Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 164 - Educational Opportunities
Section 10-16r. - Local school readiness councils; duties. Regional school readiness councils.

(a) A town seeking to apply for a grant pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-16p or section 10-16u shall convene a local school readiness council or shall establish a regional school readiness council pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Any other town may convene such a council. The chief elected official of the town or, in the case of a regional school district, the chief elected officials of the towns in the school district and the superintendent of schools for the school district shall jointly appoint and convene such council. Each school readiness council shall be composed of: (1) The chief elected official, or the official's designee; (2) the superintendent of schools, or a management level staff person as the superintendent's designee; (3) parents; (4) representatives from local programs such as Head Start, child care providers receiving state financial assistance pursuant to section 8-210, family resource centers, nonprofit and for-profit child care centers, group child care homes, prekindergarten and nursery schools, and family child care home providers; (5) a representative from a health care provider in the community; (6) the local homeless education liaison designated by the local or regional board of education for the school district, pursuant to Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 USC 11431 et seq., as amended from time to time; (7) a representative from a workforce or job training entity in the community; (8) a representative from a local business in the community; and (9) other representatives from the community who provide services to children. On and after July 1, 2021, the members of the school readiness council shall elect the chairperson of the school readiness council. Each school readiness council is required to document efforts to ensure that the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic composition of the council reflects that of its town or region, as applicable. At least twenty-five per cent of the membership of the school readiness council shall be parents or guardians of children eligible to attend a school readiness program. Such parents or guardians may, within available appropriations, be compensated for any time and travel related to council meetings, and any activities related to training, leadership and community engagement. School readiness council meetings shall be held at times and locations that are convenient for the council members, including the parent and guardian members.

(b) The local school readiness council shall: (1) Make recommendations to the chief elected official and the superintendent of schools on issues relating to school readiness, including any applications for grants pursuant to sections 10-16p, 10-16u, 17b-749a and 17b-749c; (2) foster partnerships among providers of school readiness programs; (3) cooperate with the Office of Early Childhood in any evaluation of a school readiness program; (4) identify existing and prospective resources and services available to children and families; (5) facilitate the coordination of the delivery of services to children and families, including (A) referral procedures, and (B) before and after-school child care for children attending kindergarten programs; (6) exchange information with other councils, the community and organizations serving the needs of children and families; (7) make recommendations to school officials concerning transition from school readiness programs to kindergarten; (8) encourage public participation; and (9) collaborate with the Office of Early Childhood related to planning improvements to the state early care and education governance structure.
(c) Two or more towns or school districts and appropriate representatives of groups or entities interested in early childhood education in a region may establish a regional school readiness council. If a priority school is located in at least one of such school districts, the regional school readiness council may apply for a grant pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-16p. The regional school readiness council may perform the duties outlined in subdivisions (2) to (8), inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section.
(P.A. 97-259, S. 4, 41; P.A. 98-243, S. 10, 25; P.A. 99-230, S. 3, 10; P.A. 00-187, S. 11, 75; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 15, 54; P.A. 04-215, S. 5; P.A. 05-245, S. 2; P.A. 11-136, S. 9; P.A. 14-39, S. 15; P.A. 15-143, S. 4; 15-227, S. 5, 25; P.A. 16-100, S. 6; 16-163, S. 19; P.A. 21-172, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-243 added Subdiv. (5) of Subsec. (b)(5)(B) re before and after-school child care, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-230 added Subsec. (b)(4) and (5) re biannual reports and re evaluations, and renumbered the existing Subdivs. (4) to (8), inclusive, as Subdivs. (6) to (10), inclusive, and amended Subsec. (c) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-187 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to add references to Sec. 10-16u and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (a) to allow a town to establish a regional school readiness council, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 04-215 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by adding provision re universal school readiness in priority school districts and by including factors identified pursuant to Subdiv. (3) as part of reporting requirements in Subdiv. (4), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-245 added Subsec. (a)(5) re a representative from a health care provider, redesignating existing Subdiv. (5) as Subdiv. (6), effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “biannual” with “biennial” in Subdiv. (4), designating existing language in Subdiv. (4) re factors identified pursuant to Subdiv. (3) as new Subdiv. (5) and adding “submit biennial reports on” therein, and redesignating existing Subdivs. (5) to (10) as Subdivs. (6) to (11), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 14-39 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting former Subdiv. (3) re assisting in the identification of children not being served, redesignating existing Subdiv. (4) as Subdiv. (3) and amending same to delete “future needs” and add provision re number of children not being served by school readiness programs and estimated cost, deleting former Subdiv. (5) re biennial reports and redesignating existing Subdivs. (6) to (11) as Subdivs. (4) to (9), and amended Subsec. (c) to make a conforming change, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-143 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Department of Education” with “Office of Early Childhood” in Subdiv. (3) and by replacing “department” with “office” and deleting reference to Sec. 10-16s in Subdiv. (4), effective June 30, 2015; P.A. 15-227 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting former Subdiv. (3) re submission of biennial reports and redesignating existing Subdivs. (4) to (9) as Subdivs. (3) to (8), effective July 1, 2015; pursuant to P.A. 15-227, “child day care centers”, “group day care homes” and “family day care home” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “child care centers”, “group child care homes” and “family child care home”, respectively, in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 16-100 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (6) re local homeless education liaison and redesignating existing Subdiv. (6) re other representatives as Subdiv. (7), effective June 2, 2016; P.A. 16-163 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by replacing “office in any program evaluation” with “Office of Early Childhood in any evaluation of a school readiness program”, effective June 9, 2016; P.A. 21-172 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “child care providers receiving state financial assistance pursuant to section 8-210,” in Subdiv. (4), adding new Subdivs. (7) and (8) re representatives from workforce or job training entity and local business in the community, redesignating existing Subdiv. (7) as Subdiv. (9), replacing provision re chief elected official to designate chairperson of council with provision re members of council to elect chairperson, and adding provisions re membership and meetings of council, and amended Subsec. (b) by adding Subdiv. (9) re collaborate with Office of Early Childhood related to planning improvements to state early care and education governance structure, effective July 1, 2021.

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