 FUNDING IS SET ASIDE OR OTHERWISE  RESERVED  FOR  REGULATED  CHILD  CARE
 WORKFORCE  POPULATIONS  SUFFICIENT  TO  PROVIDE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE TO
 ELIGIBLE FAMILIES, TO THE EXTENT OF APPROPRIATIONS MADE AVAILABLE THERE-
 FOR.
   (V) THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL CONDUCT, OR CAUSE
 TO BE CONDUCTED, A STATEWIDE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH  CAMPAIGN  TO
 INFORM  MEMBERS OF THE REGULATED CHILD CARE WORKFORCE OF THEIR ELIGIBIL-
 ITY AND PRIORITY STATUS FOR CHILD  CARE  ASSISTANCE  UNDER  SUBPARAGRAPH
 (II)  OF THIS PARAGRAPH. SUCH CAMPAIGN SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED
 TO, PUBLICATION OF INFORMATION ON THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY
 SERVICES WEBSITE, COORDINATION WITH LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS, AND
 COLLABORATION WITH CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL AGENCIES AND EMPLOY-
 ER NETWORKS.
   §  3.  Paragraph  (e)  of subdivision 2 of section 410-x of the social
 services law, as added by chapter 416 of the laws of 2000, is amended to
 read as follows:
   (e) The commissioner of the office of  children  and  family  services
 shall submit a report to the governor, temporary president of the senate
 and  the  speaker  of the assembly on or before August thirty-first, two
 thousand one concerning the implementation of this section. This  report
 shall  include  information  concerning  the  disbursement of child care
 assistance funds showing geographic distribution of  children  receiving
 assistance within the state.  THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN
 AND  FAMILY  SERVICES  SHALL  SUBMIT AN ADDITIONAL REPORT CONCERNING THE
 IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION NO LATER THAN  AUGUST  THIRTY-FIRST,  TWO
 THOUSAND  TWENTY-SEVEN,  WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT BE LIMITED TO,
 INFORMATION CONCERNING THE DISBURSEMENT OF CHILD CARE  ASSISTANCE  FUNDS
 TO THE REGULATED CHILD CARE WORKFORCE.
   §  4.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.