Int. No. 1202
By Council Members Lander, Chin, James and Rose
A Local Law to amend the New York city charter and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the creation of the department of early childhood development, and to repeal paragraph 4 of subdivision a of section 617 of such charter in relation thereto.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph 4 of subdivision a of section 617 of the charter of the city of New York is REPEALED.
§ 2. Paragraph 5 of subdivision a of section 617 of the charter of the city of New York is renumbered paragraph 4.
§ 3. The charter of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 23 to read as follows:
Chapter 23.
Department of Early Childhood Development.
§ 580. Administration; commissioner. There shall be a department for early childhood development, the head of which shall be the commissioner of early childhood development.
§ 581. Deputies. The commissioner shall appoint at least one deputy.
§ 582. Powers and duties. a. The commissioner shall have the powers and perform the duties of a commissioner of social services under the social services law for the purpose of fulfilling his or her responsibilities under this section. The commissioner shall have the power to perform functions related to providing appropriate daycare, Head Start and other child-care services.
b. Wherever the powers and duties of an agency other than the department of early childhood development as set forth in the charter or administrative code confer any authority over the areas of daycare, Head Start or other child-care services within the jurisdiction of the commissioner of early childhood development pursuant to this section, such powers and duties shall be deemed to be within the jurisdiction of the department of early childhood development and shall be exercised by such department; provided that such other agency may exercise such powers and duties where required by state or federal law, or, with respect to determinations of eligibility for subsidized child care, by the department of social services as directed by the mayor.
§ 583. Additional functions. a. For purposes of this section, "child day care provider" shall have the same meaning as it does in section three hundred ninety of the social services law.
b. Except as otherwise provided in state or federal law, the commissioner may, in addition: 1. create education goals and quality standards for children from birth to five years of age enrolled in day care, Head Start and other child-care services;
2. facilitate regulatory alignment among relevant agencies, including but not limited to the department of buildings, the department of health and mental hygiene, and the fire department, in order to minimize costs and administrative burdens borne by new and existing child day care providers;
3. facilitate communication between relevant agencies and potential child day care providers in order to assist such providers in completing the regulatory inspection process in an efficient and timely manner;
4. facilitate communication between families and child day care providers;
5. facilitate the professional development of early childhood education teachers; and
6. explore plans to expand capacity for subsidized child care.
§ 4. Subdivision b of section 617 of the charter of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:
b. Wherever the powers and duties of an agency other than the administration for children's services as set forth in the charter or administrative code confer any authority over the areas of child welfare, child development or child support enforcement within the jurisdiction of the commissioner of children's services pursuant to section six hundred seventeen of this chapter, except if such areas relate to daycare, Head Start and other child-care services within the jurisdiction of the commissioner of early childhood development pursuant to section five hundred eighty-two of chapter twenty-three of the charter, such powers and duties shall be deemed to be within the jurisdiction of the administration for children's services and shall be exercised by such administration; provided that such other agency may exercise such powers and duties where required by state or federal law, or, with respect to child support enforcement or determinations of eligibility for subsidized child care, by the department of social services as directed by the mayor.
§ 5. This local law shall take effect one hundred eighty days after its enactment into law.
TM
LS# 3287
10/15/13