| (a) In this section, the term "contracted slots agreement"
is defined as a Board entering into a contract with a child care provider
to reserve a specific number of places, or slots, for children participating
in the child care subsidy program. This contract shall:
(1) define the number of slots to be reserved by age
group (infant, toddler, preschool, or school-age); and
(2) meet the eligibility requirements as described
in subsection (e) of this section.
(b) Boards may enter into a contracted slots agreement
with providers that agree to provide subsidized child care services
to eligible children residing in the Board's workforce area.
(c) A Board that enters into a contracted slots agreement
shall include this strategy in the Board Plan, as described in §809.12
of this chapter.
(d) Each contract between a Board and a provider must
identify the number of places (slots) to be reserved for children
participating in the child care subsidy program.
(e) To be eligible for a contract, a child care provider
must be a Texas Rising Star Three-Star or Four-Star provider and meet
one of the following priorities:
(1) Be located in:
(A) a child care desert; or
(B) an underserved area that has been identified by
a Board as having an inadequate supply of child care in accordance
with the parameters described in the CCDF State Plan.
(2) Have a recognized partnership with local school
districts to provide pre-K services;
(3) Have a recognized partnership with EHS or HS;
(4) Increase the number of places reserved for infants
and toddlers by high-quality child care providers; or
(5) Satisfy a priority identified in the Board's plan,
as described in §809.12 of this chapter.
(f) A Board that enters into a contracted slots agreement
may continue payment for reserved slots during times of transition
between the time that one child leaves the program and another child
is placed in the slot. The period of continued payment shall adhere
to the Board's policy for contracted slots agreements and may not
exceed one month following the month of the vacancy.
(g) Except for children directly referred from recognized
partnerships, as described in §809.22 of this chapter, to fill
open reserved slots, Boards shall contact families in order of the
Board's waiting list:
(1) that requested care in the ZIP code where the provider
with the open reserved slot is located; and
(2) whose child is in the age group for which a slot
is available.
(h) In accordance with Commission guidelines, Boards
that enter into contracted slots agreements shall submit a report
to the Commission within six months of entering into a contract, determining
the contract's effect on the:
(1) financial stability of providers participating
in the contract;
(2) availability of high-quality child care options
available to participants in the Commission's subsidy program;
(3) number of high-quality providers in any part of
the workforce area with a high concentration of families that need
child care;
(4) percentage of children participating in the Commission's
subsidized child care program at each Texas Rising Star provider in
the workforce area; and
(5) additional information as requested by the Commission.
(i) A Board shall resubmit the report every 12 months
from the due date of the Board's initial report to the Commission.
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