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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06092015 - C.46RECOMMENDATION(S): ADOPT a "Support" position on AB 762 (Mullin), as amended: Day Care Centers: Integrated Licensing, a bill that directs the Department of Social Services (DSS) to create a single license for day care centers serving children from birth to kindergarten, as recommended by the Legislation Committee. FISCAL IMPACT: FISCAL EFFECT: 1) One-time costs to DSS in the range of $210,000 to $250,000 (GF) annually, in 2016 and 2017, assuming two full-time analyst positions and one part-time office assistant position, to staff and conduct the stakeholder meetings and meet other requirements of the regulatory process described in the bill. Additional potential costs for travel and per diem. 2) One-time costs to DSS in the range of $100,000 to $200,000 (GF) for regulatory and policy development due to the tight timeframe and complex nature of the proposed regulations. 3) Unknown, but potentially significant costs to DSS between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018, for case management workload to manually convert all license types to an integrated license as each license APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 06/09/2015 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor ABSENT:Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: L. DeLaney, 925-335-1097 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: June 9, 2015 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: June McHuen, Deputy cc: C. 46 To:Board of Supervisors From:LEGISLATION COMMITTEE Date:June 9, 2015 Contra Costa County Subject:AB 762 (Mullin) Day Care Centers: Integrated Licensing FISCAL IMPACT: (CONT'D) becomes eligible for renewal. Additionally, the phase-in approach contained in the bill will require DSS to maintain parallel licensing and inspection structures during the year-long conversion process. 4) Unknown, but likely minor costs to DSS to educate and train staff for the fee renewal conversion process and on the new regulations for facility inspection purposes. 5) Potential fee increase for current providers. The bill, as written, creates a dual fee structure for providers with new applicants paying more than existing providers will pay to convert their existing license. The bill is silent on whether the lower fee for current providers will persist in future years or whether current providers will pay the higher fee charged to new applicants going forward. 6) Staff notes that the full extent of the implementation costs will not be known until the new regulations are developed. Source: Assembly Appropriations Committee bill analysis BACKGROUND: At its May 7, 2015 meeting, the Legislation Committee considered and accepted the recommendation from the Director of Community Service Bureau, Employment and Human Services to recommend a position of "Support" to the Board of Supervisors on AB 762. Introduced: 02/25/2015 Last Amend: 04/08/2015 Disposition: Pending Location: Assembly Appropriations Committee Status: 05/28/2015 In ASSEMBLY Committee on APPROPRIATIONS. SUMMARY: This bill directs the Department of Social Services (DSS) to create a single license for day care centers serving children from birth to kindergarten. Specifically, this bill: 1) Directs DSS, in consultation with stakeholders including the California Department of Education, to adopt regulations to develop and implement a single integrated license for a day care center serving children from birth to kindergarten by January 1, 2018. 2) Requires, during the period of January 1, 2018, to December 1, 2018, an existing day care license to be converted to a single integrated license upon annual renewal and that, prior to this conversion, a day care center licensee continue to meet regulatory requirements and inspection standards for the age groups of children receiving care in that center. 3) States that licensees shall not be required to pay an additional fee for this conversion to a single integrated license, other than the annual fee, and that a new applicant for a single integrated license may be charged a fee commensurate with the previous cost for dual licenses. 4) Directs day care centers with an optional toddler program to, beginning January 1, 2016, extend the toddler component to children up to three years old, and repeals the optional toddler program beginning January 1, 2018. COMMENTS: 1) Purpose. According to the author, this bill "streamlines the bifurcated child care licensing system by creating a single license that reduces the administrative burden, removes the 'toddler component' option process, and aids centers in keeping child care slots filled by preventing the immediate movement of children based on their birthdate." 