11 KAR 16:060. Early Childhood Development Scholarship Program system of monetary incentives

      Section 1. Textbook Expense Incentive. A scholarship recipient shall be entitled to a monetary allowance from his employer for the purchase of textbooks in an amount equal to the actual cost of the textbooks not to exceed fifty (50) dollars per academic term and $150 per academic year. This allowance shall be provided through reimbursement to the scholarship recipient by the employer, direct payment by the employer to the textbook vendor, or other means as agreed upon by the employer and scholarship recipient.

      (1) Reimbursement.

      (a) The scholarship recipient shall present to his employer at the participating early childhood facility a receipt for the purchase of textbooks for the scholarship program curriculum. The scholarship recipient shall present the receipt to his employer no later than the end of the academic term to be eligible to receive a textbook expense reimbursement for the academic term.

      (b) The participating early childhood facility shall, no later than fifteen (15) days after presentation of a receipt for textbook purchase, reimburse the scholarship recipient for the actual cost of the textbooks up to the maximum established in this section.

      (c) The participating early childhood facility shall, upon request by the professional development counselor, provide evidence of reimbursement of scholarship recipients for textbooks.

      (2) Direct payment.

      (a) The participating early childhood facility shall enter into an arrangement with the textbook vendor whereby the employer authorizes the scholarship recipient to obtain the approved or necessary textbooks, and, upon receipt of a billing statement from the vendor, make a payment to the vendor of the actual cost of the textbooks up to the maximum established in this section.

      (b) The participating early childhood facility shall, upon request by the professional development counselor, provide evidence of direct payment of the textbook incentive to the vendor on behalf of a scholarship recipient.

      (3) Other funding means. If the participating early childhood facility and the scholarship recipient mutually agree to another method for payment of the textbook expense incentive, the participating early childhood facility shall maintain documentation to evidence payment of the incentive and, upon request by the professional development counselor, provide proof to substantiate the payment.

 

      Section 2. Related Educational Expense Reimbursement. (1) Subject to the availability of funds, a scholarship recipient who meets the requirements set forth in this section shall be eligible for reimbursement of related educational expenses as established in subsection (3) of this section.

      (2) The scholarship recipient shall present to the professional development counselor no later than sixty (60) days following completion of the academic term an official grade report from the participating educational institution as evidence of completion of the scholarship program curriculum with a grade of at least "C" or its equivalent in each course in which the scholarship recipient is enrolled for credit during the academic term.

      (3) The amount of the related educational expense reimbursement shall be:

      (a) Fifty (50) dollars to a scholarship recipient pursuing a child development associate’s credential at a participating educational institution; or

      (b) $100 to a scholarship recipient pursuing an ECAC-approved early childhood development credential, pursuing other than a child development associate's, or an ECAC-approved associate or bachelor's degree credential.

      (4) The professional development counselor, no later than thirty (30) days after considering if the scholarship recipient is eligible to receive reimbursement of related educational expenses associated with attendance at the participating educational institution, shall notify the scholarship recipient in writing of the determination of eligibility for the reimbursement of related educational expenses and the amount of the award. Eligibility shall be determined based on the requirements of this administrative regulation.

      (5)(a) After determination of eligibility, the professional development counselor shall transmit to the Department for Community Based Services of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services a list of eligible recipients of reimbursement of related educational expenses. The list shall indicate:

      1. The name, home address, and Social Security number of the award recipient; and

      2. The amount of the reimbursement of related educational expenses earned by the recipient.

      (b) The Cabinet for Health and Family Service shall remit to the award recipient the earned reimbursement of related educational expenses established in subsection (3) of this section.

 

      Section 3. Milestone Achievement Award. (1) The scholarship recipient shall present to the professional development counselor and to the participating early childhood facility no later than sixty (60) days following completion of the academic term evidence of earning the ECAC-approved early childhood development credential or degree to be eligible to receive a milestone achievement award. Milestone achievement award reimbursement shall be provided only to the extent funds are available.

      (2) Evidence of earning the ECAC-approved early childhood development credential or associate or bachelor's degree shall be:

      (a) The certificate for the Commonwealth Child Care Credential, the Child Development Associate Credential, or the Kentucky Early Childhood Development Director's Credential; or

      (b) The diploma or official transcript from the participating educational institution for an ECAC-approved early childhood associate or bachelor's degree.

      (3) The milestone achievement award amount shall be:

      (a) $100 for earning the Commonwealth Child Care Credential in an early childhood development program approved by the ECAC;

      (b) $250 for earning an initial child development associate's credential;

      (c) $300 for earning an initial associate degree in early childhood education or other program approved by the ECAC, or the Kentucky Early Childhood Development Director's Credential; or

      (d) $500 for earning an initial baccalaureate degree in interdisciplinary early childhood education or other program approved by the ECAC.

      (4) The professional development counselor, no later than thirty (30) days after considering if the scholarship recipient is eligible to receive a milestone achievement award, shall notify the scholarship recipient in writing of the determination of eligibility for the milestone achievement award and the amount of the award. Eligibility shall be determined based on the requirements of this administrative regulation.

      (5)(a) No later than fifteen (15) days following receipt of the document established in subsection (2) of this section, the participating early childhood facility that employs the scholarship recipient, upon the scholarship recipient earning the ECAC-approved early childhood credential or degree, shall remit to the scholarship recipient by check a minimum of ten (10) percent of the earned milestone achievement award established in subsection (3) of this section.

      (b) The participating early childhood facility shall send to the professional development counselor a copy of the check as evidence that the participating early childhood facility has paid the scholarship recipient in accordance with paragraph (a) of this subsection.

      (6)(a) After determination of eligibility and evidence of payment by the participating early childhood facility of the milestone achievement award, the professional development counselor shall transmit to the Department for Community Based Services of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services a list of eligible recipients of the milestone achievement award. The list shall indicate:

      1. The name, home address, and Social Security number of the award recipient; and

      2. The amount of the milestone achievement award earned by the recipient.

      (b) The Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall remit to the award recipient ninety (90) percent of the earned milestone achievement award specified in subsection (3) of this section.

      (7) A participating early childhood facility may appeal to the Early Childhood Development Authority Advisory Council for an exception to the foregoing provisions regarding the type of credentials for which the facility funds the Milestone Achievement Award or the timing of the payment of the award based upon the needs and organizational goals of the facility, the professional learning objectives of the scholar, or any fiscal limitations to which the facility may be subject. (27 Ky.R. 1373; Am. 1826; eff. 2-5-2001; 28 Ky.R. 664; eff. 11-5-2001; 34 Ky.R. 1775; 2081; eff. 4-4-08; 40 Ky.R. 95; eff. 9-9-2013; 42 Ky.R. 449; 1125; eff. 10-12-2015.)

Notation

      RELATES to: KRS 164.518, 199.8941(4)

      STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 164.518(3), 164.748(4)

      NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 164.518(3) requires the authority to promulgate administrative regulations for administration of the Early Childhood Development Scholarship Program. This administrative regulation establishes responsibility for administration of the system of monetary incentives offered to Early Childhood Development Scholarship recipients.