|
The information
included in the Regulated Child Care and YoungStar Public Search is
provided as a public service to Wisconsin consumers seeking licensed or certified child
care. In an effort to
assist consumers in finding the best possible child care arrangement
for their family, the website provides consumers with information on
the type and location of regulated child care centers, YoungStar
ratings, and the results of monitoring visits conducted by the
regulating agency (e.g., DCF or certification agencies such as
counties). It also
includes information provided by the child care centers describing
how they are addressing violations cited at their centers.
<Back to Top>
Under s. 48.656, Wis. Stats., a parent, guardian or legal custodian
of a prospective recipient of care from a licensed child care center
has the right to information about the child care center that would
aid the parent, guardian or legal custodian in assessing the quality
of care and supervision provided by the center.
The licensing information and regulatory history of licensed child
care centers is public record and must be accessible to the public,
parents and guardians of children.
<Back to Top>
3.
What is licensed child
care?
Under Wisconsin law, no person may provide care and
supervision for 4 or more children under the age of 7 for less than
24 hours a day unless that person obtains a license to operate a
child care center from the Department of Children and Families
(DCF). This does not
include a relative or guardian of a child who provides care and
supervision for the child; a public or parochial school, a person
employed to come to the home of the child's parent or guardian for
less than 24 hours a day; or a county, city, village, town, school
district or library that provides programs primarily intended for
recreational or social purposes.
There are 3 different
categories of state licensed child care:
-
Licensed
Family Child Care Centers provide care for up to 8 children.
This care is usually in the provider’s home.
-
Licensed
Group Child Care Centers provide care for 9 or more children.
These centers are usually located somewhere other than a
residence and may be small or large in size.
-
Licensed
Day Camps are seasonal programs that provide experiences for 4
or more children.
These programs usually operate in an outdoor setting.
<Back to Top>
There is a
voluntary form of regulation in
Wisconsin
for those child care programs that are not required to be licensed.
This type of regulation is called certification.
Counties/Tribes certify child care homes and some school-age child
care programs.
Certification is available for those families who wish to
receive a
child care subsidy, but who do not choose to use licensed
care.
<Back to Top>
A regular child care license is issued to a licensee following a
six-month probationary period if, during the initial probationary
period, the licensee is able to demonstrate to the DCF that s/he
meets the minimum requirements for licensure as specified in statute
and administrative rule.
A regular license is non-expiring but is reviewed every two years.
The regular license is valid until revoked, suspended or
surrendered.
A probationary child care license is issued to an applicant who has
not been previously issued a regular license, has changed location,
or has changed corporate status.
A probationary license is issued when the applicant meets
certain minimum requirements for probationary licensure, as
specified in statute and administrative rule, and the probationary
license fee has been paid.
The probationary license is valid for up to six months, but
it may be renewed for one additional six-month period.
Before a probationary license expires, the DCF conducts
inspections of the center to ensure it meets the minimum
requirements for regular licensure.
A regular license is issued if minimum requirements are met.
<Back to Top>
There are two categories or levels of family child care
certification. Level 1
(regular) is issued to operators who have demonstrated compliance
with all certification standards including entry level training
required to meet Level I certification.
Level II (provisional) is issued to child care operators who
have demonstrated compliance with certification standards except the
standards for entry-level training.
<Back to Top>
This is the date that the first probationary license was issued to
the child care licensee at that location.
<Back to Top>
YoungStar is a program of the Department of Children and Families
(DCF) created to improve the quality of child care for
Wisconsin children.
YoungStar evaluates the quality of care given by regulated
child care providers and rates them from 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars
being the highest rating. A provider's star rating is based on:
-
Education Qualifications and Training
-
Learning Environment and Curriculum
-
Professional and Business Practices
-
Child Health and Well-Being Practices
You can find more information on YoungStar at
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/.
<Back to Top>
Participation in YoungStar is voluntary.
However, licensed and certified child care providers, Head
Start programs, and school-age programs that accept payments from
Wisconsin’s
Child Care Subsidy program,
Wisconsin Shares,
are required to participate in YoungStar.
Wisconsin Shares helps families pay for child care.
If the parent of a child needing child care is eligible,
child care can be subsidized for children under the age of 13 (and
up to 19 if special needs).
A certified
provider who provides care in the child’s home is not eligible to
participate in the YoungStar program since the care is provided in
the child’s home.
