1. (1) The general assembly finds and declares that:

   1. (a) All children in the year before they are eligible to enroll in kindergarten should have access to social-emotional and academic supports that are important for school readiness;
   2. (b) The state should provide a wide range of choices for families to access kindergarten readiness supports, including the option for online kindergarten readiness programs; and
   3. (c) To receive state funding, an online kindergarten readiness program should demonstrate strong evidence of effectiveness in teaching a diverse array of children, provide evidence-based online curriculum, incorporate family engagement, and undergo periodic evaluation to measure effectiveness in preparing children to learn in kindergarten.
2. (2) The general assembly therefore finds that, to best serve all families, it is appropriate for the state to support an online kindergarten readiness pilot program as a choice for parents who seek to access academic and readiness support services for their children in the year preceding kindergarten eligibility.

Source: L. 2022: Entire article added, (HB 22-1295), ch. 123, p. 710, § 3, effective July 1.