2) Background: The California Child Day Care Facilities Act governs the licensure and operation of child day care centers and family day care homes. This law, and adopted regulations, establish general health and safety requirements, staff-to-child ratios, and provider training requirements. The Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) of DSS is responsible for licensing and monitoring the state's 10,453 day care centers, which, as of June 30, 2014, provided 588,058 child care slots. CCLD is required to conduct unannounced site visits of all licensed child day care facilities and homes at least once every five years. CCLD also conducts annual visits of facilities with poor histories of compliance and those that are required to have yearly visits by federal law. Additionally, 30% of those facilities not required to be inspected yearly are randomly selected for annual inspection. The Governor's 2015-16 January budget proposal requires DSS to phase-in increased inspection frequency to once every three years starting January 2017, for all facilities, including child care facilities. Infant centers serve children less than two years old, preschool child care centers serve children between the ages of two and when they start school, and school-age child care centers serve children who have entered the first grade or are in a child care program exclusively for children in kindergarten and above. A "combination center" is any combination of centers that is owned and operated by one licensee at a common address. In California, separate licenses are required for serving infants and for serving preschool-age children. Thus, owner/operators of combination centers serving both populations must get two licenses and undergo separate inspection and compliance processes for each license. In addition, an optional toddler program is available to both centers that serve preschool-age children and centers that serve infants. These centers can create a special program component for children between the ages of 18 and 30 months; the program has its own staffing ratio and maximum group size requirements, but is considered an extension of the infant or preschool license and does not require a separate license. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION: Contra Costa County would not have a position on the bill. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A - Bill Text AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 8, 2015 california legislature—2015–16 regular session ASSEMBLY BILL No. 762 Introduced by Assembly Member Mullin (Coauthor: Assembly Member Chávez) (Coauthor: Senator Hertzberg) February 25, 2015 An act to add Section 1596.951 to, and to amend and repeal Sections 1596.955 and 1596.956 of, the Health and Safety Code, relating to care facilities. legislative counsel’s digest AB 762, as amended, Mullin. Day care centers: integrated licensing. Existing law, the California Child Day Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of day care centers by the State Department of Social Services. Existing regulations require a separate license to be issued for each component of a combination center, and establishes teacher-child ratio requirements. Existing law requires the department to develop guidelines and procedures to permit authorize licensed child day care centers serving infants or preschool age children to create a special optional toddler program component for children between 18 and 30 months of age, and requires the program to be considered an extension of the infant center or preschool license. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to willfully or repeatedly violate any of these provisions or a rule or regulation promulgated under these provisions. This bill would require the department to adopt regulations, on or before January 1, 2018, to develop and implement an a single integrated license for a day care center serving children from birth to kindergarten. 98 Attachment A The bill would require an applicant for the integrated license to meet specified basic requirements in addition to the current safety and care standards, including, specified staff-child ratios and requirements pertaining to indoor and outdoor activity space. the regulations to include age-appropriate transition times, as specified, and a requirement that an integrated license list the age groups of children being served at the day care center. The bill would require, between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018, an existing day care center license to be converted to a single integrated child care license upon annual renewal of the license, and would require that until a day care center has the new integrated license, standards for inspection of a day care center to be based on the current license. The bill would also require a day care center with a toddler component to extend the toddler component to serve children 18 months to 3 years, inclusive, years of age and would repeal the provisions relating to a toddler program component on January 1, 2018. By changing the definition of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. The people of the State of California do enact as follows: line 1 SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the line 2 following: line 3 (a)  In the 1970’s, 1970s, California led the nation in the creation line 4 of its licensing system for community care facilities, and pioneered line 5 recognition of the special needs of infants and toddlers with a line 6 license distinct from preschool-age care. line 7 (b)  While the standard of care in California statute remains line 8 appropriate, the bifurcation of early care licensing in California line 9 into two separate licenses is unnecessary and problematic. line 10 (c)  Many states now mandate the standard required in California, line 11 but without dual-licensing. California is one of only two states in line 12 the country that employ a separate infant-toddler license. Other line 13 states employ a single license for early childhood centers, 98 — 2 —AB 762 Attachment A line 1 mandating developmentally appropriate standards based on the line 2 age of the children served. line 3 (d)  Even in California, family day care homes are not subject line 4 to the dual license requirement. Only private fee, state and federally line 5 funded child day care facilities are subject to the dual license line 6 requirement. line 7 (e)  It is the intent of the Legislature that all of the following are line 8 required under a new integrated licensing structure: line 9 (1)  Children shall be grouped together by their appropriate line 10 developmental levels and appropriate staff-child ratio and group line 11 size regulations shall be followed. line 12 (2)  Children shall transition from age appropriate line 13 age-appropriate classrooms or program spaces when their line 14 developmental level is appropriate for such a move. line 15 (3)  A child’s chronological age and the entire group’s need shall line 16 also be considering factors for such moves. line 17 (4)  All children shall be supervised appropriately by teachers line 18 and aids aides with appropriate staff qualifications. Toddlers may line 19 be grouped with either infants or preschoolers as long as the line 20 requirements applicable to the youngest age group in the group line 21 are followed. line 22 (5)  Emphasis shall be placed on improving the quality of early line 23 care and education for children from birth to kindergarten in line 24 center-based programs. line 25 (6)  Promotion of long-term efficiency within the Community line 26 Care Licensing Division of the State Department of Social Services line 27 through the elimination of duplicate paperwork and compliance line 28 visits to day care centers. line 29 (7)  Inspection of a day care center based on a single integrated line 30 license rather than on separate visits based on each license to line 31 increase efficiency and to allow a department analyst to more line 32 holistically evaluate a day care center which will lead to stronger line 33 health and safety practices. Those efficiencies will reduce cost line 34 pressure on the department and allow more providers to operate line 35 in California, and thus open more spaces for children and parents line 36 waiting for care. line 37 SEC. 2. Section 1596.951 is added to the Health and Safety line 38 Code, to read: line 39 1596.951. (a)  The following definitions shall apply to this line 40 section: 98 AB 762— 3 — Attachment A line 1 (1)  “Young infant” means a child 0 to 9 months of age line 2 (2)  “Mobile infant” means a child 8 to 18 months of age. line 3 (3)  “Toddler” means a child 16 to 36 months of age. line 4 (4)  “Preschooler” means a child 3 years of age to kindergarten line 5 age. line 6 (5)  “Mixed-age groups” means a group including toddlers and line 7 infants or toddlers and preschoolers in which the requirements for line 8 the youngest age group apply. line 9 (6)  “Transition from classroom or program space” means group line 10 placement that is determined by a child's developmental readiness line 11 within three months before or after the child's birth date, except line 12 for a child with developmental delays, and the need of the entire line 13 group of children. line 14 (7)  “Combination center” means a combination of child care line 15 center and schoolage child care center or child care center for line 16 mildly ill children that is owned and operated by one licensee at line 17 a common address. line 18 (b)  The department shall adopt regulations, on or before January line 19 1, 2018, to develop and implement an integrated license for a day line 20 care center serving children from birth to kindergarten. In addition line 21 to the current safety and care standards, an applicant for the line 22 integrated license shall meet all of the following basic line 23 requirements: line 24 (1) line 25   Group placement shall be determined by a child's developmental line 26 readiness within three months before or after the child's birth date, line 27 except for a child with developmental delays, and the needs of the line 28 entire group of children. line 29 (2)  The day care center shall observe the following staffing line 30 ratios at the center: line 31 (A)  The following ratio requirements shall apply to young line 32 infants and mobile infants: line 33 (i)  There shall be a ratio of one teacher for every four infants line 34 in attendance. line 35 (ii)  An aide may be substituted for a teacher if both of the line 36 following conditions are met: line 37 (I)  There is a fully qualified teacher directly supervising no line 38 more than 12 infants. line 39 (II)  The aide is responsible for the direct care and supervision line 40 of a group of no more than four infants. 