If a program is not currently taking children who receive
Wisconsin Shares
and does not want to participate in YoungStar, they
do not have to. However,
if they accept a child that receives
Wisconsin Shares, they would be
required to participate in YoungStar.
<Back to Top>
The provider has submitted the YoungStar application and is in
the process of receiving a rating.
They are likely receiving coaching and mentoring called
“technical assistance” in their program during this process.
<Back to Top>
The rating is updated
annually unless there is a large staff turnover that could move the
rating up or down.
<Back to Top>
There are a
number of reasons that a YoungStar rating may change.
A rating will change when a program becomes accredited, or
when an accredited program is no longer accredited.
A rating could change when the teachers’ or director’s
education or training qualifications have increased or decreased.
If a center changes location, the rating may change.
If a program is out of regulatory compliance, due to a
revocation, summary suspension or suspension from the
Wisconsin Shares
program, the rating will change.
<Back to Top>
Programs that
do not serve children in
Wisconsin Shares
do not have to be rated
and identified on the YoungStar website.
However, if a family receiving
Wisconsin Shares
asks to
enroll a child, the program is required to enroll the child and join YoungStar. Any regulated
provider may voluntarily participate in YoungStar.
<Back to Top>
The YoungStar rating scale is a five star system, which uses
compliance with existing child care regulations as a base.
Star levels are achieved on
the basis of the total number of points earned in a 40-point quality
indicator system. There
are also minimum quality indicators that must be met at each star
level.
A provider's star
rating is based on:
- Education
Qualifications and Training
- Learning
Environment and Curriculum
- Professional and
Business Practices
- Child Health and
Well-Being Practices
A 3 star
rating for a center means that the program meets proficient levels
of quality standards and has taken the first steps in their
YoungStar journey. It is
important not only to look at the star level but also to ask your
provider what areas they are working on in YoungStar.
Two providers at the same star level may be very different
because they choose to work on different areas of quality
improvement. That is why
it is important for parents to ask providers more information about
their YoungStar rating aside from the star level.
For example, if you are a parent who is more concerned with
the health and nutrition your child receives, you may want to find a
provider who is working on that area of YoungStar.
<Back to Top>
When the licensing specialist or certifier notes violations of the
licensing or certification rules, a notice of the violations is
issued to the center.
Regulated
programs are expected to develop and implement an acceptable
correction plan to address any and all violations cited by DCF staff
and certifying agencies.
If the violations continue or reappear later in a licensed program,
the licensing specialist may move to progressive enforcement action
including Orders to Correct and Forfeitures.
These enforcement actions are indicated on the YoungStar
compliance history for the program but do not result in a program
dropping in the star rating.
It is rare to find a
regulated center that has never been cited for a rule violation and
not all violations represent the same threat to the health and
safety of children in care.
Many factors will influence the actions that must be taken to
achieve compliance, including the center’s record on correcting
violations, the seriousness of the violations, the size of the
center, the length of time the center has been operating, and the
qualifications of the staff.
Programs are considered to be out of regulatory compliance for
YoungStar when they have had their license or certification revoked
or denied or they have been suspended from participating in the
Wisconsin Shares
program.
This may happen if the Department of Children and Families
(DCF) or the certifying agency determines that a program has failed
to correct previous violations or the center has put the health and
safety of children in care at risk.
<Back to Top>
The Department
of Children and Families (DCF) has contracted with a group of three
organizations called the YoungStar Consortium to provide technical
assistance and to rate providers.
Staff from the YoungStar Consortium called Rating Observers
and Technical Consultants have extensive education and experience in
the field of early childhood care and education.
DCF requires that assessments and services be culturally and
linguistically appropriate.
Rating Observers have completed training and demonstrated
reliability in the use of the observation tools.
<Back to Top>
YoungStar is a system
that allows providers to earn points for meeting quality standards.
In addition to earning points in YoungStar, programs must
achieve certain minimum quality indicators to move from one star
level to the next. For
this reason, all programs at a given star level will have at least
met the minimums for that star level.
The other quality practices they utilize will depend on their
area of focus.
They can choose to focus on education and training; learning
environment and curriculum; business and professional practices; or
child health and wellness.
