Current through all regulations passed and filed through March 18, 2024
(A) What is the
application process to establish or operate a licensed child care center?
The owner or owner's representative is to:
(1) Complete a professional registry profile
through the Ohio professional registry (OPR) at
https://www.occrra.org/opr.
(2) Register online through the OPR and
complete the required
center prelicensing training. The
prelicensing training shall have been taken within the
five years
prior to application for a license.
(3) Complete an initial application online in
the Ohio child licensing and quality system (OCLQS) at
https://oclqs.force.com and submit
the fee of fifty dollars to the Ohio department of job and family
services (ODJFS).
(a) The application fee
submitted with an application is nonrefundable and shall not be credited or
transferred to any other application.
(b) The application is considered filed with
the ODJFS as of the date it is received electronically and the payment has
cleared.
(c) The application will
be deleted from the system after one hundred twenty days if the fee payment is not
received.
(d) Any application
submitted without complete and accurate information will need to be amended
with complete and accurate information before being licensed.
(e) The application will be deleted and the
fee forfeited if the center is not ready to be licensed after twelve
months.
(4)
Notify in OCLQS if the owner or owner's representative
wants to voluntarily withdraw the application. This results in a forfeiture of
the application fee.
(B) What additional items shall be submitted
during the application process?
The items listed in appendix A to this rule are required and
shall be completed and submitted prior to licensure.
(C) Does the child care center license need
to be visible?
The license is to be visible to parents
at all times.
(D) Can a child care center license be issued
to an address or space that is currently licensed
for
family child care or a child care center?
A child care center license shall not be issued to any address
that is currently licensed as a family child care
home, or
any space licensed for use by another child care center.
(E) Will the license be a
continuous license?
The license shall be a continuous license unless:
(1) The center is in the provisional period
pursuant to rule
5101:2-12-06
of the Administrative Code.
(2) The
center moves to a new address and does not propose a change of location
amendment pursuant to paragraph (G) of this rule.
(3) The owner of the center, which can be a corporation or partnership, changes
.
(4) The center voluntarily surrenders the
license by notifying the ODJFS in OCLQS.
(5)
It is revoked pursuant to rule
5101:2-12-05
of the Administrative Code.
(F) What is the process to change or amend a
license?
(1) The center
is to submit a request and all
applicable documents in OCLQS.
(2) What information can be amended on an
existing license?
(a) Name of
administrator.
(b) License
capacity.
(c) Change of location of
the program.
(3) What is
the timeline for requesting an amendment?
(a)
For a change in administrator, the center
is to submit the amendment, with
qualifications pursuant to rule
5101:2-12-07
of the Administrative Code for the new administrator, within thirty days. This
includes when an existing administrator is on temporary leave for ninety or
more days.
(b) For a change
in capacity, the center shall request and be approved for the amendment prior
to serving additional children. This includes
submitting all corrective action plans required pursuant to rule
5101:2-12-03
of the Administrative Code.
(c) For a change in location, the center
shall request the amendment at least thirty days prior to the last day at the
current location. Failure to request within thirty days may result in a gap of
care. Care shall not begin until the license has been transferred to the new
location.
(4) What are
the requirements if a center wants to permanently move to a different location?
The center is to:
(a)
Comply with paragraph (F)(3)(c) of this rule.
(b)
Submit all
required documents listed in appendix B to this rule prior to licensure at the
new location.
(c) Submit a fee of
fifty dollars in OCLQS thirty
days prior to the proposed move.
(d) Comply with an
inspection at the new location and any applicable determinations of license
capacity for the new location.
(e) Cease child care operations at the
original center location at the time the license is issued for the new
address.
(f)
If care ceases at the old location before the new
location is ready to be licensed, the program may be temporarily closed
pursuant to paragraph (G) of this rule.
(g)
If the new
location is unable to be licensed within ninety days after the request, the
request for amendment will be closed, which results in forfeiture of the
application fee.
(5) What are the requirements if a center
needs to temporarily provide care in a different location?
(a) If the center is temporarily unable to
provide care in the licensed location because the location has been deemed
unsafe for care of children by the building department, fire department, local
health department, local law enforcement or other government agency, the center
may request to temporarily provide care in a new location.
(i) The center shall send a written request
to ODJFS and comply with an inspection of the temporary location prior to
providing care at the temporary location.
(ii) The written request shall include
written documentation from the government agency that deemed the location to be
unsafe for care of children and shall include the plan and timeline for
addressing the needs of the licensed location.
(iii) Prior to resuming care at the licensed
location, the center shall provide written approval to ODJFS from the
government agency that has deemed the location safe to resume care of
children.
(b) If the
center is unable to return to the licensed location within
one hundred
eighty days, the center shall follow the process for a permanent change
of location pursuant to paragraph (F)(4) of this rule. There are no extensions for a temporary change of
location.
(G) How shall an administrator, owner or
owner's representative request a voluntary temporary closure status for a
license of a child care center?
(1) The
administrator, owner or owner's representative is to request
the temporary closure status in OCLQS.
(2) The temporary closure status shall not
exceed twelve months.
(3) The
center shall not serve any children during the temporary closure
status.
(4) The center may be
required to comply with an inspection prior to the end of the temporary closure
status and prior to serving children again.
(5) If at the end of the twelve months, the
center has not requested in OCLQS to reinstate the license or is not able to be
re-opened, the ODJFS may close the license without hearing rights afforded by
Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.
(H) What information
will the
center keep current in OCLQS?
(1) Mailing
address.
(2) Telephone
number.
(3) Email
address.
(4) Days and hours of
operation.
(5) Services
offered.
(6) Name of
program.
(7)
Ohio secretary of state entity number, if
applicable.
(8)
Private pay rates.
(I)
What if an individual listed in OCLQS as a legal
business owner (as defined in section
5104.03
of the Revised Code)
changes?
The center is to log into OCLQS to
complete and submit the information within thirty days of the
change.
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