98 — 4 —AB 762 Attachment A line 1 (iii)  If children are engaged in activities away from the center, line 2 there shall be a minimum of one teacher for every two infants in line 3 attendance. This ratio may include authorized representatives of line 4 infants in care and adult volunteers to supplement the staff-infant line 5 ratio. line 6 (iv)  The director and the assistant director may be counted in line 7 the staff-infant ratio if he or she is actually working with infants. line 8 (v)  There shall be one teacher to visually observe every 12 line 9 sleeping infants if the remaining staff necessary to meet the ratios line 10 specified in this section are immediately available at the center. line 11 (vi)  An aide who is 18 years of age or older, and who meets the line 12 requirements in clause (ii), may visually observe 12 sleeping infants line 13 in place of a teacher. line 14 (vii)  A center shall provide for the overlap of staff for different line 15 shifts so that continuity of care is assured. line 16 (B)  The following requirements shall apply to toddlers: line 17 (i)  There shall be a ratio of one teacher for every six children line 18 in attendance. line 19 (ii)  An aide who is participating in on-the-job training may be line 20 substituted for a teacher if the aide is directly supervised by a line 21 teacher. line 22 (iii)  The maximum group size with two teachers, or one teacher line 23 and one aide, shall not exceed 12 toddlers. line 24 (iv)  There shall be one teacher to visually observe every 12 line 25 sleeping toddlers if the remaining staff necessary to meet the ratios line 26 and group size requirements in this section are immediately line 27 available at the center. line 28 (v)  An aide who is 18 years of age or older, and who meets the line 29 requirements in clause (ii), may visually observe 12 sleeping line 30 toddlers in place of a teacher. line 31 (vi)  A center shall provide for overlap of staff for different shifts line 32 so that continuity of care is assured. line 33 (C)  The following requirements shall apply to preschoolers: line 34 (i)  There shall be a ratio of one teacher for every 12 children in line 35 attendance. line 36 (ii)  The number of children in attendance shall not exceed line 37 licensed capacity. line 38 (iii)  If children are engaged in activities outside of the center, line 39 there shall be one teacher for every 12 children. However, because line 40 activities outside of the center pose additional hazards to children, 98 AB 762— 5 — Attachment A line 1 the center shall make an effort to have a ratio of one adult for every line 2 6 children through the use of adult volunteers. line 3 (iv)  The center may use aides in a teacher-child ratio of one line 4 teacher and one aide for 15 preschoolers in attendance. line 5 (v)  A teacher-child ratio of one teacher supervising 24 napping line 6 children is permitted if the remaining teachers necessary to meet line 7 the overall ratio and group size requirements are immediately line 8 available at the center. line 9 (vi)  A teacher aide who is 18 years of age or older, and who line 10 meets the requirements listed above may supervise 24 napping line 11 children in place of a teacher. There shall be provision for overlap line 12 of staff for different shifts so that continuity of care is assured. line 13 (D)  The following requirements shall apply to mixed age groups: line 14 (i)  If groups of children of two age categories are commingled line 15 and the younger age group exceeds 50 percent of the total number line 16 of children present, the ratios for the entire group must meet the line 17 ratios required for the younger age group. line 18 (ii)  If the younger age group does not exceed 50 percent of the line 19 total number of the children present, the teacher-child and line 20 adult-child ratios shall be computed separately for each group. line 21 (3)   The day care center shall observe the following staffing line 22 ratios at the center during water activities: line 23 (A)  The requirements for young infants and mobile infants are line 24 as follows: line 25 (i)  A ratio of one adult to two infants shall be maintained during line 26 activities in or near any body of water. line 27 (ii)  A ratio of one staff member to every four infants shall be line 28 maintained during activities in or near any container of water that line 29 a child can get into and get out of unassisted. This shall include, line 30 but not be limited to, wading pools, basins, or water trays. line 31 (iii)  The ratio may include authorized representatives of infants line 32 in care and adult volunteers to supplement the staff-infant ratio. line 33 (B)  The requirements for toddlers are as follows: line 34 (i)  A ratio of one adult to two toddlers shall be maintained during line 35 activities in or near any body of water. line 36 (ii)  A ratio of one staff member to every four toddlers shall be line 37 maintained during activities in or near any container of water that line 38 a child can get into and get out of unassisted. This shall include, line 39 but not be limited to, wading pools, basins, or water trays. 