(http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/pdf/minimum_points_required.pdf)
For example, let’s look
at two different family child care programs who both earned three
star ratings:
|
Program ABC
|
|
Area of YoungStar
|
Quality
Achievement
|
Points Earned
|
|
Education &
Training
|
Provider has
Infant Toddler Credential (required minimum for 3 stars)
|
4
|
|
Learning
Environment & Curriculum
|
Provider completed
a self-assessment and quality improvement plan (required
minimum for 3 stars)
|
2
|
|
Business &
Professional Practices
|
Provider has an
ongoing yearly budget and completed accurate taxes (required
minimum for 3 stars)
|
1
|
|
Provider has a
parent handbook
|
1
|
|
Provider has a
professional development plan and is a member of a
professional association focused on early childhood
|
1
|
|
Child Health and
Wellness
|
Nutritious meals
are served daily (required minimum for 3 stars)
|
1
|
|
60 minutes of
physical activity provided daily for children
|
1
|
|
Total Points
Earned
|
11
|
|
Program 123
|
|
Area of YoungStar
|
Quality
Achievement
|
Points Earned
|
|
Education &
Training
|
Provider has an
Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education (this is
required at the 5 star level)
|
12
|
|
Learning
Environment & Curriculum
|
Provider completed
a self-assessment and quality improvement plan (required
minimum for 3 stars)
|
2
|
|
Provider uses
individual child portfolios
|
1
|
|
Provider uses
intentional planning to improve child outcomes
|
1
|
|
Provider is
trained in and provides annual developmental screenings and
refers children to services as appropriate
|
1
|
|
Provider tracks
outcomes for each child
|
1
|
|
Business &
Professional Practices
|
Provider has an
ongoing yearly budget and completed accurate taxes (required
minimum for 3 stars)
|
1
|
|
Child Health and
Wellness
|
Nutritious meals
are served daily (required minimum for 3 stars)
|
1
|
|
Total Points
Earned
|
20
|
These programs
both earned three stars in YoungStar, but they may look very
different so it is important that parents ask questions and really
delve into what a provider’s star rating means.
This same principle applies to five star rated providers
except that these providers (and four star providers) must undergo
and perform well in a formal Environment Rating Scale evaluation as
one of their minimum quality requirements.
Additionally, programs that are accredited can automatically
receive a four or five star rating (depending on educational
qualifications) rather than go through the YoungStar rating process.
<Back to Top>
A two star rating can mean many things.
If a program does not want a YoungStar staff member to come
into their program and provide training, coaching and/or mentoring,
they can be given a two-star rating based upon their education but
they will earn no other points in YoungStar.
On the other hand, a program could be
putting in great efforts to work their way up the YoungStar levels
and a two star rating may be a starting point in their quality
journey. They may be
working on completing a degree or training.
They may be implementing child portfolios but they have not
quite completed them.
For these reasons, it is important for parents to have conversations
with their providers
to understand what a
provider’s star rating means.
<Back to Top>
You can find more information on YoungStar at
http://www.youngstar.wi.gov
<Back to Top>
These numbers are unique identification numbers assigned to the
child care center by the The Department of Children and Families
(DCF) automation system.
None of these is a
social security number or tax identification number.
<Back to Top>
Capacity is the maximum number of children that may be cared for
under the child care license or certification at any one time.
Capacity for a family child care license may not exceed eight
children, but it may be less.
Capacity for a group child care license or school age
certification will be nine children or more. Capacity
for certified family child care may not exceed 3 children under the
age of 7 and may not exceed a maximum group size of 6, including the
provider’s own children under age 7.
<Back to Top>
A violation, also referred to as a noncompliance, is a formal,
written statement that the licensee or certified operator is not in
compliance with a specific administrative rule.
<Back to Top>
A rule summary is a brief statement identifying the subject area of
an administrative rule requirement for licensed programs.
<Back to Top>
Each program licensed by the Department of Children and Families
(DCF) or certified by the certifying agency agrees to comply with
administrative rules intended to protect children in care.
Licensing specialists from the DCF and certification workers
from local certifying agencies make periodic, announced and
unannounced, on-site visits to licensed and certified centers,
during which time the regulator observes the operation of the center
and notes any areas in which the center is out of compliance with
selected administrative rules.
Observation of any violation of administrative rule is
documented at the visit.
Through this process, the center is alerted to existing violations
and is required to take prompt, appropriate corrective action to
safeguard children in care.
Regulatory history is also established through complaint
investigations conducted by DCF staff and certification workers.
