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91_HB4021eng HB4021 Engrossed LRB9113015ACtmA 1 AN ACT creating the Great START program. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is 5 amended by adding Section 10-22 as follows: 6 (20 ILCS 1305/10-22 new) 7 Sec. 10-22. Great START program. 8 (a) Beginning October 1, 2000, the Department of Human 9 Services shall, subject to a specific appropriation for this 10 purpose, operate a Great START (Strategy To Attract and 11 Retain Teachers) program. The goal of the program is to 12 improve children's developmental and educational outcomes in 13 child care by encouraging increased professional preparation 14 by staff and staff retention. The Great START program shall 15 coordinate with the TEACH professional development program. 16 The program shall provide wage supplements and may 17 include other incentives to licensed child care center 18 personnel, including early childhood teachers, school-age 19 workers, early childhood assistants, school-age assistants, 20 and directors, as such positions are defined by 21 administrative rule of the Department of Children and Family 22 Services. The program shall provide wage supplements and may 23 include other incentives to licensed family day care home 24 personnel and licensed group day care home personnel, 25 including caregivers and assistants as such positions are 26 defined by administrative rule of the Department of Children 27 and Family Services. Individuals will receive supplements 28 commensurate with their qualifications. 29 (b) The Department shall convene a working committee of 30 its standing Child and Development Advisory Council to make 31 recommendations by October 1, 2000 on the components of the HB4021 Engrossed -2- LRB9113015ACtmA 1 Great START program. The working committee shall consist of 2 experts from the child care and early childhood education 3 field. In addition, the working committee shall include, when 4 necessary, the Secretary of Human Services, the Director of 5 Children and Family Services, the Director of Commerce and 6 Community Affairs, the Director of Employment Security, the 7 Superintendent of the State Board of Education, the Chair of 8 the Community College Board, and the Chair of the Executive 9 Committee of the Board of Higher Education, or their 10 designees. 11 (c) The Department shall, by rule, define the scope and 12 operation of the program, including a wage supplement scale. 13 The scale shall pay increasing amounts for higher levels of 14 educational attainment beyond minimum qualifications and 15 shall recognize longevity of employment. Subject to the 16 availability of sufficient appropriation, the wage 17 supplements shall be paid to child care personnel in the form 18 of bonuses at 6 month intervals. Six months of continuous 19 service with a single employer is required to be eligible to 20 receive a wage supplement bonus. Wage supplements shall be 21 paid directly to individual day care personnel, not to their 22 employers. Eligible individuals must provide to the 23 Department or its agent all information and documentation, 24 including but not limited to college transcripts, to 25 demonstrate their qualifications for a particular wage 26 supplement level. 27 If appropriations permit, the Department may include 28 one-time signing bonuses or other incentives to help 29 providers attract staff, provided that the signing bonuses 30 are less than the supplement staff would have received if 31 they had remained employed with another day care center or 32 family day care home. 33 If appropriations permit, the Department may include 34 one-time longevity bonuses or other incentives to recognize HB4021 Engrossed -3- LRB9113015ACtmA 1 staff who have remained with a single employer. 2 (d) The Department shall evaluate the Great START 3 program, gather data on turnover rates, educational 4 attainment, and other relevant issues, and submit a report to 5 the General Assembly on the Great START program by December 6 31, 2002. 7 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 8 becoming law.