(a) The Superintendent shall establish a fee schedule for families using preschool and child care and development services pursuant to this chapter, including families receiving services pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 8263. It is the intent of the Legislature that the new fee schedule shall be simple and easy to implement.
(b) The family fee schedule shall retain a flat monthly fee per family. The schedule shall differentiate between fees for part-time care and full-time care.
(c) Using the most recently approved family fee schedule pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 8447, families shall be assessed a flat monthly fee based on income, certified family need for full-time or part-time care services, and enrollment, and shall not be based on actual attendance. No recalculation of a family fee shall occur if attendance varies from enrollment unless a change in need for care is assessed.
(d) The Superintendent shall design the new family fee schedule based on the most recent census data available on state median family income in the past 12 months, adjusted for family size, according to the methodology provided in subdivision (c) of Section 8263.1. The revised fees shall not exceed 10 percent of the family’s monthly income. The Superintendent shall first submit the adjusted fee schedule to the Department of Finance for approval.
(e) The income of a recipient of federal supplemental security income benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) and state supplemental program benefits pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1381 et seq.) and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall not be included in total countable income for purposes of determining the amount of the family fee.
(f) Family fees shall be assessed at initial enrollment and reassessed at update of certification or recertification.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the new family fees shall be cost neutral to the state and generate roughly the same amount of revenue as was generated under the previous family fee schedule.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 250, Sec. 2. (AB 129) Effective September 16, 2017.)