98 — 6 —AB 762 Attachment A line 1 (iii)  This ratio may include authorized representatives of toddlers line 2 in care and adult volunteers to supplement the staff-toddler ratio. line 3 (C)  The requirements for preschoolers are as follows: line 4 (i)  There shall be at least one adult, who has a valid water-safety line 5 certificate on file at the center, present. line 6 (ii)  During water activities in or near any of the following bodies line 7 of water, a ratio of not less than one adult, including teachers, to line 8 every six children, or fraction thereof, shall be maintained during line 9 water activities in or near any of the following bodies of water: line 10 (I)  Swimming pool. line 11 (II)  Any portable pool with sides so high that children using the line 12 pool cannot step out unassisted by a person or device, including, line 13 but not limited to, a ladder. line 14 (III)  Potentially dangerous natural bodies of water including, line 15 but not limited to, oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams. line 16 (iii)  Lifeguards or personnel supervising anyone other than line 17 center children at the water activity site shall not be included in line 18 this ratio. line 19 (D)  The requirements for mixed, age groups are as follows: line 20 (i)  If groups of children of two age categories are commingled line 21 and the younger age group exceeds 50 percent of the total number line 22 of children present, the ratios for the entire group shall meet the line 23 ratios and requirements for the younger age group. line 24 (ii)  If the younger age group does not exceed 50 percent 50 of line 25 the total number of the children present, the teacher-child and line 26 adult-child ratios shall be computed separately for each group. line 27 (4)  The day care center shall maintain the staff-child ratio for line 28 all age groups specified in paragraph (2) while transporting children line 29 in motor vehicles. The ratio shall be maintained whether the vehicle line 30 is moving or parked. Children in motor vehicles shall have constant line 31 adult supervision and shall not be left unattended under any line 32 circumstances. line 33 (5)  The outdoor activity space at the day care center shall meet line 34 all of the following requirements: line 35 (A)  Except as provided in subparagraph (D), the outdoor activity line 36 space for one age group shall be physically separate from space line 37 used by the other age groups. line 38 (B)  The outdoor activity space shall be equipped with a variety line 39 of age-appropriate toys and equipment. 98 AB 762— 7 — Attachment A line 1 (C)  For infants, placement of playpens shall not create hazards line 2 to other infants or adults in the play area. line 3 (D)  (i)  If groups of children of two age categories are line 4 commingled and the younger age group exceeds 50 percent of the line 5 total number of children present, the age-appropriate toys and line 6 equipment shall meet the requirements for the younger age group. line 7 (6)  The indoor activity space at the day care center shall meet line 8 all of the following requirements: line 9 (A)  The requirements for young infants and mobile infants are line 10 as follows: line 11 (i)  Indoor activity space for infants shall be physically separate line 12 from space used by toddlers and preschoolers. line 13 (ii)  The center may use moveable walls or partitions to separate line 14 the age groups in the same room if each group has the total amount line 15 of square footage for indoor activity space required by this chapter. line 16 (iii)  Moveable walls or partitions, if used, shall be at least four line 17 feet high, constructed of sound-absorbing material, and designed line 18 to minimize the risk of injury to infants. line 19 (iv)  The calculation of indoor activity space for infants shall line 20 not include space designated and used for cribs. line 21 (v)  The sleeping area for infants shall be physically separate line 22 from the indoor activity space. This separation shall be line 23 accomplished as specified in clause (iii). line 24 (vi)  The various child care center components in a combination line 25 center may share office space, food preparation space, storage line 26 space and any other general-purpose space. line 27 (vii)  The indoor activity space shall be equipped