Since licensing specialists and certification workers can’t
visit and observe each center’s operations daily, information from
parents and others regarding what is happening at a center is
critical.
Anyone can report a complaint to the
DCF concerning a licensed or
unlicensed center.
When the
DCF is alerted to
potential violations of administrative rule, licensing staff conduct
a thorough investigation.
If the complaint is substantiated, the violations are
documented and the center is expected to take prompt corrective
action.
Complaints concerning certified child care programs shall be made to
the
local certifying agency.
Also included in a licensed center's regulatory history are
enforcement actions.
Enforcement actions, authorized in licensing statute, are sanctions
or penalties that may be taken by the DCF to address violations of
administrative rules of licensed programs.
Through the use of enforcement actions, such as orders and
forfeitures, the DCF can compel licensees to correct violations and
come into compliance with minimum regulatory requirements.
A licensee can dispute an enforcement action taken by the DCF
by appealing the action through the Division of Hearings and
Appeals.
<Back to Top>
At the end of a monitoring visit to a center, the regulator
discusses his/her observations with the licensee or certified
operator at an exit interview and a report of the findings is issued
during or immediately following the visit.
This report is either a Statement of Noncompliance and
Correction Plan that enumerates the violations found or a Compliance
Statement that shows that no violations were noted during the visit
or the Exit Interview Confirmation form that enumerates
possible violations that
may be cited. Licensed
centers must post the report next to the child care license in an
area of the center that is readily visible to parents and the
public.
Regulated centers are expected to develop and implement an
acceptable correction plan to address all violations.
The regulator verifies that the violations are corrected
within a given timeframe, and, if the violations remain uncorrected,
the regulator may take further corrective action with the center,
such as an enforcement action (for licensed centers only).
<Back to Top>
Regulation Details includes the center's record of administrative
rule violations and enforcement actions issued by the The Department
of Children and Families (DCF) during the previous 2 years.
However, regulatory information for certified centers prior
to June 6, 2011 is not available on the public website.
Violations are documented during ongoing routine monitoring
visits, during visits made to a center in response to a complaint
allegation, or based on self-reports of violations by the center.
When violations are serious or remain uncorrected, an
enforcement action may be issued to the licensed center by the DCF.
Regulation Details includes the dates that one or more violations
were issued by the regulating agency.
If a visit was made to the center and no violations were
observed, these dates will also be listed.
The Details column includes links to more detailed
information such as the administrative rule violation number that
was cited and a brief summary of the violation. The Results
column includes links to the Noncompliance Statement and Correction
Plan (CFS-294) detailing the center’s plan to address the violation.
If an enforcement action has been initiated with a licensed center
during the previous 2 years, a display titled Enforcement Actions
will appear in the Regulation Details section.
(If no enforcement action has been initiated in the previous
2 years, the Regulation Details section will only display monitoring
and violations detail.)
Information regarding an enforcement action includes date of
enforcement, type of enforcement, whether the licensee appealed the
violation, if “yes” to Appeal, the decision, and the violations that
led to the enforcement action.
Information is not posted on this public website until monitoring
and complaint investigation results have been finalized.
A licensed center is afforded appeal rights for enforcement
actions only.
<Back to Top>
For licensed centers, every visit made to a child care center in the
previous two years is included in the center's regulatory history.
For certified centers, every visit made since June of 2011 is
included in the center’s regulatory history.
Visits may result in a statement that lists rule violations
or a statement that indicates that no rule violations were observed
or the visit may be for the purpose of providing technical
assistance or complaint investigation, for example, in which case no
statement is issued.
However, visits in which a statement is not issued are
indentified on the public website.
For additional information about the center's regulatory history,
you are encouraged to contact the center directly and/or the
regional licensing office
or
certifying agency.
<Back to Top>
Licensed and certified centers are expected to develop and implement
an acceptable plan to correct all violations cited on the
Noncompliance Statement and Correction Plan.
(Licensed centers are required to post the plan in a visible
location near the license at the licensed child care center.)
The regulator verifies that the violations are corrected
within a given timeframe, and, if the violations remain uncorrected,
the regulator may take further corrective action.
With a licensed center, this may involve an enforcement
action.
Visitors to the public website can review the child care center’s
correction plan by linking to the plan in the Results column.
