What provisions in the new law are effective upon enactment?

Where the law did not specify an effective date (as described above), provisions are considered to be effective upon enactment.  However, ACF has announced a process by which States and Territories may request additional time for implementation of these provisions; see Program Instruction CCDF-ACF-PI-2015-02.  New provisions in the law without an otherwise statutorily-specified effective date include:

• Consumer and Provider Education Information: State shall collect and disseminate information including but not limited to, availability of child care, quality of providers (if available), and information on developmental screenings.
• Licensing Exemptions: If the State exempts providers from licensing requirements, the State shall describe how such exemption does not endanger the health, safety, or development of children.
• Training and Professional Development: The State shall have training and professional development requirements (as described in the Act) that are applicable to all CCDF providers.
• Child-to-Provider Ratio Standards: The State shall have in place standards (appropriate to setting) that include group size limits, appropriate child-staff ratios, and provider qualifications.
• Health and Safety Requirements: The State shall have in place requirements to protect the health and safety of children applicable to all CCDF providers in the topic areas described in the Act.  (Note: Enforcement of Licensing and Other Regulatory Requirements through monitoring has a delayed effective date specified in statute).
• Compliance with Child Abuse Reporting: The State shall certify that child care providers within the State will comply with the child abuse reporting requirements of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.
• Meeting the Needs of Certain Populations: The State shall develop and implement strategies to increase the supply and improve the quality of child care services for children in underserved areas, infants and toddlers, children with disabilities (as defined by the State), and children who receive care during nontraditional hours.
• Protection for Working Parents: States shall have a redetermination period of not less than 12 months under the conditions specified by the Act, including a graduated phase-out of care.
• Coordination with Other Programs: The State shall coordinate with Federal, State, and local programs, including those serving infants and toddlers with disabilities, homeless children, and children in foster care.
• Public-Private Partnerships: The State shall encourage partnerships with other entities to leverage existing service delivery systems and to increase supply and quality of child care.
• Priority for Low-Income Populations: The State shall ensure that families from areas with high poverty and unemployment that do not have high quality programs will have priority with respect to investments to increase access to high-quality programs.
• Payment Practices: The State shall have in place payment practices that reflect payment practices of non CCDF providers and, to the extent possible, implement enrollment and eligibility policies that delink reimbursement rates from occasional absences due to holidays or unforeseen circumstances.
• Early Learning and Development Guidelines: The State shall maintain or implement early learning and development guidelines.
• Disaster Preparedness: The State shall address child care needs before, during, and after a state of emergency and have a statewide child care disaster plan.
• Business Technical Assistance: The State shall develop and implement strategies to strengthen business practices of child care providers.
• Homeless Families: The State shall have procedures to permit enrollment (after an initial eligibility determination) of homeless children while required documentation is obtained, provide training and technical assistance on identifying and serving homeless children and their families, and provide specific outreach to homeless families.