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Child Care Updates - December 2002
Seasons Greetings to Everyone. This is our last Update for 2002 and closes our ninth year of our efforts to keep the child care community informed about licensing programs and services. The Updates continue to be an important method for sharing information. We appreciate your support in sharing these Updates with those in your organization and others interested in child care issues.
One change of which you may already be aware is that the Community Care Licensing Division has a new Deputy Director. Martha Lopez recently retired and I have been appointed to replace her. My name is Dave Dodds. I have over 18 years of experience with the Community Care Licensing Division. I want you to know that I share Martha's perspective on the value of this Update and will continue with the tradition of its distribution. I know many of you from my previous years in the Division and look forward to meeting and working with all of you who have an interest in community care issues. I am personally committed to doing the best job possible and carrying on the tradition of strong leadership established by my predecessors.
NEW CHILD CARE REQUIREMENTS
In previous Updates, we reported that the Department is developing emergency regulations to address the best way to provide criminal record exemption information to parents. These emergency regulations were effective August 7, 2002 and require child care providers to:
- Prominently display the parents' rights poster (PUB 393 for child care centers and PUB 394 for family child care homes). This poster is revised and replaces the poster mailed to providers in May 2002.
- Provide all parents or authorized representatives a copy of the Notification of Parents' Rights Forms (LIC 995 for child care centers and LIC 995A for family child care homes) and the Caregiver Background Check Process Form (LIC 995E). The Notification of Parents' Rights form includes a receipt for parents or authorized representatives to sign showing they received both of these forms. When they sign, the provider must cut off the signature part of the form and keep it in the child's file.
- Inform parents or authorized representatives, if they ask, of the name of any adult who has been granted a criminal record exemption, and how that person is related to the child care center or family child care home. Tell the parent or authorized representative they may also get the name of the person from the local licensing office. If they want to do this, the provider must provide them with the telephone number of the local licensing office. The Notification of Parents' Rights form includes the name and telephone number of the local licensing office.
Information regarding the emergency regulations and the new child care requirements was mailed in August 2002 to all child care center and family child care providers. A copy of that mailing can also be found on our website at www.ccld.ca.gov.
Public hearings for these emergency regulations were held in mid-October and we anticipate final regulations by the end of January 2003.
CRIMINAL RECORD STATEMENT FORM CHANGE
The Criminal Record Statement form must be completed by all adults (18 years and older) living or working in the child care facility. Effective September 1, 2002, we revised the Criminal Record Statement form and also changed the form number to LIC 508C (formerly LIC 508). The LIC 508C is for use by child care centers and family child care homes only. We encourage people to begin using this form immediately. A copy of the LIC 508C is available on our website at www.ccld.ca.gov.
SUBSTITUTE EMPLOYEE REGISTRY
In previous Updates, we explained that although the Substitute Employee Registry pilot project for child care facilities was successful, we could not expand the project due to a lack of resources. As a result, on July 30, 2002, the Department issued a letter to registry operators announcing that the pilot project would cease operation effective September 1, 2002. This means:
- Pilot project substitute employee registries can no longer background check individuals using their assigned facility number
- Certificates issued by the registries are no longer acceptable or valid
- Pilot project registries may operate as employment agencies
- Licensees using the services of employment agencies must ensure the staff they hire meet all licensing requirements including associating the substitute to their facility.
To assist licensees in obtaining substitute care staff from employment agencies, we developed the "Guidelines for Community Care Facility Licensees Using Employment Agencies." These guidelines are available on our website at www.ccld.ca.gov and explain how licensees can use the services of employment agencies as well as help them understand the benefits and limitations of using such agencies.
A new law, (Senate Bill 646, Ortiz, Chapter 669, Statutes of 2002), allows the Department to implement a substitute employee registry pilot project and charge registry providers an administrative fee. This law limits the scope of activities and allows the Department to restrict operation of the pilot to select counties. The Department is currently evaluating the feasibility of operating a pilot program. We will keep you informed about the status of the project in future Updates. If you have any questions regarding the Substitute Employee Registry pilot project, please contact Roxanne Vincent, Policy Analyst, at (916) 324-4508.
CENTER FOR INJURY PREVENTION, POLICY AND PRACTICE
The Center for Injury Prevention, Policy and Practice works to reduce the frequency and severity of injuries by helping government agencies and community programs develop and include injury prevention strategies in their injury prevention education and outreach efforts. Their activities include:
- A weekly update of injury research and prevention literature, which can be obtained on the Internet located at www.safetylit.org
- Hosting the Injury Prevention Web which includes the web sites of several agencies and organizations working to prevent injuries
- Developing materials to assist government agencies, community organizations, and others with the development and implementation of injury prevention programs
- Conducting training workshops on injuries and prevention strategies
- Providing technical assistance to state and local coalitions to prevent residential pool drowning among children
- In-depth technical assistance to state and regional Maternal & Child Health agencies on accessing and utilizing injury data
The Center also publishes Safety Tip Sheets which provide information to promote safe environments in child care settings. Copies of the Safety Tip Sheets are available in English and Spanish and are located on their website at www.cippp.org. You can also find a link to the Center for Injury Prevention, Policy and Practice on our website at www.ccld.ca.gov.
LICENSED CHILD CARE STATISTICS
Enclosed are the most recent statistics on licensed child care facilities and capacities. Further breakouts by category and location are available. Your requests may be directed to Jeff Hiratsuka, Chief, Central Operations Branch, at (916) 322-4875.
SUMMARY
If you have questions about items included in this Update, or suggestions for future topics, please contact Melissa Miller at (916) 229-4500. You may also visit our Internet website at www.ccld.ca.gov to obtain copies of licensing Updates, office locations, provider letters, regulations, forms, the Licensing Evaluator Manual, or to learn more about licensing programs and services.
Best wishes to you and all in your organization for a wonderful New Year.
Sincerely,
DAVE DODDS
Deputy Director
Community Care Licensing
Enclosures