39-7,109. State child care centers; establishment; licensing; children eligible for services; rules and regulations; fees. (a) The secretary for children and families shall establish state child care centers and may operate such centers or enter into contracts with private providers for the operation of such centers. State child care centers shall be licensed under the provisions of K.S.A. 65-501 et seq., and amendments thereto. The secretary for children and families and the secretary of health and environment are hereby authorized to enter into joint agreements as may be necessary to facilitate the establishment and operation of state child care centers.

(b) A state child care center shall provide child care services for children of KanWork participants. A state child care center may provide child care services for children of state employees; children of employees of local governments and other agencies participating in the KanWork program which have entered into agreements with the secretary authorizing their employees to utilize state child care center services; and children of teenage parents who have not yet completed high school if the parent is working to complete high school or is working for a high school equivalency certificate and if the school district has entered into an agreement with the secretary that such teenage parents will be allowed to continue attending school.

(c) The secretary by rules and regulations shall establish a sliding fee scale based upon ability to pay for child care services provided by a state child care center. All persons whose children are utilizing such child care services, other than persons whose children are receiving such child care services under subsection (b) of K.S.A. 39-7,106, and amendments thereto, shall pay a fee for the services based upon such sliding fee scale.

History: L. 1988, ch. 141, § 9; L. 2014, ch. 115, § 106; July 1.