Crisis nurseries.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation by the State Department of Social Services of crisis nurseries, as defined. Violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. Existing law authorizes crisis nurseries to provide nonmedical 24-hour residential care and supervision for children under 6 years of age who are voluntarily placed by a parent or legal guardian due to a family crisis or stressful situation for no more than 30 days. Existing law provides that a maximum licensed capacity for a crisis nursery program is 14 children. Existing law authorizes a crisis nursery to provide child day care services for children under 6 years of age at the same site as a crisis nursery, but provides that a child is prohibited from receiving more than 30 calendar days of child day care services at the crisis nursery in a 6-month period unless the department issues an exception. Existing law requires the department to allow the use of fully trained and qualified volunteers as caregivers in a crisis nursery subject to specified conditions. This bill would revise these provisions to require crisis nurseries to be licensed by the department to operate crisis residential overnight programs, as defined, and to authorize crisis nurseries to provide crisis day services, as defined. The bill would establish the maximum licensed capacity for a crisis residential overnight program at 14 children and provide that the maximum licensed capacity for crisis day services shall be based on 35 square feet of indoor activity space per child, as prescribed. This bill would require that a licensee under those provisions designate at least one lead caregiver, as described, to be present at the crisis nursery at all times when children are present, would require the licensee to develop, maintain, and implement a written staff training plan, as specified, and would require all caregivers to be certified in pediatric first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The bill would modify the requirements relating to the use of volunteers to be counted in the staff-to-child ratios in a crisis nursery, as specified, and would prescribe requirements relating to when a child has a health condition that requires medication. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local 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.