House Committee advances Fiona McFarland’s child care access proposal

A proposal by Sarasota Republican Rep. Fiona McFarland to expand before- and after-school child care access, shield in-home providers from insurance cancellations and create a new state-supported early learning fund cleared its latest House Committee.

HB 765 aims to expand access to early learning, ease regulatory burdens on providers and create new funding streams to help families struggling with rising child care costs. It does so by revising statutory definitions, adjusting licensing standards for family and large family child care homes, and addressing insurance protections for in-home providers. 

The bill takes a step further to create the “Brighter Futures Program” to help fund early learning and child care needs statewide. McFarland told House Budget Committee members on Monday the bill is meant to ease financial strain facing Florida families. 

“Until your child is old enough to go to a VPK or Kindergarten program you have to pay out of pocket,” she said. “If you are a working family, usually that means, depending on your income, you have to stay home because child care tuition is $16,000 a year.”

Under the measure, residential property insurers may not deny, cancel or refuse to renew a homeowner’s policy solely because the policyholder operates a family or large family child care home. At the same time, insurers are not required to cover liability claims arising from child care operations unless that coverage is specifically included in the policy.

Much of the discussion focused on access to wraparound services for the state’s youngest public school students. McFarland said the bill would allow public schools serving 3-year-olds in exceptional student education programs and 4-year-olds in public or nonpublic school child care programs to offer before- and after-care programs without obtaining a separate child care facility license.

Brooke Brunner, director of early learning for Leon County Schools, told lawmakers that current law creates a regulatory hurdle for childcare once the instructional day ends. She said more than 900 pre-K students in Leon County — particularly in two rural schools — could benefit from expanded access to wraparound services.

“Under current law, public schools may serve pre-K students during the instructional day under a statutory exemption,” she said. 

“However, when the instructional day ends, a DCF child care license is required to continue serving those same students in the same building. The children do not change, the facility does not change, the staff do not change. The safety requirements do not change. Only the regulatory designation changes.”

Chrissy Tillman, a foster parent from rural Leon County, told Legislators that because extended care is not available to pre-K students at her daughter’s elementary school she must pick her up at 2:30 p.m., forcing her to restructure her work schedule.

“In Woodville we have one daycare, it does not provide transportation and has limited availability,” Tillman said. “The nearest alternatives are 30 minutes away in Tallahassee. Families in places like Fort Braden, Chipley, Live Oak and countless other rural communities face the same impossible situation.”

The Committee also approved an amendment allowing legislative appropriations from the Child Care and Development Block Grant Trust Fund to be used to fund children on school readiness waiting lists, while indicating those participating families must pay a copayment.

The Committee advanced the bill to its final stop at the Health & Human Services Committee. A similar bill, SB 1690, was filed by Miami Republican Alexis Calatayud and has cleared two of three Senate Committee stops. If approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, the bill would become law on July 1.