S4190

An Act establishing a child care costs reimbursement grant program in the Department of Children and Families, supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.

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

1. As used in this act:

“Eligible parent or guardian” means an individual who: (1) is employed full-time or part-time; and (2) has a child who is enrolled or will be enrolled in a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) and who is subject to quarantine as a result of an exposure to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

2. a. There is established in the Department of Children and Families a grant program in which an eligible parent or guardian with shall be reimbursed for child care tuition costs incurred by the parent or guardian during the period the parent or guardian’s child is quarantined as a result of an exposure to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the child care center where the child is or will be enrolled.

b. The grant program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be funded from monies appropriated thereto by section 4 of this act, and any other monies as may be appropriated or otherwise made available for that purpose.

3. a. An eligible parent or guardian who wishes to participate in the grant program established under section 2 of this act shall submit an application to the Commissioner of Children and Families, in a manner and on forms as determined by the commissioner.

b. The commissioner shall:

(1) establish selection criteria for awarding grants under the program;

(2) award grants under the program based upon review of the applications and subject to the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the program;

(3) allocate the approved grant funds to each eligible parent or guardian participating in the program in a timely manner; and

(4) establish the amount of each grant awarded for an eligible parent or guardian.

c. The grant awarded to an eligible parent or guardian pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be used to reimburse child care tuition costs incurred by the parent or guardian during the period the parent or guardian’s child is quarantined as a result of an exposure to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the child care center where the child is or will be enrolled.

4. There is appropriated $500,000 from a portion of the block grant funds allocated to the State from the federal “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,” Pub.L.117-2, to the Department of Children and Families for the grant program established in section 2 of this act, to the extent the funding is available for this purpose

5. The Department of Children and Families shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this act.

6. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third after the date of enactment, except that the Commissioner of Children and Families may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes in the Department of Children and Families a grant program in which an eligible parent or guardian will be reimbursed for child care tuition costs incurred by the parent or guardian during the time the parent or guardian’s child is quarantined as a result of an exposure to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the child care center where the child is or will be enrolled.

As used in the bill, “eligible parent or guardian” means an individual who: is employed full-time or part-time; and has a child who is enrolled or will be enrolled in a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) and who is subject to quarantine as a result of an exposure to COVID-19.

The grant program is to be funded from $500,000 appropriated to the DCF from a portion of the block grant funds allocated to the State from the federal “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,” Pub.L.117-2, and any other monies appropriated or made available for the grant program.

Under the provisions of the bill, an eligible parent or guardian who wishes to participate in the grant program is to submit an application to the Commissioner of Children and Families (commissioner), in a manner and on forms determined by the commissioner. The commissioner is to: (1) establish selection criteria for awarding grants under the program; (2) award grants under the program based upon review of the applications and subject to the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the program; (3) allocate the approved grant funds to each eligible parent or guardian participating in the program in a timely manner; and (4) establish the amount of each grant awarded for an eligible parent or guardian.

The bill stipulates that the grant awarded to an eligible parent or guardian will be used to reimburse child care tuition costs incurred by the parent or guardian during the period the parent or guardian’s child is quarantined as a result of an exposure to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the child care center where the child is or will be enrolled.