2005 Connecticut Code - 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.

      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 him 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) Upon receipt of an application for a license, the Commissioner of Public Health shall issue such license if, upon inspection and investigation, he 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 19a-82 to 19a-87, inclusive. Each license except a temporary license shall be for a term of two years, shall be inalienable, may be renewed upon terms and conditions established by regulation 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 promulgated under sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, and 19a-82 to 19a-87, inclusive. The commissioner may issue a temporary license for a term of six months and renewable for another six months, upon such terms and conditions as shall be provided in regulations adopted under said sections. 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 and a fee of fifty dollars for each temporary license issued or renewed for a term of six months. The Commissioner of Public Health 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 and a fee of thirty dollars for each temporary license issued or renewed for a term of six months.

      (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 for perpetrator information. 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.)

      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 twenty-five to one hundred dollars and the fee for group day care homes from twenty-five to fifty dollars; 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 one to two hundred dollars, six-month license or renewal from fifteen to fifty dollars, and for group day care home two-year term license or renewal from fifty to one hundred dollars and a six-month license or renewal from fifteen to thirty dollars; 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).