<Back to Top>
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is authorized under Wisconsin statute and administrative rule to initiate
enforcement actions to address serious and repeated violations of
licensing requirements.
Through the use of an enforcement action, the DCF can compel
licensed centers to correct violations and to maintain compliance
with minimum regulatory requirements.
Enforcement actions are issued when previous efforts to gain
compliance with administrative rule, such as issuing the
Noncompliance Statement and Correction Plan (CFS-294), have failed.
Sometimes a direct forfeiture is assessed immediately for an
identified noncompliance not associated with previously issued
orders and in the most severe circumstances where the health, safety
and welfare of children in care is threatened or when harm to a
child has occurred.
Enforcement actions include orders to correct violations, forfeiture
and direct forfeiture, temporary suspension of the license, and in
the most serious circumstances, summary suspension of a license,
denial of a license and license revocation.
Licensees may appeal an enforcement action with the Department of
Children and Families (DCF) and the Department of Administration,
Division of Hearings and Appeals.
If the Division of Hearings and Appeals upholds the
enforcement action, the licensee may request a rehearing or appeal
that decision to Circuit Court.
All enforcement actions are defined on the
Terms and Definitions webpage.
Certifiers do not issue enforcement actions to certified child care
programs.
<Back to Top>
A stipulated agreement is a legal contractual agreement between the
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) and a licensee of a
child care center that sets forth specific and unique terms and
conditions for granting or continuing licensure.
Such an agreement is used to settle an enforcement action
following an appeal, or to establish the conditions under which an
applicant/licensee is permitted to hold a license.
<Back to Top>
The licensing staff of the Department of Children and Families (DCF)
follows a systematic process to gain a center's compliance with
administrative rule by moving from citing a violation on the
Noncompliance Statement and Correction Plan (CFS-294) to
progressively more serious actions.
Most commonly, the need for more serious licensing action,
such as an enforcement action, can be averted by early
identification of violations and/or addressing ongoing problems that
do not immediately rise to the level of an enforcement action.
However, when violations remain uncorrected, even after the
licensee has received a warning about the situation, licensing staff
will initiate more serious corrective action.
Actions may progress from citing the violation on a Noncompliance
Statement and Correction Plan (CFS-294), to alerting the licensee to
the seriousness of the uncorrected violations through a warning
letter, to imposing an order to correct the violation, to issuing a
forfeiture or temporarily suspending a license.
Ultimately, when these progressive actions fail, or in the
most serious circumstances, the DCF will revoke the license.
Certifying agencies work with the certified operator to gain the
center’s compliance with administrative rule. However, if the
certified operator fails to come into compliance, the certifier may
issue a warning letter and/or suspend or revoke a provider’s
certification.
<Back to Top>
A complaint is an allegation of a violation of administrative rule
related to licensed or certified child care centers.
Complaints alert the Department of Children and Families
(DCF) or the certifying agency to possible problems at facilities.
Complaints against licensed centers may be submitted to the
DCF by telephone, fax, letter, electronic mail or personal interview
and may come from a variety of sources, such as parents and other
family members, neighbors, center staff, social service and law
enforcement personnel, other community members and anonymous sources.
Complaints against certified centers can be submitted to the
certifying agency.
When a complaint alleges violation of administrative rule at a
center, the regulating agency conducts an investigation of the
center. This
investigation may include an unannounced visit to the program to
observe conditions, interviews with the licensee or certified
operator and current or former staff members and a check of center
records. Based on a
careful analysis of the information gathered during the
investigation, the regulator determines whether the complaint is
substantiated (a rule violation was issued) or unsubstantiated (a
rule violation was not issued).
<Back to Top>
It is possible that the regulatory history for this center is
included under the center's previous license.
If a licensed center changes it’s location and moves it’s
center to a location in a different region, the center is treated
like a new facility and the regulatory history of that child care
center begins on the date that the new license for the new location
is issued.
Though unlikely, it may also be that this is a new center that was
just issued a probationary license and has not yet had a monitoring
visit.
<Back to Top>
In reviewing the regulatory history of a center, keep in mind that
the presence of violations and enforcement actions in the center's
regulatory history is not the whole story.
It is rare to find a regulated center that has never been
cited for a rule violation.
Many factors can influence a regulatory history, including
the size of the center, the length of time the center has been
operating, and the qualifications of the staff.
Consider some of the following questions when you review the
center's regulatory history:
-
What is the YoungStar rating?
