Relating to establishing a child-care services waiting list priority for the children of certain child-care workers.

Contracts

• Employee Handbooks: Update benefits sections to disclose this statutory priority. Define "qualifying employment" internally as 25+ hours per week to align with the statute.
• Provider Agreements: If you are a CCS provider, anticipate amendments to your Local Workforce Development Board agreement regarding the reporting of staff eligibility.

Hiring/Training

• Recruitment Strategy: Immediately update job postings to highlight "State-Mandated Child Care Priority" as a benefit for positions exceeding 25 hours/week.
• HR Training: Staff responsible for payroll must be trained to generate "Proof of Employment" documentation that specifically attests to the 25-hour weekly minimum.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Verification of Hours: You must create a standardized form or payroll extract that certifies an employee works a minimum of 25 hours per week. This will be required at initial application and during the mandatory annual redetermination.
• Director/Owner Exclusion: If an owner or director applies, you must document the facility's organizational structure to prove their child is not under the parent's "direct supervision" while in care.

Fees & Costs

• Administrative Overhead: No new state fees. Costs are limited to the administrative time required to verify employment status and hours for staff members applying for subsidies.