with a variety line 28 of age-appropriate washable toys and equipment. line 29 (B)  The toddler and preschool programs shall be conducted in line 30 areas physically separate from those used by older or younger line 31 children, except when a planned activity is being conducted line 32 between two or more age groups. A plan to alternate use of outdoor line 33 play space is allowed. line 34 (C)  If groups of children of two age categories are commingled line 35 and the younger age group exceeds 50 percent of the total number line 36 of children present, the indoor activity space requirements for the line 37 entire group shall meet the indoor activity space requirements line 38 required for the younger age group. line 39 SEC. 2. Section 1596.951 is added to the Health and Safety line 40 Code, to read: 98 — 8 —AB 762 Attachment A line 1 1596.951. (a)  The department shall, in consultation with line 2 stakeholders, adopt regulations on or before January 1, 2018, to line 3 develop and implement a single integrated license for a day care line 4 center serving children from birth to kindergarten. Regulations line 5 adopted pursuant to this section shall include both of the following: line 6 (1)  Age-appropriate transition periods that do all of the line 7 following: line 8 (A)  Allow children to transition from one age group to another line 9 age group up to three months before or three months after their line 10 birthday. line 11 (B)  Take the needs of the whole age group into consideration line 12 in order to move children together. line 13 (C)  Consider continuity of care of the children and parents line 14 being served. line 15 (D)  Consider the needs of the day care center licensees to line 16 maximize spaces being used. line 17 (2)  A requirement that an integrated license being issued to a line 18 new or current day care center licensee list the age groups of line 19 children being served at the day care center for the purposes of line 20 license inspections, data collection management, and county needs line 21 assessments. line 22 (b)  (1)  Between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018, a line 23 day care center license shall be converted to a single integrated line 24 child care license upon annual renewal of the license. The licensee line 25 shall not be required to pay an additional fee to replace an existing line 26 license with the new single integrated license other than the annual line 27 licensing fee. A new applicant for a single integrated license may line 28 be charged a fee commensurate with the previous cost for dual line 29 licenses. line 30 (2)  Until an existing day care center license has been replaced line 31 with an integrated license, a day care center licensee shall line 32 maintain a day care center that meets regulatory standards for line 33 the age groups of children that are being cared for at the day care line 34 center, and standards for inspection of a day care center shall be line 35 based on the current license. line 36 (c)  Stakeholders consulted in adopting regulations pursuant to line 37 this section shall include, but are not limited to, the State line 38 Department of Education, California Association for the Education line 39 of Young Children, Early Edge California, First 5 California, line 40 Children Now, Alliance for Early Success, California Head Start 98 AB 762— 9 — Attachment A line 1 Association, California Child Development Administrators line 2 Association, California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, line 3 California Child Care Coordinators Association, Infant line 4 Development Association, the Western Office of Zero to Three, line 5 L.A. Alliance, Title 5 funded providers, and private providers. line 6 SEC. 3. Section 1596.955 of the Health and Safety Code is line 7 amended to read: line 8 1596.955. (a)  The department shall develop guidelines and line 9 procedures to permit licensed child day care centers serving line 10 preschool age children to create a special program component for line 11 children between the ages of 18 months 18 and 30 months of age. line 12 This optional toddler program shall be subject to the following line 13 basic conditions: line 14 (1)  An amended application is submitted to and approved by line 15 the department. line 16 (2)  No child shall be placed in the preschool program before line 17 the age of 30 months without parental permission. A child who is line 18 more than 30 months of age may participate in the toddler program line 19 with parental permission. line 20 (3)  Parents give permission for the placement of their children line 21 in the toddler program. line 22 (4)  A ratio of six children to each teacher is maintained for all line 23 children in attendance at the toddler program. An aide who is line 24 participating in on-the-job training may be substituted for a teacher line 25 when directly supervised by a fully qualified teacher. line 26 (5)  The maximum group size, with two teachers, or one fully line 27 qualified