Sec. 19a-80. (Formerly Sec. 19-43e). License required for child day care centers and group day care homes. Fees. Criminal history records checks. Notification of changes in regulations. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 19a-80. (Formerly Sec. 19-43e). License required for child day care centers and group day care homes. Fees. Criminal history records checks. Notification of changes in regulations. (a) No person, group of persons, association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, shall maintain a child day care center or group day care home without a license issued in accordance with sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, and 19a-82 to 19a-87, inclusive. Applications for such license shall be made to the Commissioner of Public Health 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 of Public Health shall issue such license if, upon inspection and investigation, said commissioner finds that the applicant, the facilities and the program meet the health, educational and social needs of children likely to attend the child day care center or group day care home and comply with requirements established by regulations adopted under sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, and sections 19a-82 to 19a-87, inclusive. Each license shall be for a term of two years, provided on and after October 1, 2008, each license shall be for a term of four years, shall be transferable, may be renewed upon payment of the licensure fee and may be suspended or revoked after notice and an opportunity for a hearing as provided in section 19a-84 for violation of the regulations adopted under sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, and sections 19a-82 to 19a-87, inclusive.

      (2) Prior to October 1, 2008, the Commissioner of Public Health shall collect from the licensee of a day care center a fee of two hundred dollars for each license issued or renewed for a term of two years. Prior to October 1, 2008, said commissioner shall collect from the licensee of a group day care home a fee of one hundred dollars for each license issued or renewed for a term of two years.

      (3) On and after October 1, 2008, the Commissioner of Public Health shall collect from the licensee of a day care center a fee of four hundred dollars for each license issued or renewed for a term of four years. On and after October 1, 2008, said commissioner shall collect from the licensee of a group day care home a fee of two hundred dollars for each license issued or renewed for a term of four years. The Commissioner of Public Health shall require only one license for a child day care center operated in two or more buildings, provided the same licensee provides child day care services in each building and the buildings are joined together by a contiguous playground that is part of the licensed space.

      (c) The Commissioner of Public Health, within available appropriations, shall require each prospective employee of a child day care center or group day care home in a position requiring the provision of care to a child to submit to 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. Pursuant to the interagency agreement provided for in section 10-16s, the Department of Social Services may agree to transfer funds appropriated for criminal history records checks to the Department of Public Health. The commissioner shall notify each licensee of the provisions of this subsection.

      (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-87, inclusive, with which a licensee must comply.

      (1967, P.A. 696, S. 2, 3; P.A. 77-157, S. 4, 11; 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 82-256, S. 2; P.A. 85-613, S. 42, 154; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 7, 117; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; 95-360, S. 9, 32; P.A. 97-259, S. 33, 41; P.A. 98-250, S. 14, 39; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2, S. 69; P.A. 01-175, S. 15, 32; P.A. 03-243, S. 11; P.A. 05-207, S. 9; P.A. 07-22, S. 1; 07-129, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 77-157 added references to group day care homes; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of health with commissioner of health services, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 82-256 required that application forms contain a notice that false statements are punishable in accordance with Sec. 53a-157 and increased the license fee for day care centers from $25 to $100 and the fee for group day care homes from $25 to $50; Sec. 19-43e transferred to Sec. 19a-80 in 1983; P.A. 85-613 made technical changes; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 amended Subsec. (b) to raise fee for day care center two-year term license or renewal from $100 to $200, six-month license or renewal from $15 to $50, and for group day care home two-year term license or renewal from $50 to $100 and a six-month license or renewal from $15 to $30; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-360 allowed license revocation or suspension after "an opportunity for" a hearing rather than requiring a hearing and substituted Sec. 19a-82 for Sec. 19a-81, effective July 13, 1995; P.A. 97-259 added Subsec. (c) re criminal records checks and state child abuse registry checks, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-250 added new Subsec. (d) re plain language summary, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2 amended Subsec. (c) by changing "criminal records check" and "criminal history records check" to "fingerprint criminal records check" and "fingerprint criminal history records check"; P.A. 01-175 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing language re fingerprint criminal records checks as a permissive request with language re mandatory state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to Sec. 29-17a, deleted language re fee and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-243 added "for perpetrator information" in Subsec. (c); P.A. 05-207 amended Subsec. (c) to delete requirement that commissioner check state child abuse registry for perpetrator information; P.A. 07-22 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b) and added provision in Subsec. (b) specifying licensing requirements for child day care centers operated by the same licensee in 2 or more buildings joined together by a contiguous playground, effective May 9, 2007; P.A. 07-129 amended Subsec. (b) by adding Subdiv. designators (1) to (3), disallowing issuance of temporary licenses, extending license term from 2 to 4 years on and after October 1, 2008, increasing licensing fee from $200 to $400 on and after October 1, 2008, and making technical changes.