Comprehensive Child Development Act

Comprehensive Child Development Act - States that it is the purpose of this Act to provide a variety of quality child development and family services in order to assist parents who request such services in providing their children with an opportunity for a healthful and stimulating development, with priority to those preschool children and families with the greatest economic or social needs, in a manner designed to strengthen family life and to insure decisionmaking at the community level through a partnership of parents, State and local governments and the Federal Government, building upon the experience and success of Headstart and other existing programs.

Authorizes to be appropriated to carry out this Act $2,000,000,000 for fiscal year 1977.

Authorizes to be appropriated $150,000,000 for fiscal year 1976 for the purpose of providing training, technical assistance, planning, and such other activities as the Secretary deems necessary. Sets forth definitions of terms used in this Act.

Title I: Headstart, Child Development and Family Services Programs - Provides that the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare shall provide financial assistance to prime sponsors and to other public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations for the purpose of carrying out child development and family service programs for children and their families, including comprehensive child development services and programs designed to meet individual needs of children, to assist children in attaining their full potential and to prepare them for school.

Provides that the Secretary may designate as a prime sponsor for the purpose of entering into arrangements directly with the Secretary to carry out programs under this title within a State the following: (1) any State; (2) a unit of general local government or any combination of such units; (3) any Indian tribal organization; and (4) certain other public or private nonprofit agencies.

Sets forth the requirements of a prime sponsorship plan for assistance under this Act, including provision for establishing and maintaining a child and family services council, and assurances that the Council will provide: (1) child-related family, social, and rehabilitative services; (2) coordination with educational agencies and providers of educational services; (3) health and mental health services; (4) nutrition services; (5) training of professional and paraprofessional personnel; and (6) where necessary, full-time administrative personnel to conduct the program.

Provides for review in the courts of appeal of the United States of adverse determinations on applications for sponsorship under this title by the Secretary.

Provides that each prime sponsor shall establish and maintain a Child and Family Services Council. Provides that at least one-third of the total membership of the Council shall be persons who are economically disadvantaged.

Provides that financial assistance under this Act shall be provided to prime sponsors pursuant to a program statement, submitted by the prime sponsor.

Sets forth standards for financial assistance under this title to be provided to a project applicant for any fiscal year.

Authorizes additional assistance under this title to a State for services under this title upon a determination by the Secretary that there is an adequate agreement between State and local prime sponsors for maximum coordination of child development and family services within the State.

Authorizes assistance to educational agencies and institutions in cooperation with other project applicants pursuant to program statements for the purpose of planning, carrying out, and evaluating cooperative programs and activities designed to provide continuity between preschool programs, after-school programs and educational and related programs conducted by such agencies and institutions, and to maximize community involvement in child development and family services programs.

Provides a formula for the allocation of funds authorized to be appropriated under this Act.

Provides that applications for financial assistance for projects including construction or acquisition may be approved only if the Secretary determines that construction or acquisition of such facilities is essential to the provision of adequate child care services, and that rental, lease, or lease-purchase, remodeling, or renovation of adequate facilities is not practicable.

Provides that the Secretary shall pay an amount not in excess of 90 percent of the cost of carrying out programs, services, and activities under this title.

Provides that the Secretary shall pay an amount equal to 100 percent of the costs of providing child development and family services programs for children of migrant agricultural workers and their families under this title, and for children in Indian tribal organizations under this title.

Title II: Training, Technical Assistance, Planning, and Evaluation - Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial assistance to enable individuals employed or preparing for employment in child development and family services programs assisted under this Act, including volunteers, to participate in programs of preservice or inservice training for professional and nonprofessional personnel, to be conducted by public or private nonprofit organizations including institutions of higher education, State and local child development and family service agencies, State and local educational agencies, agencies carrying out child development and family service programs, organizations engaged in teacher training, teacher training institutions, and national child development and family service organizations.

Authorizes the Secretary to make technical assistance available to prime sponsors and to project applicants participating or seeking to participate in programs assisted under this Act on a continuing basis, to assist them in planning, developing, and carrying out child development and family services programs.

Title III: Supportive Services and Special Activities - Authorizes the Secretary to make an evaluation of Federal involvement in activities and services for children and families.

Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a program of research and demonstration projects.

Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial assistance for the purpose of establishing and operating child care programs for the children of employees of the Federal Government.

Provides that, within six months after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate a common set of program standards which shall be applicable to all programs providing child development and family services under this Act. Directs the Secretary to appoint a Special Committee on Federal Standards for Child Development and Family Services to advise him on the formulation of such standards.

Directs the Secretary to appoint a special committee to develop a uniform minimum code for facilities, to be used in licensing child development and family services facilities receiving assistance under this Act or in which programs receiving assistance under this Act are operated.

Authorizes the Secretary to provide mortgage insurance for child development facilities under this Act on mortgages not exceeding $250,000.

Directs the Secretary to establish an Office of Child Development in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to coordinate child development and family service programs under his jurisdiction.

Establishes a Child Development Research Council consisting of representatives of various agencies to assure coordination of child development and related family service activities under their respective jurisdictions.

Authorizes the Secretary to withhold payments under this Act for failure to comply with the requirements of this Act.