Day care program authorized; funding system for child development facilities.

The Department is hereby authorized to provide a broad program of day care services for children of parents referred or approved by the Department for various training and work incentive programs, for children of other parents known to the Department where day care appears to be in the child’s best interest, and for children of low-income families, otherwise unknown to the Department, where the parents are employed outside of the home. As a part of its broad program of day care services, the Department shall develop a funding system for all child development facilities serving such children consistent with the provisions of this chapter that will encourage such facilities to:

(1) Provide a setting and a comprehensive program for the critically important early childhood development experience that will include, but not necessarily be limited to, educational, social, recreational, transportation, health, and nutritional services;

(2) Provide services directed to the total well-being of the child and the stabilization of the family unit;

(3) Provide a program which incorporates a broad-based parent and community participation component;

(4) Provide a resource to enable parents to join or remain in the work force, participate in job training and to attain self-sufficiency and independence for their families; and

(5) Provide a program which protects children of working parents from neglect or inadequate care.