Florida Child Care Fund.

The Florida Child Care Fund is established to support early learning and child care needs of Florida families.

(1) A Department of Education direct-support organization established pursuant to s. 1001.24 shall administer the fund.

(2)(a) Any bequests, gifts, grants, and donations made to the fund as may be solicited for such purpose from public or private sources shall be deposited into the Early Learning Fund.

(b) Any legislative appropriation from the Child Care and Development Block Grant Trust Fund which may be provided to the Florida Child Care Fund shall be deposited into the Early Learning Fund and shall be used to fund children from the waiting list under subparagraph (3)(a)1.

(c) Any funds received from state sources and interest earnings shall be accounted for separately.

(3) Funds shall be used for the following purposes:

(a) To provide care for children from birth until the child is eligible to enroll in kindergarten in accordance with:

1. An allocation methodology to fund the waiting list of early learning coalitions; or

2. The intentions of a donor.

(b) The early learning coalition shall fund school readiness program providers and providers selected by the donor’s recipient at the reimbursement rate calculated pursuant to s. 1002.84(17). If the provider selected by the donor’s recipient is not a school readiness program provider, the department shall adopt a contract for use by an early learning coalition with the provider to provide such funds.

(c) Any family served under subparagraph (a)1. shall have an early learning coalition apply a parent copayment based on family income pursuant to s. 1002.84(9) or s. 1002.935(2)(b).

(4) Beginning January 1, 2027, and each January 1 thereafter, the Division of Early Learning shall prepare, and the department shall publish on its website, a report that summarizes the performance of the Florida Child Care Fund and the fund’s fundraising activities for the previous fiscal year, and identifies the child care needs supported by the fund principal or earnings and those supported by private sources, bequests, gifts, grants, and donations. The report must also include:

(a) Outcome data, including the number of children served and any child outcomes, by each early learning coalition.

(b) The amount of funds spent on administrative expenses and fundraising and the amount of funds raised from private sources.