HI HB261

Establishes a child care accreditation program administered by the Department of Human Services to assist licensed and registered child care providers in obtaining accreditation from national organizations.

Provides grants to cover accreditation costs, technical assistance expenses, and incidental expenses such as furniture, equipment, or minor renovations for eligible child care providers.

Makes accreditation voluntary for service providers receiving preschool open doors program funds, removing the previous requirement that unaccredited providers obtain accreditation by July 1, 2029.

Authorizes use of the child care grant program special fund for accreditation grants and appropriates funds for the program including one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent position.

Requires the Department of Human Services to report annually to the legislature on the number of programs participating, types and amounts of costs covered, and percentage of preschool open doors providers that have begun or completed accreditation.