H. B. 4608
(By Delegates Webster, Brown, Fleischauer, Palumbo, Perdue,
Reynolds, Lane, Beach, Craig, Moye and White)
[Introduced February 18, 2008; referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §5A-1-12, relating to
a study and investigation by the Department of Administration
on the feasibility, implementation, effects and related issues
in connection with creating a pilot program for child day
centers operated by the State; and requiring that the
Department of Administration report on same to the Joint
Committee on Government and Finance prior to the first day of
January, two thousand nine.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §5A-1-12, to read as
follows:
CHAPTER 5A. DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION.
ARTICLE 1. DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION.
§5A-1-12. Study on pilot program for state-operated child day
care centers.
(a) The Legislature finds that state-owned or leased
facilities are suitable for the provision of child day care and
that such day care centers are needed by public employees and other
parents in the State. Further, the Legislature finds that such
facilities should be designed, constructed or improved so as to
maximize the attending children's safety, health, education and
development. Further, the Legislature finds that management and
staff personnel at such facilities should be adequately educated,
trained and compensated, including healthcare insurance and other
benefits, for the services they provide to the attending children
and their families, and that retention of such personnel is
imperative to the continuity of development of attending children.
Finally, the Legislature finds that the operation of such
facilities should be undertaken so as to balance cost-effectiveness
in all aspects of such facilities' operations with the availability
of affordable day care services for public employees and other
parents in the State.
(b) The Department of Administration, in consultation with
other appropriate agencies and interested parties, shall undertake
a comprehensive study to investigate the feasibility,
implementation, effects and any related issues in connection with
creating a pilot program for child day centers operated by the State. Such study and investigation shall initially center on all
aspects of the operation and management of the Public Employees'
Day Care Center in Charleston. Such study and investigation shall
include, but is not limited to, other locations in which such
facilities would likely prosper; the costs and benefits associated
with appropriate design of, construction of or improvements to the
subject facilities; the costs and benefits associated with hiring
and retaining adequately educated, trained and compensated
management and staff personnel; the costs and benefits associated
with offering programs, instruction and activities designed to
provide attending children with modern, effective opportunities for
enhanced safety, health, education and development; and the costs
and benefits of providing available, affordable child day care
services to child attendees and their families.
(c) The Department of Administration, in consultation with
other appropriate agencies and interested parties, shall report to
the Joint Committee on Government and Finance prior to the first
day of January, two thousand nine, on its findings,
recommendations, and suggested legislation to implement the
creation of a pilot program for child day care centers operated by
the State, beginning with the Public Employees' Day Care Center in
Charleston. Such report shall include, but is not limited to,
findings on the costs associated with creating and implementing the
pilot program; the benefits to be realized by employees, child attendees and parents of child attendees; problems incident to the
operation and management of such facilities; and other matters
relevant to their operation.