Section 92-11-004 - Requirements For All Prekindergarten Programs (Center-based and Home-based) Established By School Boards or Educational Service Units004.01Stated Purpose. Each program will have a stated purpose of promoting social, emotional, intellectual, language, physical, and aesthetic development and learning for the children served and of promoting family development and support.004.02Planning. Each program will have a planning period. The planning period will include activities associated with: 004.02A Determining the community's unmet needs for early childhood education for prekindergarten children in terms of the number of such children in the community, an estimate of the number of children at risk, kinds of programs available, numbers of children birth to kindergarten entrance age who are not currently receiving services, and barriers to the provision of services.004.02B Developing cooperative relationships with public and nonpublic providers of early childhood programs, including the development of cooperative agreements and contracts, as needed to carry out the proposed program.004.02C Recruiting and training staff.004.02D Identifying and listing existing school-community resources available to provide comprehensive services to the program participants.004.03Advisory Committee. A local Early Childhood Advisory Committee will be established with membership representing families and community members. 004.03A An existing advisory committee such as that required for services to children below age five (5) with disabilities in Title 92 NAC Chapter 51, a Head Start Policy Council, or a Title 1 Advisory Committee, may serve this purpose if the representation conforms with this section and the mission is expanded to encompass the purpose of this Chapter.004.03B Advisory Committee meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Act as described in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-1407 to 84-1414.004.04Coordination with Existing Programs and Funding Sources. Each program will develop, and keep on file, a written plan to show that the program will be coordinated or contracted with existing programs, including those listed in Subsection 004.04A and nonpublic programs which meet the requirements of this Chapter. Each program will develop and keep on file a written plan to coordinate and use a combination of local, state, and federal funding sources including, but not limited to, those listed in Subsection 004.04A in order to maximize the participation of economically and categorically diverse groups of children and to ensure that participating children and families have access to knowledge of comprehensive services that may be available. 004.04A For the purposes of Subsection 004.04, existing programs and funding sources are as follows: 004.04A1 Grants provided through the Early Childhood Education Grant Program for children ages three to kindergarten entrance age under Neb. Rev. Stat.79-1103 and the Early Childhood Grant Program for children ages birth to three (Sixpence Grants) under Neb. Rev Stat. § 79-1104.02004.04A2 Programs for children with disabilities below five years of age funded through the Special Education Act, the Early Intervention Act, and funds available through the flexible funding provisions under the Special Education Act.004.04A3 The federal Head Start or Early Head Start program.004.04A4 Title I of the federal funds provided through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and subsequent reauthorizations or other appropriate federal legislation.004.04A5 Child care assistance through the Department of Health and Human Services.004.04A6 Local district funds.004.04A7 Funds obtained through contracts with other school districts, such as contracts to provide services to children below age five with disabilities pursuant to 92 NAC 51.004.04A8 Private grants and gifts.004.04A9 Parent fees from the program's locally-developed sliding scale.004.04A10 Nonpublic prekindergarten programs which meet the requirements of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1104(2) and this Chapter.004.05Fees. Fees if charged s will not exceed the actual cost for providing prekindergarten programs. Programs charging fees will have a plan to use a sliding fee scale in order to maximize the participation of economically and categorically diverse groups. Programs may waive fees on the basis of need. This Subsection does not allow any school district to fail to meet its responsibilities under the Special Education Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1110 to 79-1167 ).004.06 Program Coordinator. Prekindergarten programs will be coordinated by either a certificated district staff member or an employee of an agency with whom the district has a partnership agreement who holds a current Nebraska Teaching Certificate with at least 9 college credit hours in early childhood education and has the authority and responsibility to ensure compliance of this Chapter.004.07Program and Staff Requirements. All teachers and administrators in prekindergarten programs established by school district or educational service units will hold a valid certificate or permit to teach issued by the Department pursuant to 92 NAC 21 unless a waiver has been granted by the Board pursuant to section 003.02A in which case the specific staff member or members listed as the subject of the waiver, will temporarily be exempt from the requirement in sections 004.07 and 005.05A. Each center-based part- day or full- day program will also meet program and staff requirements in Section 005 of this Chapter. Each home-based program will also meet the program and staff requirements in Section 006 of this Chapter.004.08Participation and Inclusion. Participation of children and families in any program under this Chapter will be voluntary. Programs will not exclude children verified as having disabilities and will include to the extent possible children of diverse social and economic characteristics. 004.08A Birth Certificates. Within 30 days of enrollment, parents or guardians must submit to the district a certified copy of the child's birth certificate or other documentation in compliance with the Missing Children's Identification Act Neb. Rev. Stat. §$ 43-2001 through 43-2012.92 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 11, § 004
Amended effective 3/18/2020