School Readiness Plus Program.

The School Readiness Plus Program is created within the Department of Education to support the continued school readiness and child care needs of working families with children. The program is contingent upon a legislative appropriation and is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

(1)(a) A child who is determined to be ineligible for school readiness program funds due to family income during the annual eligibility redetermination process pursuant to s. 1002.87(6) is eligible for a subsidy under this section if the family income is between 85 percent and 100 percent, inclusive, of the state median income.

(b)1. The early learning coalitions established in s. 1002.83 shall administer the School Readiness Plus Program and provide participants with access to the benefit management and career planning tool described in s. 445.009(1)(k).

2. The early learning coalitions must spend the minimum amount of funds necessary for the efficient and effective administration of the School Readiness Plus Program. The early learning coalitions may not use more than 5 percent of the funds allowed for the program for administrative costs in a fiscal year.

(2)(a) The amount of the subsidy is a percentage of the early learning coalition’s approved school readiness program provider reimbursement rates as calculated pursuant to s. 1002.84(17). An early learning coalition shall consider family income and a required parent copayment that increases in relation to the family income when establishing the percentage for the amount of the subsidy for the program.

(b) The amount of the subsidy and parent copayment must be sufficient to allow the family to access eligible school readiness providers pursuant to s. 1002.88 and enable the parent to achieve self-sufficiency.

(3) For a parent to receive a subsidy under the program, he or she must:

(a) Provide any documentation necessary to verify the parent’s eligibility to receive the subsidy.

(b) Be responsible for the payment of all child care expenses in excess of the amount of the subsidy.