SB 930 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE CREATION OF A PILOT PROGRAM FOR AN EARLY CHILDHOOD BUSINESS INCUBATOR MODEL.

General Assembly SubstituteRaised Bill No.

930 January Session, 2019 ANLCO ACTNo. CONCERNING THE CREATION OF A PILOT PROGRAM FOR AN EARLY CHILDHOOD BUSINESS INCUBATOR MODEL.

3873 Referred to Committee on EDUCATION Introduced by:

(ED) AN ACT CONCERNING THE CREATION OF A PILOT PROGRAM FOR AN EARLY CHILDHOOD BUSINESS INCUBATOR MODEL.

Section 19a-80 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019):

(a) No person, group of persons, association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, shall maintain a child care center or group child care home without a license issued in accordance with sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, and 19a-82 to 19a- 87a, inclusive.

Applications for such license shall be made to the Commissioner of Early Childhood on forms provided by the commissioner and shall contain the information required by regulations adopted under said sections.

The forms shall contain a notice that false statements made therein are punishable in accordance with section 53a-157b.

(b) (1) Upon receipt of an application for a license, the commissioner shall issue such license if, upon inspection and investigation, said LCO No.

3873 1 of 8 Raised Bill No.930 commissioner finds that the applicant, the facilities and the program meet the health, educational and social needs of children likely to attend the child care center or group child care home and comply with requirements established by regulations adopted under this section and sections 19a-77 to 19a-79a, inclusive, and sections 19a-82 to 19a- 87a, inclusive.

The commissioner shall offer an expedited application review process for an application submitted by a municipal agency or department.

A currently licensed person or entity, as described in subsection (a) of this section, seeking a change of operator, ownership or location shall file a new license application, except such person or entity may request the commissioner to waive the requirement that a new license application be filed.

The commissioner may grant or deny such request.

Each license shall be for a term of four years, shall be nontransferable, and may be renewed upon receipt by the commissioner of a renewal application and accompanying licensure fee.

The commissioner may suspend or revoke such license after notice and an opportunity for a hearing as provided in section 19a-84 for violation of the regulations adopted under this section and sections 19a-77 to 19a-79a, inclusive, and sections 19a-82 to 19a-87a, inclusive.

In the case of an application for renewal of a license that has expired, the commissioner may renew such expired license within thirty days of the date of such expiration upon receipt of a renewal application and accompanying licensure fee.

(2) The commissioner shall collect from the licensee of a child care center a fee of five hundred dollars prior to issuing or renewing a license for a term of four years.

The commissioner shall collect from the licensee of a group child care home a fee of two hundred fifty dollars prior to issuing or renewing a license for a term of four years.

The commissioner shall require only one license for a child care center operated in two or more buildings, provided the same licensee provides child care services in each building and the buildings are joined together by a contiguous playground that is part of the licensed space.

(3) The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, shall make LCO No.

3873 2 of 8 Raised Bill No.930 an unannounced visit, inspection or investigation of each licensed child care center and group child care home at least once each year.

At least once every two years, the local health director, or the local health director's designee, shall make an inspection of each licensed child care center and group child care home.

(c) The commissioner, within available appropriations, shall require each prospective employee of a child care center or group child care home in a position requiring the provision of care to a child to submit to comprehensive background checks, including state and national criminal history records checks.

The criminal history records checks required pursuant to this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with section 29-17a.

The commissioner shall also request a check of the state child abuse registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k.

The Department of Social Services may agree to transfer funds appropriated for criminal history records checks to the Office of Early Childhood.

The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall notify each licensee of the provisions of this subsection.

No such prospective employee shall have unsupervised access to children in the child care center or group child care home until such comprehensive background check is completed and the Commissioner of Early Childhood permits such prospective employee to work in such child care center or group child care home.

(d) The commissioner shall inform each licensee, by way of a plain language summary provided not later than sixty days after the regulation's effective date, of new or changed regulations adopted under sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, or sections 19a-82 to 19a-87a, inclusive, with which a licensee must comply.

(e) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020, to June 30, 2024, inclusive, the Commissioner of Early Childhood may issue a license to maintain a group child care home in accordance with the provisions of this chapter to a person or group of persons who have partnered with an association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, to provide child care services in a space within a facility LCO No.

3873 3 of 8 Raised Bill No.930 provided by such association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, in the towns of New Britain, New Haven, Bridgeport or Stamford.

Sec.

2.

(a) No person, group of persons, association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, shall maintain a family child care home, as [defined]defined described in section 19a-77, without a license issued by the Commissioner of Early Childhood.

The licensure and application forms shall contain a notice that false statements made [therein]therein in such forms are punishable in accordance with section 53a-157b.

The office shall provide for a LCOchemical \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00930-R01analysis of 6any SB.docxpaint Substitutechips Billfound No.on such premises.

930 chemical analysis of any paint chips found on such premises.

(b) No person shall act as an assistant or substitute staff member to a personLCO orNo. entity maintaining a family child care home, as [defined] described in section 19a-77, without an approval issued by the commissioner.

3873 4 of 8 Raised Bill No.930 person or entity maintaining a family child care home, as defined in section 19a-77, without an approval issued by the commissioner.

For LCOpurposes {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00932 of 6this R01-SB.docxsubsection, }"household Substitutemember" Billmeans No.any person, other than the person who is licensed to conduct, operate or maintain a family child care home, who resides in the family child care home, such as the licensee's spouse or children, tenants and any other occupant.