(1)
(A) The Governor of the State shall
(i) designate or establish a council to serve as the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care for children from birth to
school entry (in this subchapter referred to as the State Advisory Council); and
(ii) designate an individual to coordinate activities of the State Advisory Council, as described in subparagraph (D)(i).
(B) The Governor may designate an existing entity in the State to serve as the State Advisory Council, and shall appoint representatives to the State Advisory Council at the Governors discretion. In designating an existing entity, the Governor shall take steps to ensure that its membership includes, to the extent possible, representatives consistent with subparagraph (C).
(C) Members of the State Advisory Council shall include, to the maximum extent possible
(i) a representative of the State agency responsible for child care;
(ii) a representative of the State educational agency;
(iii) a representative of local educational agencies;
(iv) a representative of institutions of higher education in the State;
(v) a representative of local providers of early childhood education and development services;
(vi) a representative from Head Start agencies located in the State, including migrant and seasonal Head Start programs and Indian Head Start programs;
(vii) the State Director of Head Start Collaboration;
(viii) a representative of the State agency responsible for programs under section
619 or part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (
20 U.S.C.
1419,
1431 et seq.);
(ix) a representative of the State agency responsible for health or mental health care; and
(x) representatives of other entities determined to be relevant by the Governor of the State.
(D)
(i) The State Advisory Council shall, in addition to any responsibilities assigned to the Council by the Governor of the State
(I) conduct a periodic statewide needs assessment concerning the quality and availability of early childhood education and development programs and services for children from birth to
school entry, including an assessment of the availability of high-quality pre-kindergarten services for low-income children in the State;
(II) identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and coordination among Federally-funded and State-funded child development, child care, and early childhood education programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among State agencies responsible for administering such programs;
(III) develop recommendations for increasing the overall participation of children in existing Federal, State, and local child care and early childhood education programs, including outreach to underrepresented and special populations;
(IV) develop recommendations regarding the establishment of a unified data collection system for public early childhood education and development programs and services throughout the State;
(V) develop recommendations regarding statewide professional development and career advancement plans for early childhood educators in the State;
(VI) assess the capacity and effectiveness of 2- and 4-year public and private institutions of higher education in the State toward supporting the development of early childhood educators, including the extent to which such institutions have in place articulation agreements, professional development and career advancement plans, and practice or internships for students to spend time in a Head Start or prekindergarten program; and
(VII) make recommendations for improvements in State early learning standards and undertake efforts to develop high-quality comprehensive early learning standards, as appropriate.
(ii) The State Advisory Council shall hold public hearings and provide an opportunity for public comment on the activities described in clause (i). The State Advisory Council shall submit a statewide strategic report addressing the activities described in clause (i) to the State Director of Head Start Collaboration and the Governor of the State.
(iii) After submission of a statewide strategic report under clause (ii), the State Advisory Council shall meet periodically to review any implementation of the recommendations in such report and any changes in State and local needs.
(2)
(A) The Secretary shall use the portion reserved under section
9835 (a)(4)(A)(iii) of this title to award, on a competitive basis, one-time startup grants of not less than $500,000 to eligible States to enable such States to pay for the Federal share of developing and implementing a plan pursuant to the responsibilities included under paragraph (1)(D)(i). A State that receives funds under this paragraph shall use such funds to facilitate the development or enhancement of high-quality systems of early childhood education and care designed to improve
school preparedness through one or more of the following activities
(i) promoting
school preparedness of children from birth through
school entry, including activities to encourage families and caregivers to engage in highly interactive, developmentally and age-appropriate activities to improve childrens early social, emotional, and cognitive development, support the transition of young children to
school, and foster parental and family involvement in the early education of young children;
(ii) supporting professional development, recruitment, and retention initiatives for early childhood educators;
(iii) enhancing existing early childhood education and development programs and services (in existence on the date on which the grant involved is awarded), including quality improvement activities authorized under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 [
42 U.S.C.
9858 et seq.]; and
(iv) carrying out other activities consistent with the States plan and application, pursuant to subparagraph (B).
(B) To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, a State shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a plan and application, for a 3-year period, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary shall require, including
(i) the statewide strategic report described in paragraph (1)(D)(ii), including a description of the State Advisory Councils responsibilities under paragraph (1)(D)(i);
(ii) a description, for each fiscal year, of how the State will make effective use of funds available under this paragraph, with funds described in subparagraph (C), to create an early childhood education and care system, by developing or enhancing programs and activities consistent with the statewide strategic report described in paragraph (1)(D)(i);
(iii) a description of the State early learning standards and the States goals for increasing the number of children entering kindergarten ready to learn;
(iv) information identifying the agency or joint interagency office, and individual, designated to carry out the activities under this paragraph, which may be the individual designated under paragraph (1)(A)(ii); and
(v) a description of how the State plans to sustain activities under this paragraph beyond the grant period.
(C) The Federal share of the cost of activities proposed to be conducted under subparagraph (A) shall be 30 percent, and the State shall provide the non-Federal share.
(D) Funds made available under this paragraph shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds expended to carry out activities related to early childhood education and care in the State.
(E) Not later than 18 months after the date a State receives a grant under this paragraph, the State shall submit an interim report to the Secretary. A State that receives a grant under this paragraph shall submit a final report to the Secretary at the end of the grant period. Each report shall include
(i) a description of the activities and services carried out under the grant, including the outcomes of such activities and services in meeting the needs described in the periodic needs assessment and statewide strategic report;
(ii) information about how the State used such funds to meet the goals of this subsection through activities to develop or enhance high-quality systems of early childhood education and care, increase effectiveness of delivery systems and use of funds, and enhance existing programs and services;
(iii) information regarding the remaining needs described in the periodic statewide needs assessment and statewide strategic report that have not yet been addressed by the State; and
(iv) any other information that the Secretary may require.
(F) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to provide the State Advisory Council with authority to modify, supersede, or negate the requirements of this subchapter.