AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law requires newly hired child-care workers to take 24 hours of pre-service training, and 24 hours of training annually.
S.B. 1688 provides an exemption from the 24 hours of pre-service training to individuals who already have a background in child care. This includes individuals who have previously completed the required training, individuals who have at least two years of employment experience in a regulated child-care facility, two years of experience in a public school working as a teacher in kindergarten through third grade, or has earned at least six semester hours in courses related to child education or development.
People who are exempted from the 24 hours of pre-service training are still responsible for completing the 24 hours of annual training.
As proposed, S.B. 1688 amends current law relating to certain exemptions to initial training requirements for employees, directors, and operators of a child-care facility.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 42.0421(a), Human Resources Code, as follows:
(a) Requires that the minimum training standards prescribed by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) under Section 42.042(p) (relating to requiring DFPS by rule to prescribe minimum training standards for an employee of a regulated child-care facility, including the time required for completing the training) for an employee, director, or operator of a day-care center, group day-care home, or registered family home include:
(1) 24 hours of initial training that is required to be completed not later than the 90th day after the employee's first day of employment, eight hours of which must be completed before the employee is given responsibility for a group of children, except that the employee is not required to complete the initial training if the employee:
(A) has previously completed the training required by this subdivision in a regulated child-care facility;
(B) has at least two years of employment experience in a regulated child-care facility; or an accredited public school working as a teacher certified under Chapter 21 (Educators), Education Code, with children in kindergarten through grade three; or
(C) has earned at least six semester hours of college credit in courses relating to child education or development, including child psychology, early childhood education, classroom management, and child growth and development; and
(2)-(3) Makes no change to these subdivisions.
Deletes existing text requiring that the minimum training standards prescribed by the department under Section 42.042(p) for an employee, director, or operator of a day-care center, group day-care home, or registered family home include, among other requirements, 24 hours of initial training that is required to be completed not later than the 90th day after the employee's first day of employment for an employee of a day-care center who has no previous training or less than two years of employment experience in a regulated child-care facility, eight hours of which is required to be completed before the employee is given responsibility for a group of children.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.