teacher and one aide, does not exceed 12 toddlers. line 28 (6)  The toddler program is conducted in areas separate from line 29 those used by older or younger children. Plans to alternate use of line 30 outdoor play space may be approved to achieve separation. line 31 (7)  All other preschool regulations are complied with. line 32 (b)  The toddler program shall be considered an extension of the line 33 preschool license, without the need for a separate license. line 34 (c)  The department shall immediately prepare proposed line 35 regulations for public hearing which would consider the foregoing line 36 basic conditions as well as any additional health and safety line 37 safeguards deemed necessary for this age group. line 38 (d)  The guidelines in subdivision (a) shall remain in force and line 39 effect only until regulations implementing this section are adopted line 40 by the department. 98 — 10 —AB 762 Attachment A line 1 (e)  Commencing January 1, 2016, a day care center with a line 2 toddler component pursuant to this section shall extend the toddler line 3 component to serve children between 18 months to three years of line 4 age of age. It is the intent of the Legislature to provide continuity line 5 of care to California’s children and parents in the implementation line 6 of this subdivision. line 7 (e)   line 8 (f)   This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018, line 9 and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that line 10 is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date. line 11 SEC. 4. Section 1596.956 of the Health and Safety Code is line 12 amended to read: line 13 1596.956. (a)   The department shall develop guidelines and line 14 procedures to authorize licensed child day care centers serving line 15 infants to create a special program component for children between line 16 the ages of 18 months 18 and 30 months of age. The optional line 17 toddler program shall be subject to the following basic conditions. line 18 conditions: line 19 (1)  An amended application shall be submitted to and approved line 20 by the department. line 21 (2)  No A child under the age of younger than 18 months not line 22 shall be moved into the toddler program. A child who is more line 23 older than 18 months of age shall not be required to be in the line 24 toddler program. line 25 (3)  Parents shall give permission for the placement of their line 26 children in the toddler program. line 27 (4)  A ratio of six children to each teacher shall be maintained line 28 for all children in attendance at the toddler program. An aide who line 29 is participating in on-the-job-training on-the-job training may be line 30 substituted for a teacher when directly supervised by a fully line 31 qualified teacher. line 32 (5)  The maximum group size, with two teachers, or one fully line 33 qualified teacher and one aide, shall not exceed 12 toddlers. line 34 (6)  The toddler program shall be conducted in areas separate line 35 from those used by older or younger children. Plans to alternate line 36 use of outdoor play space may be approved to achieve separation. line 37 (7)  All other infant center regulations shall be complied with. line 38 (b)  The toddler program shall be considered an extension of the line 39 infant center license, without the need for a separate license. 98 AB 762— 11 — Attachment A line 1 (c)  The department shall immediately prepare proposed line 2 regulations for public hearing that would consider the foregoing line 3 basic conditions as well as any additional health and safety line 4 safeguards deemed necessary for this age group. line 5 (d)  The guidelines in subdivision (a) shall remain in force and line 6 effect only until regulations implementing this section are adopted line 7 by the department. line 8 (e)  Commencing January 1, 2016, a day care center with a line 9 toddler component pursuant to this section shall extend the toddler line 10 component to serve children between 18 months to three years of line 11 age. It is the intent of the Legislature to provide continuity of care line 12 to California’s children and parents in the implementation of this line 13 subdivision. line 14 (e)   line 15 (f)   This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018, line 16 and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that line 17 is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date. line 18 SEC. 5. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to line 19 Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because line 20 the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school line 21 district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or line 22 infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty line 23 for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of line 24 the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within line 25 the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California line 26 Constitution. O 98 — 12 —AB 762 Attachment A