The charger integrates over-temperature, over-voltage, and short-circuit fault protection, so it can sit close to the battery without a lot of external supervision.
The 250 mA maximum charge current sets the upper limit for the charge rate.
No direct replacement or second-source alternate is listed in the available records; if you need a dual-source option, you would evaluate other single-cell linear chargers from TI or competitors with the same package and pinout — but that requires a separate qualification.