Subdivision 1 requires the Commissioners of Education and Human Services to disseminate information and provide training to parents and early care and education providers on the early learning standards developed for three- and four-year-old children that describe what children should know and be able to do to be prepared for kindergarten entrance.

Subdivision 2 requires the Commissioner of Human Services to develop early learning standards and distribute the standards to parents and early care and education providers. The standards must include what children from birth to age three should know and be able to do to be prepared for kindergarten entrance. The commissioner shall provide information and training to parents and early care education providers on the standards.

Subdivision 3 requires that early care and education programs or providers that receive state funding be provided with a copy of the early learning standards to guide their early care and education practices.

Section 2 requires the Commissioner of Human Services, in partnership with the Ready 4 K Quality Rating System Task Force, to pilot by January 15, 2006, a voluntary quality rating system for child care with the intent of raising the quality in child care settings. The rating system shall be aligned with the standards developed by the commissioners under section 1, the Head Start performance standards, and the Department of Education's standards for school readiness programs in public schools. This section requires the quality rating system to include:

(1) quality learning environment indicators;

(2) staff qualification indicators;

(3) family involvement and parent education indicators; and

(4) program evaluation.

The Commissioner of Human Services is also required to provide public on-line access to child care licensing data. The data shall include at a minimum any sanctions or other disciplinary actions against the provider, as well as any data or score associated with the voluntary quality rating system.

Section 3 provides a blank appropriation to the Commissioner of Education for purposes of section 1.

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