-
What is the nature of the violation?
Was the violation related to safety, record keeping,
staff-to-child ratios?
Every rule is important to the quality of the program, but some
rules are more directly related to the safety of children.
-
Is the center being repeatedly cited for the same violation?
What is the center doing to correct the violation?
Is the center making timely efforts to correct the
violation?
-
Is there an extensive history of multiple violations, or are the
violations infrequent?
-
What enforcement actions (for licensed programs only) have been
taken and for what reasons?
How has the licensed center responded to these actions?
-
What do other parents say about the center?
-
What is the center’s plan of correction?
What can they tell you about the violations and their
plan to correct them?
Tips for
Choosing Child Care
was developed by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to
help you make the very important decision of locating a child care
arrangement that is right for you.
We encourage you to consider this guidance, in combination
with the information available through YoungStar, when considering
the center that best meets the needs of your child and your family.
We encourage you to talk to the centers you are considering.
You may also contact
the local
Child Care Resource and Referral office.
<Back to Top>
Learn more
through the local
Child Care Resource and Referral office and
YoungStar.
<Back to Top>
Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies can provide you with
resources to select a quality child care placement for your child
including the following:
-
a customized list of licensed and certified programs including
group child care centers, school-age child care, family child
care, and day camps;
-
guides and check lists to help you have a productive meeting
when you visit a child care center you are considering;
-
key questions to consider asking about the child care provider,
the child care center, and the program;
-
information on family resources, special events, support groups
and parenting classes.
For a link to community-based child care resource and referral
services near you, please visit
Supporting Families Together
Association
and click on the county where you live or work.
You can also contact the regulated center directly to discuss your
questions and concerns.
When you visit the center, review the results of the most recent
monitoring visit and ask questions.
You may also call the regional licensing office or certifying
agency to find out more about a center's regulatory history.
<Back to Top>
The website provides information on regulated child care providers
only. It does not
provide information on unregulated child care providers.
More information on the
difference between licensed, certified and unregulated providers can
be found at
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/childcare/licensed/About.htm.
<Back to Top>
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) updates the website
daily to assure that provider names, locations and other regulatory
information is as current and accurate as possible.
<Back to Top>
The role of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) is to
protect the health, safety and welfare of Wisconsin's children in care through
periodic monitoring of child care centers.
DCF licensing specialists and certifying agencies conduct
regular inspections of regulated centers to assure compliance with
administrative rule requirements, the minimal standards established
through statutory requirements.
The expectation is that regulated centers meet these minimum
standards at all times. The
website shows the compliance information collected at these
monitoring visits.
YoungStar ratings, however, provide the consumer with information on
the quality of care being provided to children, based on an
assessment of the program’s education
qualifications and training, learning environment and curriculum,
professional and business practices and child health and well-being
practices.
DCF recognizes that many child care centers go well beyond the
minimum standards required to maintain licensure or certification.
We encourage child care centers to publicize their many extra
efforts to provide quality early care in a safe and nurturing
environment. Persons
looking for child care are encouraged to visit the centers under
consideration to see firsthand what each center has to offer.
<Back to Top>
Yes, all child care providers need to have training in early
childhood education, shaken baby syndrome (SBS) prevention, sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS) risk reduction procedures, infant/child
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated electronic
defibrillator (AED) training.
Child care teachers in group child care centers need
additional early childhood training and group child care center
directors and administrators and family child care providers need
training in the business related aspects of operating a business.
Group child care teachers and center directors also need to
have experience in a licensed program before beginning to work in a
program.
<Back to Top>
Every administrative rule is important to the quality of the
program, but some administrative rules are more directly related to
assuring that children are safe in child care settings. The
Department of Children and Families (DCF) has identified those rule
requirements that, when violated, are likely to pose the most
serious threat to the health, safety and welfare of children in
care.
When citing a rule violation, the licensing specialist pays
particular attention to whether or not the rule requirement is
included on the serious violation list. Depending on the number of
serious violations cited on a single monitoring visit and whether
the serious violations are also repeat violations, the licensing
specialist may be required to initiate enforcement action.
DCF intends to eventually identify which violations are classified
as serious violations for licensed child care centers shown
on this public search website. Review the list of serious violations
in licensed family and group child care here.
<Back to Top>
Last Revised:
May 01, 2012
|
