Model States Child Care Enhancement Act of 1998

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Grants to Model States Subtitle A: Grants To Improve the Quality of Child Care Services Subtitle B: Grants to Business Consortia Subtitle C: General Provisions Title II: Child Care Standards Enforcement Title III: Loan Deferral Title IV: Research and Demonstrations Title V: Amendments to the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 Title VI: Child and Adult Food Program Title VII: Sense of the Congress Model States Child Care Enhancement Act of 1998 - Title I: Grants to Model States - Subtitle A: Grants To Improve the Quality of Child Care Services - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to eligible States to improve the quality of child care services. (Sec. 101) Requires such grants to be used by States for purposes the Secretary shall specify by rule, including: (1) providing specified types of State or federally approved, developmentally appropriate child care training (beyond certain basic training) to individuals who are, or are employed by, compensated child care providers; (2) requiring health consultation and age-appropriate immunization to children who receive child care services assisted under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBGA) and to other children who receive center-based child care; (3) assisting eligible child care providers to achieve developmentally appropriate child-per-caregiver ratios established by a national accrediting association; (4) making competitive grants to persons for improvements and startup costs incurred to become eligible child care providers; (5) paying costs incurred to obtain comprehensive background checks; (6) increasing payment rates to providers who serve children under CCDBGA and, at State option, require providers to seek accreditation or otherwise enhance the quality of their child care services as a condition of receiving increased payment rates; (7) expanding activities, including resource and referral systems, to educate parents on child care availability and quality; and (8) improving child care availability and quality for children with special needs, including those relating to health and disabilities. (Sec. 102) Requires a State, in order to be eligible to receive such a grant for a fiscal year, to submit to the Secretary an application with specified certifications of State requirements relating to: (1) center-based and group home child care providers to obtain from the State or local government a preemployment criminal background check of each individual subsequently employed to provide child care services, at a cost to providers not to exceed the lesser of $50 or 50 percent of the State or local cost of conducting each check; and (2) State or local health and safety inspections of center-based child care providers at least semiannually, group home child care providers at least annually, family child care providers at least biennially, and all other child care providers periodically. Requires States to certify that: (1) all caregivers who provide child care assisted under CCDBGA receive training in providing medical first aid; (2) caregivers who are, or are employed by, compensated child care providers have specific minimum training determined and provided by the lead agency; (3) all compensated child care providers obtain from parents (or legal guardians) information regarding whether children have received age-appropriate immunizations; (4) specific developmentally appropriate child-per-caregiver ratios apply to center-based child care providers in the State; and (5) the State complies with grant requirements under this title and with specified provisions of CCDBGA. Requires State assurance that it will not reduce or remove any State requirement applicable to child care providers that exceeds any requirement applicable under this title. Requires any State receiving a grant for a fiscal year that applies for another grant in a subsequent fiscal year to demonstrate that it has enforced such requirements. (Sec. 103) Requires allotment among the States of such grants to be based on a specified formula under the Social Security Act. Subtitle B: Grants to Business Consortia - Directs the Secretary to make grants to States to provide grants to eligible entities to improve access to affordable, local, quality child care services. (Sec. 151) Makes eligible for such a grant a consortium that: (1) has not received a grant under this title; and (2) consists of representatives from at least five businesses (or a nonprofit organization that represents at least five businesses), each of which, to the maximum extent practicable, is located in the same geographic region. Requires States to give priority, in providing such grants, to eligible entities that consist of a majority of representatives from small businesses. Sets a maximum limit on the amount of any such grant provided to an eligible entity for any fiscal year. Sets forth requirements for grant applications, use of funds, and matching funds. Subtitle C: General Provisions - Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Child Care Standards Enforcement - Amends CCDBGA to establish a program of annual payments to States for child care standards enforcement. (Sec. 201) Requires States, to be eligible for such payments for a fiscal year, to: (1) include a child care standards enforcement plan in their State plans; and (2) report specified data on enforcement of child care quality and safety plans. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Loan Deferral - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for student loan deferral for certain child care providers under specified programs for federally insured loans, federally guaranteed loans, and Federal direct student loans. Title IV: Research and Demonstrations - Amends CCDBGA to authorize the Secretary of HHS, directly or through grants, contracts, or other arrangements, to carry out research, demonstration projects, and other activities relating to child care services, including activities designed to improve the quality and increase the availability of child care services. (Sec. 401) Includes among allowable activities under such research and demonstrations program: (1) research on child care needs of low-income families; (2) demonstrations of technology-based education and training; (3) demonstration projects for new methods; (4) a National Center on Child Care Statistics; and (5) a hotline to locate local child care resources, and child care consumer education activities. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: Amendments to the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 - Amends CCDBGA to require that State certification relating to payment rates, for child care services for which assistance is provided, be based on a survey of the cost of child care services in local markets throughout the State, conducted not more than two years before the date the State application for a block grant is submitted. (Sec. 502) Extends through FY 2003 the authorization of appropriations for CCDBGA. Title VI: Child and Adult Food Program - Amends the National School Lunch Act to increase reimbursement rates for family or group day care homes under the child and adult care food program. Title VII: Sense of the Congress - Expresses the sense of the Congress that funds should be appropriated under the amendments made by this Act to the maximum extent authorized and consistently with achieving a balanced Federal budget.