Ordinance on the Act on Early Language Support (Vo GfS) - Children with Language Development Needs

1. Children Requiring Language Support for the Purposes of this Regulation are children residing in the canton who, regardless of their first language or nationality, have insufficient knowledge of the German language for school enrollment according to the results of the language assessment.

1. General offers of early language development include all care and support services in which children receive care and support outside the family.

2. Recognized offers of early language development are playgroups and day-care centers that meet the quality criteria according to § 3 of the Early Language Development Act of September 14, 2023, or § 3 of this regulation, and have been recognized by the local municipality.

3. Under the language development obligations, local municipalities must cooperate with recognized offers of early language development.

1. For the recognition of a playgroup or daycare center as an early language promotion offer according to § 3 of the Early Language Promotion Act of September 14, 2023, the following conditions must be cumulatively met

a. The offer is based on a language promotion concept.

b. The language of interaction and care is predominantly German.

c. Language promotion is integrated into daily care routines and is age-appropriate.

d. The offer is available during the calendar year for 38 weeks, a minimum of 2 times per week for half days, each lasting at least 2 1/2 hours.

e. Care is provided according to generally recognized pedagogical principles.

f. At least 1 of the caregivers employed has continuing education in early language promotion. The continuing education comprises at least 40 hours.

g. At least 1 person qualified in early language promotion participates annually in a supervisory offering provided by the canton.

2. Recognition entitles collaboration with the resident municipalities within the framework of a language promotion obligation and to receive the cantonal base subsidy.

3. The application for recognition is submitted to the respective local municipalities.

4. Recognition is valid for 4 years and must be re-applied for before the end of this period.

5. Applicants are obligated to provide the evidence necessary to review the application and to promptly report any changes relevant to recognition to the municipality.

1. Municipalities are to establish a position for early language promotion and collaboration with the canton, early language promotion programs, and the legal guardians. They shall report the responsible position to the canton.

2. Municipalities may delegate the responsibilities and associated competences of the early language promotion contact point to third parties.

1. The municipalities review the documents necessary for the recognition of early language promotion programs, grant the recognition, and report this to the canton.

2. They use the canton's checklist to examine the recognition requirements.

3. The canton may verify the recognition.

1. The municipalities report the outcome of their contact with guardians who did not participate in the language assessment pursuant to § 7 paragraph 7 of the Early Language Promotion Act of September 14, 2023, to the canton in writing within 15 working days after receiving the notification from the canton.

1. Municipalities may apply to the canton for initial funding in accordance with § 15 of this ordinance. The application must be submitted by the end of August of the respective calendar year.

2. They shall use an application form provided by the canton for this purpose.

1. To ensure the cost-free nature of the language promotion offer pursuant to § 4 para. 3 of the Act on Early Language Promotion dated September 14, 2023, within the framework of a compulsory language promotion program, the municipalities shall at least provide compensations to playgroups and daycare centers according to the annually determined local customary rates per type of care.

2. The municipalities may provide exceptions to the compulsory language promotion program, particularly for children who

a. are only residing in the canton for a limited period and are not intended to be enrolled in school in the canton; or

b. have an educational or therapeutic need for support identified in another area, therefore rely on support measures, and whose utilization is not compatible in time or content with a compulsory language promotion program.

1. Responsible for the implementation of cantonal tasks in early language promotion is the Department of Security.

1. The government council is guided by the professional recommendation of the provider of the language assessment when determining the result value at which there is a need for language support.

2. In justified cases, it may deviate from the recommendation.

1. The Security Directorate invites the legal guardians to participate in the language proficiency assessment.

2. The legal guardians are obliged to complete and return the questionnaire truthfully and within the deadline.

3. The Security Directorate transmits the personal data of those children whose language proficiency assessment has not been answered to the municipal authorities.

4. The Security Directorate may delegate individual tasks of the language proficiency assessment to municipal authorities or third parties.

5. The Security Directorate informs municipal authorities, legal guardians, and the public about the results of the language proficiency assessment in an appropriate manner.

1. The Security Directorate provides the following documents

a. Checklist for verifying recognition requirements;

b. Overview of recognized offerings;

c. Application form for the base contribution;

d. Application form for start-up financing;

e. Model regulations for the introduction of a compulsory language support program.

1. The canton enters into service agreements with one or more providers of education and continuing education in early language promotion.

2. It ensures that there are sufficient educational and continuing education opportunities available to enable playgroups and daycare centers to obtain recognition.

3. Attendance at canton-regulated education and continuing education offers for early language promotion is open, with regard to recognition, to all supervising staff of playgroups and daycare centers located in the canton of Basel-Landschaft.

4. The canton may conduct additional continuing education or subsidize further education and training offers.

5. Subsidies for education and continuing education by the Department of Security for early language promotion are provided subsidiarily to the existing educational and training subsidies of the canton.

1. Recognized playgroups and daycare centers, or their resident municipalities upon request, may apply for an annual base subsidy.

2. The base subsidy amounts to CHF 1,000 per year and per applying playgroup or daycare center. If multiple playgroups or daycare centers belong to the same governing body, the base subsidy is granted only once.

3. The application for receiving the base subsidy is submitted for the current year.

1. The canton supports the municipalities, upon request, with initial funding for the development and expansion of early language promotion programs.

2. The initial funding is limited to 3 years and starts in the first year after the language assessment.

3. The initial funding is provided as a flat rate per child needing language support in the respective municipality.

4. The flat rate depends on the total available cantonal funds provided for the initial funding.

5. The annual initial funding amount cannot exceed the amount that the applicant municipality annually invests in early language promotion.

6. Eligible as municipal investment in early language promotion are

a. financial contributions from municipalities to playgroups and daycare centers related to early language promotion;

b. financial contributions from municipalities to legal guardians related to early language promotion; and

c. additional financial expenditures by municipalities for the development and expansion of early language promotion infrastructure, even if these are allocated to external service providers.

7. The canton informs the municipalities of the respective amount that is due to them.

8. The payment is made at the end of each calendar year.

1. The canton may also use the data collected for language assessment for the evaluation and publication of results, provided that anonymized evaluation is ensured.

2. The published statistics may include information on gender, residence, nationality, and the proportion of children requiring language support.